New Client Packet
Welcome!
WE’re glad you’re here!
take a minute to run through the new client packet to your right. You may have already done some or all of this.
Life as a Client at Crayon advisory
We’re here to give you help and support with your US tax needs. From preparation to planning and all the things that come before preparation or planning can start, we have solutions for you. These solutions are custom made to you, our client, and your needs. From our first email introduction to tax return delivery and annual re-engagement, we’re here to walk through all the steps and things that might happen.
We understand taxes are hard, and are here to make them as smooth and easy as possible. All of our engagements start with consent and an Engagement Letter that puts your tax return quote front and center and move through to requesting information we need from you in order to provide you with the services you need.
Introductory Survey
There’s always a first step. Around here, that’s usually with providing information. This Introductory Survey will do just that – it tells me some of the basics about you and your tax and accounting needs. This helps me prepare for our first meeting to have solutions and a process mapped out for you.
Introductory meeting
Hey there! I’m Megan and I use she/they pronouns. What are yours? This first meeting gives us an opportunity to get to know each other as humans a little bit. It also gives us an opportunity to go through your needs and how we can address them. No tax or accounting advice will be given during this meeting. You will receive a link to schedule your meeting after completing your Introductory Survey.
Consent to Disclosure
I talk about this a lot: if you work with another professional, be it an attorney, financial advisory, another accounting professional, or someone else entirely, I will need you to give express written permission to be able to do so. You can click this text to complete any Consents to Disclosure that are necessary.
Moxo - Secure Client Portal
You’ll hear me say it time and again: email isn’t secure. We use Moxo for secure file sharing. You can learn more about our conversation based portal at this introduction to Moxo. You won’t be able to create your own account – that’s something we do for you.
Depending on what we’re working on together, I may use a few other systems, including Cognito Forms, to request information from you. All of these are secure, encrypted, and come straight to me.
Accounting Software Access
If you own a business, it’s inevitable that you’ll use accounting software to record your financial activity. The links below will take you to instructions on sharing your cloud accounting with me. Don’t use one of these systems? Let me know and we’ll talk about it.
FreshBooks – be sure to select the Accountant user type.
Xero – be sure to selet the Advisor role.
Quickbooks Online – you’ll need to add me as an Accountant user, not a regular user.
Welcome!
WE’re glad you’re here!
take a minute to run through the new client packet to your right. You may have already done some or all of this.
Life as a Client at Crayon advisory
We’re here to give you help and support with your US tax needs. From preparation to planning and all the things that come before preparation or planning can start, we have solutions for you. These solutions are custom made to you, our client, and your needs. From our first email introduction to tax return delivery and annual re-engagement, we’re here to walk through all the steps and things that might happen.
We understand taxes are hard, and are here to make them as smooth and easy as possible. All of our engagements start with consent and an Engagement Letter that puts your tax return quote front and center and move through to requesting information we need from you in order to provide you with the services you need.
Introductory Survey
There’s always a first step. Around here, that’s usually with providing information. This Introductory Survey will do just that – it tells me some of the basics about you and your tax and accounting needs. This helps me prepare for our first meeting to have solutions and a process mapped out for you.
Introductory meeting
Hey there! I’m Megan and I use she/they pronouns. What are yours? This first meeting gives us an opportunity to get to know each other as humans a little bit. It also gives us an opportunity to go through your needs and how we can address them. No tax or accounting advice will be given during this meeting. You will receive a link to schedule your meeting after completing your Introductory Survey.
Consent to Disclosure
I talk about this a lot: if you work with another professional, be it an attorney, financial advisory, another accounting professional, or someone else entirely, I will need you to give express written permission to be able to do so. You can head here to complete any Consents to Disclosure that are necessary. It’s pretty mobile friendly, but might be more comfortable at a computer.
Moxo - Secure Client Portal
You’ll hear me say it time and again: email isn’t secure. We use Moxo for secure file sharing. You can learn more about our conversation based portal at this introduction to Moxo. You won’t be able to create your own account – that’s something we do for you.
Depending on what we’re working on together, I may use a few other systems, including Cognito Forms and Xero, to request information from you. All of these are secure, encrypted, and come straight to me.
Accounting Software Access
If you own a business, it’s inevitable that you’ll use accounting software to record your financial activity. The links below will take you to instructions on sharing your cloud accounting with me. Don’t use one of these systems? Let me know and we’ll talk about it.
FreshBooks – be sure to select the Accountant user type.
Xero – be sure to selet the Advisor role.
Quickbooks Online – you’ll need to add me as an Accountant user, not a regular user.
New Client FAQ
Pricing
Every tax return, advisory package, accounting set up, projection, or other service is priced specifically to and for you. I know you’re here to learn what it might be like to work together, so, I’ve outlined some pricing for you below. Prices below are minimums are subject to change without notice.
Crayon Advisory Pricing Policies & Practices
We use fixed fee pricing based on your tax return and situation. We don’t bill or price by the hour but based on the services we’re providing to you. This pricing is based on the expertise, skill, and time, care, and attention your specific project will need. During Onboarding, you will receive a quote for services to be provided to you. This quote is valid for your next/first project with us as stated on the quote. As a returning client, your pricing will be reviewed at least annually at year-end, with changes expected and/or known on your next year’s tax return taken into consideration. These changes may include the items listed below that may impact the cost of your tax return preparation or other project.
During preparation, we may discover something new, different, or unexpected that may change the quote provided to you with and on your engagement letter. If your cost increases, we will generally communicate this increase as soon as possible. Things that may increase the cost of your tax return or other project:
- a new business or new business activity (consulting);
- stock options or RSUs not sold in previous years;
- a new rental property purchased;
- incomplete or inaccurate bookkeeping requiring significant changes to correct;
- or something else new.
If the cost of your tax return preparation or other project is expected to increase, we will communicate this as soon as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes that is at delivery, depending on the time of year we’re working together as wella s the proxmimity to deadlines.
In certain circumstances, the cost of your tax return preparation or other project may decrease from the quote provided to you with your engagement letter:
- You sold stock options or RSUs in hte prior year and are not in this year;
- You prevsiouly had flow-through income from a trust or business K1 not prepared by Crayon Advisory, LLC but that income does not exist in the current year;
- You had a one-time/one-year event in the previous year that won’t continue into the next/current year;
- You closed your business in a prior year.
If the cost of your tax return decreases, you’re most likely to find out during tax return delivery. We do include a note on your invoice describint this decrease.
We do increase our prices twice a year: once in May and once in October. Price increases are based on the previous year’s highest price. We do not increase the cost of any engagement that is in progress or that has already been quoted. Our price increases are based on need and not, “because we can.”
Individual Tax Returns
Individual Tax Prep (1040, Sch A, Sch B, Sch D, EIC) $785-$1,335+
The price shown here is a range for an individual tax return with no business activity on the tax return. This is a range. Your specifics may be different based on your personal and specific tax situation.
Individual Tax Returns + Sch C or Sch E
Individual Business Owner (Sch C/Sch E filer) Tax Prep $1,210-$2,055+
The price shown here is a range for an individual tax return with business activity on the tax return. This is a range. Your specifics may be different based on your personal and specific tax situation.
Entity Tax Returns
Entity (1120-S/1065, 1120, 1041) $1,755 – $3,500+
The price shown here is a range for an entity tax return. This is a range. Your specifics may be different based on your specific situation.
Advisory Services
We know there’s much more to taxes than tax returns. There’s projections, strategy, and all of the underlying accounting that has to be done to get to those projections and strategy. As part of onboarding, we’ll offer advisory services when and as it makes sense for you and your business.
Accounting Tour
Lean into your business’s finances and unlock your inner accountant. Learn to read your financial reports like an accountant, understand your cash needs, and know where your dollars are going. Along the way, you’ll also learn about the little details that accounting for modern small businesses easier than ever before. Click here to learn more.
New Client FAQ
Pricing
Every tax return, advisory package, accounting set up, projection, or other service is priced specifically to and for you. I know you’re here to learn what it might be like to work together, so, I’ve outlined some pricing for you below. Prices below are minimums are subject to change without notice.
Crayon Advisory Pricing Policies & Practices
We use fixed fee pricing based on your tax return and situation. We don’t bill or price by the hour but based on the services we’re providing to you. This pricing is based on the expertise, skill, and time, care, and attention your specific project will need. During Onboarding, you will receive a quote for services to be provided to you. This quote is valid for your next/first project with us as stated on the quote. As a returning client, your pricing will be reviewed at least annually at year-end, with changes expected and/or known on your next year’s tax return taken into consideration. These changes may include the items listed below that may impact the cost of your tax return preparation or other project.
During preparation, we may discover something new, different, or unexpected that may change the quote provided to you with and on your engagement letter. If your cost increases, we will generally communicate this increase as soon as possible. Things that may increase the cost of your tax return or other project:
- a new business or new business activity (consulting);
- stock options or RSUs not sold in previous years;
- a new rental property purchased;
- incomplete or inaccurate bookkeeping requiring significant changes to correct;
- or something else new.
If the cost of your tax return preparation or other project is expected to increase, we will communicate this as soon as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes that is at delivery, depending on the time of year we’re working together as wella s the proxmimity to deadlines.
In certain circumstances, the cost of your tax return preparation or other project may decrease from the quote provided to you with your engagement letter:
- You sold stock options or RSUs in hte prior year and are not in this year;
- You prevsiouly had flow-through income from a trust or business K1 not prepared by Crayon Advisory, LLC but that income does not exist in the current year;
- You had a one-time/one-year event in the previous year that won’t continue into the next/current year;
- You closed your business in a prior year.
If the cost of your tax return decreases, you’re most likely to find out during tax return delivery. We do include a note on your invoice describint this decrease.
We do increase our prices twice a year: once in May and once in October. Price increases are based on the previous year’s highest price. We do not increase the cost of any engagement that is in progress or that has already been quoted. Our price increases are based on need and not, “because we can.”
Individual Tax Returns
Individual Tax Prep (1040, Sch A, Sch B, Sch D, EIC) $785-$1,335+
The price shown here is a range for an individual tax return with no business activity on the tax return. This is a range. Your specifics may be different based on your personal and specific tax situation.
Individual Tax Returns + Sch C or Sch E
Individual Business Owner (Sch C/Sch E filer) Tax Prep $1,210-$2,055+
The price shown here is a range for an individual tax return with business activity on the tax return. This is a range. Your specifics may be different based on your personal and specific tax situation.
Entity Tax Returns
Entity (1120-S/1065, 1120, 1041) $1,755 – $3,500+
The price shown here is a range for an entity tax return. This is a range. Your specifics may be different based on your specific situation.
Advisory Services
We know there’s much more to taxes than tax returns. There’s projections, strategy, and all of the underlying accounting that has to be done to get to those projections and strategy. As part of onboarding, we’ll offer advisory services when and as it makes sense for you and your business.
Accounting Tour
Lean into your business’s finances and unlock your inner accountant. Learn to read your financial reports like an accountant, understand your cash needs, and know where your dollars are going. Along the way, you’ll also learn about the little details that accounting for modern small businesses easier than ever before. Click here to learn more.
New Client FAQ
Practices and Procedures
Crayon Advisory, LLC strives to find a balance with clear, consistent communication, security, bureaucracy, efficiency, and your own experience. So, what’s it like to work together?
Communication Style & Systems
We rely on written communication first, and will always need to receive information for your tax returns and other projects from you in writing. This is both to meet our due diligence requirements and to work with Megan’s auditory processing disability. This disability makes it challenging for her to comprehend and process conversations effectively. To give you an idea of what she experiences when people talk, if someone says, “leave your boots here,” she’s as likely to hear, “leaf chair boots wait,” or “leaf year meats waif,” or some other string of words that really don’t make sense. You can read more here.
We rely on email and Moxo, our secure, conversation based portal first. We use other systems as necessary, including Cognito Forms, Blue Dot HQ, and Tango. As part of the onboarding process, we’ll share with you all of the systems we use and what we use them for.
We try very hard to meet our clients where they’re at, and ask they be willing to do the same for us.
Most of our communications (including this bit here) are designed to find a balance with anticipatory anxiety and overwhelm – helping you understand what comes next as well as reducing any overwhelm from being told too much, too soon. Besides the current, immediate step, we’ll usually outline the next two to four overal steps or ideas you’ll need to confront on your journey with us.
That First Meeting
That first introductory meeting is just that: an opportunity to get to know each other. You’re getting a feel for me and how I work with clients. I’m getting a feel for you, your needs, and if we can serve them. No, I don’t charge for this.
Bring all of your questions to that first meeting. The more information you can provide me by completing your introductory survey, the more I can give you during our initial meeting.
Onboarding
After that first meeting, you’ll start onboarding by giving us consent to make use of our portal (and other software) to support you in your tax return preparation needs. With that consent, we’ll make a space for you in Moxo (click the link all you want, but you’ll need an invitation from us before you can start exploring further than the landing page) and set up an Onboarding Engagement in which we’ll share more of the specifics of life at Crayon Advisory as well as request information from you we need in order to provide you with a quote.
We’ll put that quote together for you to review and approve and then we’ll get started. Or hurry up and wait. That last step depends on the time of year and your specific needs.
The Engagement (The Project(s))
Every project is called an engagement. Every client of Crayon Advisory, LLC will have an annual tax return preparation engagement. Many will have more than one – if they’re an owner in an S-Corporation or a Partnership or there’s a trust involved, for example. Some may have recurring advisory services in which we work together throughout the year, and some may have a projection or tax planning to work on or work through.
Each engagement starts with an Engagement Letter that defines the scope of what we’re working on, what we’re not working on, the deliverables included with the engagement, how you’ll receive those deliverables, and quite a few other things that are quite important. We include pricing up front and early, including what is due to be paid and when. We also disclose what additional fees might exist, when they happen, and how to avoid them (if they’re avoidable). We also give you a list of information we need, including any questionnaires you’ll need to complete, and discrete, specific requests for documents through our secure client portal, Moxo.
Along the way, we’ll send you reminders of what you’ll need to do, due dates of when you’ll need to do those things, and what might happen if you don’t meet those deadlines and due dates (deadlines really do make a great wooshing sound as they go by).
Engagement delivery generally includes a letter describing next steps, a summary of results, tax and estimated tax payment vouchers and instructions, and, of course, the actual tax return for tax return engagements.
New Client FAQ
Practices and Procedures
Crayon Advisory, LLC strives to find a balance with clear, consistent communication, security, bureaucracy, efficiency, and your own experience. So, what’s it like to work together?
Communication Style & Systems
We rely on written communication first, and will always need to receive information for your tax returns and other projects from you in writing. This is both to meet out due diligence requirements and to work with Megan’s auditory processing disability. This disability makes it challenging for her to comprehend and process conversations effectively. To give you an idea of what she experiences when people talk, if someone says, “leave your boots here,” she’s as likely to hear, “leaf chair boots wait,” or “leaf year meats waif,” or some other string of words that really don’t make sense. You can read more here.
We rely on email and Moxo, our secure, conversation based portal first. We use other systems as necessary, including Cognito Forms, Blue Dot HQ, and Tango. As part of the onboarding process, we’ll share with you all of the systems we use and what we use them for.
We try very hard to meet our clients where they’re at, and ask they be willing to do the same for us.
Most of our communications (including this bit here) are designed to find a balance with anticipatory anxiety and overwhelm – helping you understand what comes next as well as reducing any overwhelm from being told too much, too soon. Besides the current, immediate step, we’ll usually outline the next two to four overal steps or ideas you’ll need to confront on your journey with us.
That First Meeting
That first introductory meeting is just that: an opportunity to get to know each other. You’re getting a feel for me and how I work with clients. I’m getting a feel for you, your needs, and if we can serve them. No, I don’t charge for this.
Bring all of your questions to that first meeting. The more information you can provide me by completing your introductory survey, the more I can give you during our initial meeting.
Onboarding
After that first meeting, you’ll start onboarding by giving us consent to make use of our portal (and other software) to support you in your tax return preparation needs. With that consent, we’ll make a space for you in Moxo (click the link all you want, but you’ll need an invitation from us before you can start exploring further than the landing page) and set up an Onboarding Engagement in which we’ll share more of the specifics of life at Crayon Advisory as well as request information from you we need in order to provide you with a quote.
We’ll put that quote together for you to review and approve and then we’ll get started. Or hurry up and wait. That last step depends on the time of year and your specific needs.
The Engagement (The Project(s))
Every project is called an engagement. Every client of Crayon Advisory, LLC will have an annual tax return preparation engagement. Many will have more than one – if they’re an owner in an S-Corporation or a Partnership or there’s a trust involved, for example. Some may have recurring advisory services in which we work together throughout the year, and some may have a projection or tax planning to work on or work through.
Each engagement starts with an Engagement Letter that defines the scope of what we’re working on, what we’re not working on, the deliverables included with the engagement, how you’ll receive those deliverables, and quite a few other things that are quite important. We include pricing up front and early, including what is due to be paid and when. We also disclose what additional fees might exist, when they happen, and how to avoid them (if they’re avoidable). We also give you a list of information we need, including any questionnaires you’ll need to complete, and discrete, specific requests for documents through our secure client portal, Moxo.
Along the way, we’ll send you reminders of what you’ll need to do, due dates of when you’ll need to do those things, and what might happen if you don’t meet those deadlines and due dates (deadlines really do make a great wooshing sound as they go by).
Engagement delivery generally includes a letter describing next steps, a summary of results, tax and estimated tax payment vouchers and instructions, and, of course, the actual tax return for tax return engagements.
Scheduling
Introductions: You and Crayon Advisory
Ready to introduce yourself and your business to Crayon Advisory? We'll be ready to meet you, after you've completed your introductory survey. To keep things easy and smooth for you, that survey is embedded right here. Just click the pluss button to the right and you'll be on your way!
If we'll be a good fit to work together, you'll be able to schedule that all-important introduction. For that introduction to be as meaningful as possible, be sure to include your most important question and biggest concerns in the survey (yes, there's places for you to leave information). During our introduction, we'll build a roadmap to solve your accounting and tax problems together.
Note: this meeting does not provide tax or accounting advice. This is an opportunity for us to chat about your needs and for me to start developing the right set of solutions for you. This meeting is required for all new clients.
Scheduling
Introductions: You and Crayon Advisory
Ready to introduce yourself and your business to Crayon Advisory? We'll be ready to meet you, after you've completed your introductory survey. To keep things easy and smooth for you, that survey is embedded right here. Just click the pluss button to the right and you'll be on your way!
If we'll be a good fit to work together, you'll be able to schedule that all-important introduction. For that introduction to be as meaningful as possible, be sure to include your most important question and biggest concerns in the survey (yes, there's places for you to leave information). During our introduction, we'll build a roadmap to solve your accounting and tax problems together.
Note: this meeting does not provide tax or accounting advice. This is an opportunity for us to chat about your needs and for me to start developing the right set of solutions for you. This meeting is required for all new clients.