COVID-19

A Letter from our President

Hello,

First and as always, we hope that you and your family are well. As we come to learn more about the recent public health concerns as well as the proposed recommendations, we want to provide you with our response to these concerns as well as what to expect for the remainder of this tax season.

Our decision to go virtual:

We have decided that it would be best to move exclusively to a virtual atmosphere in order to reduce (and eliminate) the potential of spreading the virus through physical contact. For years, we have offered you this virtual service (in other words, our portal) as a means of delivery so enforcing it has not required much implementation on our end. Rest assured that it is very easy to use and implement for those of you who are new to the idea!

What if you don’t have the ability to go virtual?

For those who have limited-to-no access to internet, a computer, a printer and a scanner, and thus prefer to provide us with physical documents, please visit our Spencerport office at your convenience. There, you will find an arrangement to place your documents in a pre-arranged intake envelope that will then be securely dropped into our mail slot in the door.

What if your documents are already with us?

If you have already provided us with your tax documents, please know that we are working diligently to complete your tax return and that we will call you as soon as they are completed. When we call you to review the results of your returns, we will explain our virtual delivery and payment process with you at that time. It goes without saying that we truly and earnestly appreciate your patience as we all navigate through these unprecedented times.

What if you haven’t provided us your documents yet?

If you have not yet provided your materials to us, please take a few minutes to do so by visiting our website at https://www.rac-co.com/1040 to upload your documents to us as well as answer a few questions. Rest assured that this method is not only secure, but also very easy to use! Once we have received your documents, we will be in touch with any additional information that we need to prepare your returns. If you prefer you are also welcome to send your documents to us by FAX to (585) 625-0024 or by mail to our Spencerport office address.

When do you need to get us your documents to ensure your taxes are not extended?

While we are working through these unique and difficult circumstances, we are doing everything to avoid changing this date. Historically, this date has been March 25th so we are going to do everything we can to keep it that way. This, however, only works if you have provided us all of the documents required to prepare your tax return by Wednesday, March 25th. Otherwise, it is likely that we will have to file for an extension of time on your behalf.

If you prefer to get ahead of this and would like us to go ahead and file for an extension at this time, please request this as soon as possible by visiting https://www.rac-co.com/1040 and following Step 1.

If you planned to or currently have a scheduled meeting with us:

If you have already scheduled a meeting in office with one of our staff, then we will be in touch with you shortly. Again, due to safety measures and recommendations made by the World Health Organization, we will be requesting a virtual meeting via phone call in lieu of meeting in person. This will ensure that we eradicate any risks of exposure by either party. We do request that you get us your tax documents at least 24 hours prior to any scheduled phone calls via one of the methods outlined above.

Is there anything else I should be aware of?

• The President and the IRS have been working to provide accommodations to citizens that are affected by the rising health concerns and at this point, they’re offering a waiver of penalty and interest on any taxpayer with a balance due for 90 days. This means that if you owe, you will have 90 days to pay the government without any penalties or interest!

• If you were laid off or lost your job as a result of the rising health concerns, you may qualify for unemployment assistance. You can apply for unemployment by visiting: https://labor.ny.gov/unemploymentassistance.shtm

• Interest rates have been dropped to allow you to refinance your home. Doing so might reduce your mortgage payment every month. Please speak to your mortgager if this is something you’re interested in doing.

• If you’re a business owner, we know that the government will be working with banks as well as the SBA to provide financial aid at a much lower rate. Please email Jim@rac-co.com with questions or concerns you may have!

Please visit our website and our Facebook pages regularly as we will work diligently to provide additional updates if any circumstances change. You can also expect additional email correspondence.

If you should need to contact us with questions or concerns, please email us at info@rac-co.com or call/text us at (585) 454-8780.

These times are going to be challenging, but if we stick together we will all come out stronger and better for it. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as we face the unknown, but know that we appreciate our relationship with you and will do everything we can to support you - just as you have done for us.

With great respect,

Patrick M. Roberts, CPA

President Roberts Accounting CPAs, P.C.