We used Ray for our joint return for the past 3 years. I don't know what we were thinking going back to him more than once. We encountered several problems working with him.
1. Inconvenient and outdated: Everything has to be dropped off at their office in Atascadero in person. Living in SLO, this was extremely inconvenient on multiple occasions. Ray and his secretary always acted like inconveniencing you was not a big deal at all. They also don't really use email and discouraged faxes.
2. Several problems with his work: The second year using Ray, he submitted our return late. Apparently they called us once to get a signature, and then never contacted us again. Okay, yes, they contacted us - but as a tax professional getting paid, you should make it a priority (within reason) to make sure to get your clients returns in on time. They couldn't bring themselves to make one more call?
The second issue was worse. The first year he did our taxes, he didn't report a portion of our income, which we were not aware needed to be reported. Being young and too trusting, we thought Ray knew best. Two years later, we get hit with a whopper of a tax bill. We ask Ray about this mistake, he looks into it, then tries to charge us for fixing his mistake.
3. Unpleasant: This guy doesn't treat you like a valued client. He could care less.
Considering how many other options you have for a tax professional, don't chance it with Ray.
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