Dear WebsterRogers Tax clients,

As indicated in our e-mail to you on Wednesday, our firm has moved to a mandatory remote working environment for the vast majority of our staff in response to the COVID-19 situation.   As also stated in that communication, our staff remain fully committed to continuing to provide you with exceptional service during this time.  Our tax team will continue to work our usual expanded “busy season” hours through the April 15^th filing deadline in order to complete returns at the same pace as previous years.

In this new environment, many of our processes will remain the same, but we will make necessary changes to others in order protect the health of our clients and staff as much as possible.  I wanted to make you aware of a few changes, but also remind you of things that will stay the same.

• All of our office locations remain open, so you can continue to drop off information locally.  It will be scanned daily and available to our remote professional staff.
• In lieu of drop offs, we encourage the use of electronic mediums to share information with us virtually via Email, Client Portals and Sharefile.
• We won’t be available for in person meetings, but our staff will all be available by phone or video-conferencing to discuss your information, questions and planning ideas.
• We plan to deliver all completed tax returns to you electronically.  This will include the E-file authorization forms, which you will be able to sign and return to us electronically.
• If you are unable to receive things electronically, we will mail hard copies to you by request.
• We will be available by phone to answer any questions you may have about your completed tax return and assist you step by step in completing the filing process.
• Calls to our local offices during regular business hours will be answered by receptionists and transferred directly to our remote staff.
• PLEASE continue to gather and send us your 2019 tax return information now.  While the IRS has this week granted an extension of time to pay your tax, they did not grant an extension of time to file.  So we will need to either file your tax return or a valid extension request by April 15^th.
• If you owe money with your 2019 tax return, you may now make payment by July 15^th without penalty or interest, as long as the balance owed is not more than $1 million.
• If you normally make Quarterly Estimated tax payments, the 1^st Quarter 2020 payment has also been delayed without penalty until July 15^th.
• We have joined the AICPA in asking Treasury to also move the actual tax return filing deadline to July 15^th as well to alleviate the burden of having to mechanically file extension forms on April 15.  But even if this relief is granted, our commitment at WR will be to continue to file as many returns as possible now.
• For you convenience, we will be delivering our Billing Invoices electronically along with your tax return.  Please take advantage of our convenient option to pay online via credit card.

We greatly appreciate you working with us to adapt to this unprecedented time.  Should you have any questions at all, please reach out to your personal WR trusted advisor by phone or Email.  Thank you for you continued trust in WebsterRogers for your tax, accounting and consulting needs.   Be safe!!

Stephen Holladay

Partner, Tax Practice Leader