I can’t stop laughing! One of the clients at my first public accounting job had one. We all took turns trying it out. It’s called a comptometer and the comptometrists who used them had specialized training, just like the typists. We’ve come along way…
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I can’t resist. My first tax season was in 1962 as an articled student with a small CA firm on Vancouver Island.
I would draft the returns in pencil, partner would review, typist make 3 copies with a wide carriage typewriter. I would review for typo’s, assemble and client would pick up. .
Simple return 3.50, slightly complex 5.00. Beyond that, partner’s judgment. I was paid $150 monthly.
I charge more now.
Neal
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That’s how we still did it in the early to mid 80’s even with corporate returns. And the firms made money.
That seems like a lifetime ago…
1951 T1 Short.pdf (605.2 KB)
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I enjoyed reading all these stories so much. Thank you for sharing.
I will google about that machine. It got my attention.
Thank you all!!
I charge $30 for adjustments
I am a youngster, first season 1979, the year that the returns had to be reprinted because of Joe Clark’s mortgage interest and property tax tax credit…
Are there any youngsters at work here? My first return using computer (only my own) I saved enough on income tax to pay for the computer. I was way too conservative when doing manually.
The first computers we used at the firm I articled with had to be shared between two people. We would do all the input, press the key to calculate, and go for a coffee. Our firm bought out the practice of another CA. He would do all calcs and fill in all the return and schedules by pencil. Then his wife would type all the #'s on the return and schedules. The client would get a complex return done for $50.
Funny thread!! First tax season was just after I left “Revenue Canada -Taxation” as a young(ish) Appeals Officer, and was in 1979 and in an H&R office in the Bay in Calgary. All manual, of course, with a very rigid system similar to those described by others. After that, went out on my own. Did countless hundreds of returns by hand for years. Don’t miss it a bit. Go on Efile the first year it was offered in Alberta and happy to have one of those “old” numbers. 
Oh - I’ll add - I had one of those old comptometers back in the (much earlier) days, too during accounting training. Big old beast! Then along came LEDs and printed circuits.
Given that the vast majority of clients are corporate, most of the personal returns I do are courtesy ones. I stopped doing “public” returns a LONG time ago, when I fired 80% of my clients, gave up my office space and personnel, and made just as much net during tax season the next year. Now I only do personal returns for fun. (Which means they need to be “interesting”, or for existing clients.)
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I would seem to be the youngest here almost as my first tax season was in the spring of 1996 and I don’t recall having to do anything by hand. I do recall having to print everything out and using different colours of paper for different forms. I still have a massive stapler capable of stapling a huge return with a ton of medical receipts with one oversized staple.
I don’t charge for adjustments usually - just build the cost into my standard rates. That said - it’s been 5 years since I increased my rates so there is going to be a large increase for next year. I did not take on any new clients this tax season - turned them all away - and I am still not quite finished those that must be filed by tomorrow. So a rate increase will hopefully increase my cash flow and decrease my time working…
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I had to use one of these in my job as a cheque typist for an insurance company in 1971. I hated it,
I was a bookkeeper in the early 90’s and started doing taxes for friends by hand for free. Somewhere between 10 and 15 handwritten returns, with writer’s cramp I decided to buy a program, and if I had to pay so did they, and it grew from there. Been doing it ever since. Don’t do the bookkeeping anymore, just the taxes at tax time
I started 3 years ago, so I’m basically a toddler hanging around in here with the big kids.
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So that’s what your name means! 
There are very few of us that are good enough for you to look up at. Welcome - we do like the little kids!
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading all your stories! 
I was busy doing audit in the 90s and vaguely remember punching a few numbers into taxprep to get my tax hours. I only switched over to tax about 6 years ago so I guess that makes me a Newbie in the group.
This forum is one of the reasons I switched to Taxcycle from Cantax. Everyone is so knowledgeable and supportive!
Glad to have some downtime today before the reviews start. What does everyone charge to help a client with a review?
My fee’s include assisting with a desk review.
- We scan all our clients documentation during the engagement
- We receive the desk review letter from the CRA
- We inform the client that the CRA has selected their return and what is being reviewed
- We explain that we have the information to satisfy the query and with their permission we will forward their information, or if we need additional information, we let the client know what they have to gather
- We send the information to the CRA as well to the client with the confirmation number provided by the CRA
- When we get the letter back from the CRA informing us that no changes have been made, we forward that off to the client as well.
A few times over the years we’ve been asked to provide even more information (for example proving a single parent is the sole caretaker of the child for dependent amounts)
Should be noted, we don’t charge $70 a return either.
This year we have two returns stuck in pre-assessment. One where he is the sole provider for his daughter and the other with an ABIL. I’m not supposed to assume why they are in pre-assessment but I’ve been doing this long enough to make accurate assumptions.
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Over the over 40 years that I have practiced, I have learned that any interaction with CRA is inclined to alarm the client. So I have done my utmost to handle any dealings with CRA. As such, if at all possible, I deal with any preassment, post assesment, matching, etc. As such, I also do not inform the client if all is good. They pay me to take care of things, and thus for peace of mind. And I charge accordingly, though, I might say, I do value billing, and my fees will be according to the level the client can afford to pay…
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I do EXACTLY the same, Bert…which is why it totally pisses me off when CRA calls the client instead of me. But they’re well-instructed and told to say nothing other than to tell CRA to call me.
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I tell the clients when I get a pre or post assessment review. I also ask them for any info I don’t already have (rare) and let them know I’ll forward my invoice on successful completion of the review.
Then a few weeks/months later I forward the resolution with an invoice (usually for $125), and they happily pay me. Because I absolutely agree that clients value not dealing with CRA. And if I thing I do has value? I should get paid for it.
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