You just landed a management position with CPA firm! You are reviewing a tax return for a returning high net worth client and you have discovered an error. This is a high-profile client for the firm that has provided many referrals.

The firm you work for provides bookkeeping and tax preparation services to this client. You have discovered that the bookkeeper has been reporting the unrealized gain/loss to the income statement when reconciling the investment account. To further compound the problem, the tax preparer and prior manager has been reporting the unrealized gain/loss activity as an adjustment to revenue on the Tax Return. Also, the error goes back 5 years, when the firm started working on the account (yes, the accounting and tax return were correctly prepared by the prior accountant). The amount of revenue recognized from unrealized gain/loss averaged $175,000 annually over the last 5 years.

This clients preferred mode of communication is through e-mail. Draft an email to the client explaining the error and the consequences. (Dont forget the rules on how far you can go back to amend a return!)