Dear Valued Clients,
We hope you and your family are safe and healthy. For many of us, 2020 has been the most difficult year of our lives. From long-time businesses closures, filing for unemployment, personal isolation, and the uncertainty of what the future holds! The pandemic has definitely impacted our way of life, and now we find ourselves wearing a face mask a part of our daily wardrobe! A new year is upon us, which means the start of tax season. Due to the ongoing pandemic, we will be operating differently this tax season to ensure the safety of our clients and staff; however, our quality of service and care for our clients will remain the same.
The information below will be covering our new procedures due to COVID-19.
2021 ENGAGEMENT LETTER & TAX ORGANIZER
You should be receiving your personalized 2021 Tax Season (Tax Year 2020) Engagement Letter and Tax Organizer over the next few days either via an email download link or USPS.
Your signed Engagement Letter will be required prior to the initiation and preparation of your tax return. We will not start working on your tax return until your signed Engagement Letter is received. Tax returns will be worked on in the order received along with your signed Engagement Letter.
Please take the time to complete the Tax Year 2020 Tax Organizer. This will help you in filing the most optimal and correct tax return. Also, please review and update your personal information (i.e. – mailing address, contact numbers, email address, banking information, etc).
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR TAX INFORMATION:
- Tax Client Portal – SecureFilePro:
- We strongly encourage you to securely upload your tax documents at https://ambshawaii.securefilepro.com
- If you forget the link to our portal, you may access the portal from our company website:
www.ambshawaii.com > Client Portal > Tax Client Portal.
- If you forgot your Username or Password, click on the link below the “Tax Client Portal” button. If you are a new client or unable to login to your account, you may upload your signed Engagement letter and tax documents using Guest Exchange on our Tax Client portal.
- Fax: 1-866-496-3253 or 808-380-9426
- Mail: M. Business Services Inc., 1413 S. King Street Suite 211, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
- Document Drop Off:
- You may do so drop off your tax information during normal building hours, typically Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm. No appointment necessary.
- Please put all your tax documents in a secured envelope and drop it in the mail slot.
As soon as we receive your documents, our staff will confirm receipt of your documents via email and/or telephone. Again, as a reminder, please submit a signed copy of your Tax Year 2020 Engagement Letter with your documents.
TAX FILING DEADLINES
- Federal – Thursday April 15, 2021
- State – Tuesday April 20, 2021
*Note: IRS is scheduled to open e-file season on Friday, February 12, 2021.
Tax documents must be received in our office no later than FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2021 for us to have your tax return completed on time. As a reminder, we will not start work on your tax return until a signed Engagement Letter is received. We will electronically file an extension request if tax information received after this date.
Extension Requests
All information required for us to calculate your extension payment amount(s) must be received by Friday, April 2, 2021. Any balance due of your tax liability must be paid with your extension request by April 15, 2021, to avoid interest and penalties.
If you do not notify us with your information or we do not receive the necessary information to calculate your extension amount, we will automatically e-file your extension requests with a “zero” balance due.
Please keep in mind that filing a request for an extension to file requires an extension payment of your anticipated balance due. It is NOT an extension to pay your tax balance due!
SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS REGARDING STIMULUS CHECKS & PPP LOAN RECIPIENTS
We will not be able to file your tax return without the EXACT amount of your 2020 stimulus check received (if applicable). Additionally, if you were a recipient of a PPP loan, your tax returns will not be completed by April 15th due to the complexity and ongoing pending legislation.
DELIVERY OF COMPLETED TAX RETURNS:
As much as we would love to see you in person and catch up, unfortunately, our “new reality” needs to be taken into consideration. Completed tax returns will be delivered by the following methods:
- Tax Client Portal via SecureFilePro
- USPS Mail
- Email (via secure encrypted email. The password to open and view the file will be the first 4 letters of your last name plus the last 5 digits of your SSN (or primary taxpayer).
- In-Person Pick up (Please read In-Office Meeting below)
Virtual Client Meeting
- We will be accepting virtual client meetings to discuss your tax returns. We offer the following virtual meeting options: Telephone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet.
- Appointment Link: https://calendly.com/ambshawaii. If you forget the direct URL, you may find it on our website at ambshawaii.com > Contact > Request Appointment
In-Office Meeting
We are limiting our in-office appointments for everyone’s safety. If you choose to meet in person, please be assured that we are following guidance from the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization and State of Hawaii Department of Health. We are practicing safety measures such as sanitizing highly touched areas (doorknobs, countertops, desk, chairs, etc.).
We kindly ask to be on time for your appointment. This will allow us to better manage our schedule and appointments and allow us ample time to sanitize prior to the next client’s arrival. Please call our office if you must cancel and/or reschedule.
WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS.
ALL IN-PERSON MEETINGS MUST BE SCHEDULED BY CALLING OUR OFFICE.
COVID-19 IMPACT ON OUR FIRM
COVID-19 has really thrown us (and the world!) a curveball this past year. Unfortunately, we are not in the clear yet and while we would like to remain optimistic, our expectations of the 2021 tax season remain grim. We are expecting another round of stimulus payments and anticipate major tax changes that are currently in the works with our newly elected President Joe Bidden and the tax legislation processes.
Furthermore, we anticipate many of our clients will have much more complex tax situations due to the pandemic and other major life events. Considering these circumstances and other factors outside our control, we cannot make any promises and guarantees regarding turn-around time this tax season. We will make our best effort to work efficiently and diligently to provide you with the best service possible. We appreciate your understanding and continued flexibility as we all continue to navigate through these uncertain times.
We look forward to working with you!
Alicia, Tanya, Jonathan and Reyonna
A.M. Business Services Inc.
(808) 596-7885
Important Links:
- Our website: ambshawaii.com
- Book your Appointment: https://calendly.com/ambshawaii
- Secure Portal: https://ambshawaii.securefilepro.com
- IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/
- Hawaii Tax website: https://tax.hawaii.gov/