Dear Amy: My boyfriend’s dad is a CPA, with decades of experience. A few years ago he offered to do my taxes, due to the sudden complexity because of an inheritance — and I was using cheap software for very basic returns.
Since taking over my yearly filing he has consistently made mistakes that have cost me quite a bit of money. He left off a major account distribution one year; this should have been easily caught by him.
When I discussed the mistake with him, he never acknowledged it was due to his error, nor did he offer to pay the interest I owed.
This year, I decided to start filing my taxes again on my own. As a result, I found out he had given me incorrect advice for all of these years regarding paying my estimated taxes.
He told me it was a suggestion to pay the estimated taxes, but it’s actually required! Again, the software would have told him this and would have also given him the penalty amount I owed.
Not once did he mention the penalty I owed and it’s not on any of the returns he gave me, after filing.
I am upset and feel that he should reimburse me for these mistakes; he offered to do my taxes, he gave me incorrect advice and he never mentioned the penalties I was charged.
In fact, when I contacted him to tell him I didn’t realize I was being charged penalties all these years, I heard nothing back.
My boyfriend believes I should not ask to be reimbursed because although his dad offered to do my taxes, he never charged me for the services rendered.
