barbarawatkinscpa

"Highest form of unprofessionalism I’ve experienced. This is my first ever review of a business. I’ve never been one to leave reviews especially if they are negative ones but my experience with Barbara has reached a point where I feel the need to warn all others who do business with her. I have been having Barbara do my taxes for years and It’s never been a problem. However I have started getting into investing/trading in the stock market which means Barbara would have a lot more forms to be filling out/scanning as one can imagine. With this, the period in which I would expect my taxes to be completed has understandably been lengthened as she has more work to do. I received my tax return October 2022. Since of about April or may of 2022 I would periodically call her just to ask for updates on my taxes and see if I can expect them done by any certain time. In the beginning she would actually answer my phone calls and tell me something along the lines of “I’ll attack them this weekend” or “I’ll have them done by next week”. This was the beginning of her many false promises as every time I would follow up with her, she would either not answer or give responses with a tone as if it was a bother to be doing my taxes. Taxes that I have been paying her to do for years and makes a living from doing. Over the following months I would reach out numerous times only to be answered by her voicemail greeting. Around June or July I had found out she was under the weather with some health issues. Okay no problem, that is understandable and with that I knew to expect my taxes to be done even later than expected. Weeks went by, I sent emails, left multiple voicemails and was lucky to have her actually pick up the phone when we called. Not one returned email or call return. Not one. It came to a point where I had to resort to reporting her to the BBB in hopes of receiving a simple update. Again, I have never ever left a review on any business let alone report one so that alone should speak volumes as to how in the dark I was. In the weeks following the complaint she has answered the phone 3 times out of the 10 and would once again give false promises as to when I can expect my taxes to be completed. Not one of my phone calls or emails contained rude language, any demands or accusations. I simply wanted an update on my taxes which had a deadline approaching in which they had to be filed. I am a patient person. I fully understood and expected the taxes to take a bit longer than usual since there were a lot of investment papers. All I ever wanted was to be updated and in the loop which I think isn’t much to ask for but I was left in the dark. I have become very familiar with her voicemail greeting. “The diva of deductions” you’ll hear her call herself in her voicemail, I’d say the diva of disappointment, as that is how I was feeling after this experience with her. The cherry on top was that upon completion, I received a bill from her at 5:45 pm stating “your prompt payment is appreciated” with a due date of the SAME day. The lack of courtesy and communication I have been experiencing the last several months only to top it off with a bill due the same day has me truly speechless. Barbera has had my business for YEARS and it’s unfortunate (yet relieving) that I have to go elsewhere next year. I’m not writing this to tell readers to use someone else for their taxes but simply a warning for the unprofessionalism and lack of courtesy you will have to endure."