How It Works

Stage 1

Register & Client Intake

Register any time and complete The Square Penny’s online intake questionnaire at your own pace. Your progress is saved, so you can come back and finish it later. The questionnaire gathers enough information about you and your tax situation for The Square Penny to decide whether the engagement is a good fit.

No payment is requested at this stage.

Stage 2

Tax Document Upload

Start uploading your tax documents, such as W-2s, 1099s and other applicable forms, as they arrive. Most tax forms are mailed by the end of January, so you don’t need everything at once. Your portal shows which documents are still outstanding.

Once your intake and documents are in, The Square Penny reviews them to better understand the return, confirm that the engagement is appropriate, identify the likely forms and schedules required, and determine the preparation fee. We may ask you for more information, or decline the engagement if the return is outside the firm’s scope; if we can’t assist, a courteous response is sent.

Your information and documents go through our secure client portal, not ordinary email. If you don’t become a client, everything you submitted is deleted automatically each October 31, or sooner if you delete it yourself from your account. Security & Privacy

Stage 3

Preparation Quote

If The Square Penny accepts the return after document review, the client receives a preparation fee quote. The client receives the quote before being asked to pay the Initial Review Fee.

This is an important part of The Square Penny client experience. Clients should know the expected preparation cost before spending money to proceed. The client decides whether to move forward. No payment is required simply to receive a quote.

Stage 4

New Client Interview

After accepting the quote, the client pays the Initial Review Fee, which is credited toward the tax preparation fee, and is then invited to schedule a 30-minute New Client Interview by video. In the interview we verify your identity with your photo ID and go over a few more questions about your year, such as income from renting out a home, room or car, gambling winnings, and other things that are easy to miss on a form.

This is a required step before preparation begins. This fee is not an additional charge on top of your quoted preparation fee; it is applied toward it. It is non-refundable, except if, after you pay, we decide we can’t prepare your return from the information you gave us before your quote, and you can reschedule up to 3 times with 24 hours’ notice. You agree to our Terms of Engagement when you accept your quote, before paying.

Stage 5

Tax Return Preparation

After your New Client Interview, The Square Penny prepares the tax return. Your return is professionally prepared and reviewed by a licensed Enrolled Agent. Additional information or documentation may be requested when necessary.

If information discovered during preparation would materially change the quoted fee, The Square Penny will discuss that with you before proceeding with the additional work.

Stage 6

Review, Signature & Filing

The client receives the completed return for review. Required documents are electronically signed, including Form 8879. The Square Penny then electronically files the return with the appropriate taxing authorities and sends you confirmation when filing is complete.