Our CPA retired and moved to Hawaii, leaving no successor. The other CPA I know IRL also retired, and I'd heard his successor's fees were astronomical, and all done remotely, which isn't our bag, at least for a first-time visit. I asked a trusted friend, and her person wasn't taking new clients. I told the tax preparer's assistant that we'd be fine filing an extension, as we were pretty sure we'd be getting a refund. Then my friend must have said something to the tax preparer, because a "last-minute" appointment opened up the first week of April. We took the appointment and pulled together all our crap.
Our old CPA normally sent out a packet that really helps with our prep. The new person doesn't use one for the first visit. I used the spreadsheet format that I always use and of we went. She was thrilled with the spreadsheets and our preparation. She got our return done in less than a week, so we were able to file on time. Best of all, we are getting $2k back, even after we paid her bill. Yippee!
On a related note, my walking partner and I took an extra long walk yesterday. We needed a restroom, but there was nothing nearby. Our friend, the newly retired CPA, (and his long-ago FIRE'd CPA wife) live only a few blocks away. We called, then stopped by their house. After taking care of business, we got to congratulate him on his first retired April 15th Tax Day.
