Did you know that every year we put together a helpful summary of key changes that may impact your tax position in comparison to the prior tax year? Check out our table below highlighting the key tax changes in 2024 and how they compare to tax year 2023. Whether it’s adjustments to deductions, retirement planning considerations, or even the new mileage rate, it’s important to stay informed! That’s why we call it ‘Important Facts & Figures.’

Click the image below to view or download a PDF of our ‘Important Facts & Figures’ table!

Dear Tax Return Clients,

This is a reminder about our upcoming March 15th deadline for receiving your tax documents in order to have your return completed by April 15th!

Receiving tax documents shortly before the April 15^th deadline places a tremendous strain on our team during an already busy season. Because we are committed to the health and wellbeing of our team members, we ask that you understand that if all requested tax documentation is not received by Saturday, March 15^th, we may need to file an extension and complete your return after April 15^th. If this occurs, we will provide you with an estimated payment voucher to remit payment by April 15^th, as necessary.

If you need help submitting your documents, check out our previous posts with all the important information regarding our process for completing your 2024 tax return, including how to access and use SafeSend, our secure exchange portal. As always, you can call or stop by your local H&S office and we will be happy to collect your hard copies or assist you with the uploading process.

Click below to view a graphic describing our timelines for 2025:

In an effort to streamline our process, make things more efficient for our clients and our team members, and most importantly, keep our clients’ data safe, H&S has invested in SafeSend for document uploading. SafeSend is a secure exchange portal that can be found right here on our website under Client Tools! – Click here to access the exchange site.

We understand that there can be a lot of questions around new processes and technology, which is why we have created a page dedicated to SafeSend Information and Frequently Asked Questions, also listed under the Client Tools dropdown – Click here to learn more!

As always, if you still have concerns, please reach out to us.

Happy Uploading!

Happy New Year from H&S! We wish you all the best as we begin 2025!

Looking back at another year, we find ourselves ever more grateful for the people in our lives that make our journeys so special. Ending 2024 surrounded by friends and family as we celebrated Christmas and the New Year was a welcome reminder that it is our relationships that we hold most dear. As we begin 2025 with the tax filing season, we continue to be grateful for you, our clients, and for the relationships we have built over many years of working beside you. While tax season may be a busy time for our team, we are excited and look forward to serving you in the coming months!

As we start a new year, we continue to strive to positively impact our clients through providing valuable advice. To provide you with the most valuable service, we would love to meet with you to hear what financial goals and aspirations you have and discuss what we can do to help you achieve them! Given the focus on completing tax filings through April 15^th, the best time to have these in depth discussions is after we’ve completed your 2024 tax return. If you’re interested in scheduling a meeting with us, please let our team know!

Below you will find important information regarding our process for completing your 2024 tax return. Over the past several years, we have been focused on improving our tax preparation process to provide you with great service and to support our team through this busy season. Through investments in our team and technology, we aim to continue to provide you a personal and efficient experience this tax season. We are appreciative of your patience and kindness this time of year as our team works tirelessly to serve you!

1. Below you will find our annual tax questionnaire to assist you with collecting necessary tax documents and confirming relevant figures required to complete your 2024 tax return. To ensure that we completely and accurately prepare your tax return this year, please complete this questionnaire and return it to us with your tax documents. Also below is a summary of key changes in 2024 that may impact your tax position in comparison to 2023. You can also stay up to date on tax law changes and planning opportunities throughout the year by signing up for our weekly tax tips and monthly newsletters here on our website, or by following us on social media.
2. Please provide all your information, completed questionnaire, and tax documents at one time, preferably in a digital format as soon as they are available (Excel or PDF formats, please no .jpeg files). For your convenience, we have invested in a secure exchange to upload your documents on our website (www.hscompanies.com) using our “Client Tools.” If you are not able to provide electronic copies, we can accommodate collecting paper copies, which you can mail or drop-off at any of our office locations.
3. We are committed to reviewing each return for accuracy and identifying planning opportunities to reduce your tax liability. This means we will have limited ability to have in-person meetings during tax season. However, as mentioned above, we would love to schedule time to meet with you after tax season to discuss your goals, aspirations, and potential tax planning strategies! Please let our team know if you are interested in scheduling a meeting.
4. Receiving tax documents shortly before the April 15^th deadline places a tremendous strain on our team during an already busy season. We are committed to the health and wellbeing of our team members and ask that you understand that if all requested tax documentation is not received by Saturday, March 15^th, we may need to file an extension and complete your return after April 15^th. If this occurs, we will provide you with an estimated payment voucher to remit payment by April 15^th, as necessary.
5. As mentioned above, we can collect paper copies of your tax documents if you are unable to provide them electronically. We ask that you deliver your documents to your local H&S office. If you would prefer a physical copy of these documents, please call your local office (contact information for each of our locations is available here on our website under the Locations tab).
6. Once your return is completed, our team will contact you to summarize your return and discuss any questions that arise. Our best and most secure method for delivering your completed tax return is electronically via SafeSend. Please provide your preferred email address for communication on the attached questionnaire to facilitate this process. Original documents provided to H&S will be available for pickup at your local office.

Thank you for your continued support – we look forward to serving you soon!

Sincerely,

H&S Companies

We are pleased to offer SafeSend Returns to our clients as our secure, electronic tax return delivery system. The client-friendly interface walks you through a guided process that includes on-screen review of your return, collecting IRS-compliant e-signatures on e-file authorization forms, and options for making tax payments. Then, SafeSend Returns automatically sends the form(s) back to H&S Companies.

Benefits of Using SafeSend Returns

• Receive your tax returns securely without the need to setup an account or remember a password
• Accessible across all platforms: computer, smartphone, or tablet
• Electronically sign your federal and state e-file authorizations (8879), no printing or mailing necessary
• Receive payment reminder e-mails
• Download a copy of your tax return
• For businesses, conveniently distribute your K-1s electronically

How it Works

1. You will receive an email from H&S Companies with a “from” address of noreply@safesendreturns.com.
2. The email will contain a safe link for you to access your tax return.
3. After clicking on the link, you will be asked to enter the last four digits of your Social Security number to review your return.
4. SafeSend will email or text you an access code to further verify your identity. For emailed codes, check your spam or junk folders if you do not receive the email in your inbox. You must enter the code within 20 minutes of receipt. If you do not enter the code within 20 minutes, you can request another.
5. When you are ready to sign your e-file authorization form(s), you will be asked a series of simple questions to verify your identity.
6. Once you have signed the e-file authorization form(s), H&S Companies will be notified and will complete the rest of the e-filing process.

Click here for a 1040 Client Experience Tutorial

Click here for an Entity Client Experience Tutorial with K-1 Distribution

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will I receive a notification when my return is ready to sign?

A: Yes. Email notifications will be sent from H&S Companies at noreply@safesendreturns.com. To prevent the email from getting filtered to spam/junk, we recommend adding this email addresses to your safe list.

Q: Is it safe to enter part of my Social Security Number?

A: Yes. SafeSend Returns offers a secure system to view and sign your e-file authorization form(s).

Look for https:// at the beginning of the site URL and a locked padlock symbol in your browser’s URL bar to confirm you are on the secure site.

Q: What if I don’t receive an email with my access code?

A: Check your spam/junk email folder. If you do not receive your code within the 20-minute time limit, please request another. You can also search your email for “noreply@safesendreturns.com.”

Q: Where do the identity verification questions come from? What if I don’t remember the answers?

A: The questions SafeSend Returns asks are knowledge-based questions pulled from government and credit sources. You may be asked questions such as where you lived in a given year, or when you bought your car or home. In the event the questions do not apply to you, simply choose the answer that accurately reflects this. If you don’t remember the answers to the questions, or you answer incorrectly, you won’t be able to electronically sign your e-file authorization form(s). You can instead print, sign, and return your e-file authorization form(s) to H&S Companies.

Q: Will this work on any internet-connected device? Does SafeSend Returns offer an app for my smartphone?

A: This process can be completed on any computer, smart phone, or tablet via a web browser. There is currently no SafeSend Returns app available. The recommended browser to use is Google Chrome.

Q: Will I have the option to download and print my return to retain for my records?

A: Yes. You can download and print your return from a computer. If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, you can review and e-sign your return package but may not be able to print it. Please use a laptop or desktop computer for the best printing experience.

Q: How is this process different from e-filing?

A: SafeSend Returns allows you to electronically sign your e-file authorization form(s), but it won’t submit your return to the IRS. Once signed, H&S Companies will be automatically notified, and will then complete the e-filing process for you, including submission to the IRS.

Q: My spouse and I file our return jointly. How can we both sign the e-file authorization form(s)?

A: For spouses filing jointly, there are a few ways to sign via SafeSend Returns:

1. If both spouses have an email address on file, each will receive an email with a link to view the return and sign the e-file authorization form(s). First, one spouse will receive the link with identity verification questions specific to him or her. He or she will sign the e-file authorization form(s) and confirm the other spouse’s email address, which will send an email link to the second spouse. The second spouse will answer identity verification questions specific to him or her, and then sign the form(s). Once the second spouse electronically signs the e-file authorization form(s), H&S Companies will be automatically notified.
2. If only one spouse has an email address on file, he or she will receive an email with a link to view the return and sign the e-file authorization form(s). He or she will sign the e-file authorization form(s) and provide the other spouse’s email address, which will send an email link to the second spouse. The second spouse will answer identity verification questions specific to him or her, and then sign the form(s). Once the second spouse electronically signs the e-file authorization form(s), H&S Companies will be automatically notified.
3. If only one spouse has an email address on file, he or she will receive an email with a link to view the return and sign the e-file authorization form(s). He or she will sign the e-file authorization form(s) and provide the other spouse’s email address, which will send an email link to the second spouse. The second spouse will answer identity verification questions specific to him or her, and then sign the form(s). Once the second spouse electronically signs the e-file authorization form(s), H&S Companies will be automatically notified.
4. If a couple shares an email address, the initial recipient will receive an email with a Subject line that denotes who the link is being sent to for the respective individual to view the return and sign the e-file authorization form(s). He or she will sign the e-file authorization form(s) and provide the other spouse’s email address (same as used for initial delivery), which will send an email link to the second spouse that includes the respective signer’s name in the Subject line. Once the second spouse electronically signs the e-file authorization form(s), H&S Companies will be automatically notified.

Q: Can I sign my dependent’s return electronically?

A: We will deliver your dependent’s return via SafeSend Returns; however, due to the knowledge-based authentication requirements of the IRS, a minor dependent may not qualify. In those instances, you will need to manually sign and return your dependent’s e-file authorization form.

Q: I’d rather print and sign my e-file authorization form(s). Can I do that?

A: Yes – You can still print, sign, and mail your e-file form(s) back to H&S Companies if you’d prefer to do so.

Q: After signing my e-file authorization form(s), will I receive confirmation that it was successfully submitted to the firm?

A: Yes! Once you sign your e-file authorization form(s), you will receive an email stating it was successful. The email will also include a link to download a copy of your tax return for your records.

Q: Can I set up reminders for my quarterly estimated payment(s)?

A: If estimated payments are included in your review copy, you will automatically receive an email reminder before your payment is due.

Q: How do I access and/or print my tax payment voucher(s)?

A: Follow the below link with more detail on accessing payment vouchers and remitting payments due.

Client Experience: Make Voucher Payments – SafeSend Returns (zendesk.com)

For More Assistance

If you have additional questions regarding SafeSend Returns, please contact the H&S office you are serviced out of.