Our Tax Preparation Process

1 Drop off / Appointment

Drop off your tax information to initiate the preparation process. If you elected for an in-person appointment, we will mail you an appointment letter. Give us a call if you need to change your appointment.

2 Prepare Return

We may reach out with questions while we work towards completing your return.

3 Review & Finalize

After a quality review, we will contact you to finalize any remaining details.

4 Sign & File

You can choose to sign your return electronically or in-person. If you sign electronically keep in mind:

1. Don't use an iPhone/iPad, however, Android works fine. (You can use a Mac computer)

2. The invitation to e-sign lapses after 10 days.

3. Once you have initiated the process do not stop or it will time out after 5 minutes.

4. Both spouses must go through the process with their own unique email invitation. 

As always, we cannot e-file your returns until all fees are paid.

Boelman Shaw Client Portal

Our client portal is a secure and convenient option to share and receive documents electronically. If you signed up last year but have forgotten your password, you will need to reset your password. If you have not signed up, give us a call and we will send you an invitation to sign up.  The Boelman Shaw Tax Portal is integrated with our tax software allowing us to complete your tax returns more efficiently. 

Tax Documents Envelope

Our yearly mailer includes a large envelope with a checklist of items on the outside. This is intended to assist you in organizing your tax documents for drop-off. Additional space is available if there is anything you would like us to know.  If you have not received or lost yours, we have extras at the Boelman Shaw office, and you can grab one when you drop off your documents.

Extension of Time to File

For individuals, the tax return filing deadline is April 15th, 2024 (Federal) and April 30th, 2024 (Iowa). To fully serve all of our clients it may be necessary to file an extension for some returns. There are no additional fees related to extensions.

1. If necessary, we will automatically file the extension on your behalf.

2. If you have a balance due, this tax must still be paid by the initial deadline of April 15th. If there is an excess extension payment it can be refunded or applied to the next tax year. If underpaid, you would still owe, with penalty and interest on the underpaid amount.

3. If you are projected to receive a refund, no extension payment is required.

If you consider filing an extension a negative thing, it's not. We would prefer to have every return finalized by April 18th, but it is better to have a detailed review for every return without hurriedly working to meet an arbitrary deadline. If an extension is required for your return, we will notify you with further instructions.

Additional Information

For additional information, please see our resources below as well as our 2023 newsletter on this year's tax season changes. Our newsletter covers individual provisions, changes to IRAs, estate planning changes, and more!