Update on the fire

My office suffered severe smoke damage after the fire at 155 5th St SE (Wagmore Grooming) on July 6th. All client data has been secured and moved off site. Please contact me for service as I work through this. I will be working from home indefinitely. Make sure you have working smoke and co detectors in every room in your home and business! Consider getting monitored security and fire protection...minutes make a difference when there is a fire! I have good insurance! Details will be sent to all clients after Labor Day on how to continue my services. Thank you!  Todd

Update - August 10, 2024

I will not be reopening my office in Pine City. Wagmore Grooming (The Mattsons) will be purchasing my building and expanding their business into the newly renovated space. 

I will continue my services via my secure portal and U.S. Mail. Clients will receive a mailing in early January 2025 which will include a checklist, preaddressed postage paid envelope for document submission, and information about tax changes etc.

Options going forward...

Secure portal - has been available for years and works great. Upload and download your documents and sign electronically. 

U.S. Mail - I pay postage both ways*. My new P.O. Box is secure and convenient. (P.O. Box 1279 Burnsville, MN   55337). Watch for your mailing in January which will include a postage paid mailer.

Phone - for clients with 5 or fewer documents, simply text photos of your documents to (612) 242-5713 for fast completion of your tax returns. Receive an electronic or paper copy of your tax return. Sign online.

Secure File Pro app - enter "Drake tax software" in your app store and download the app. My secure app is great for exchanging documents and messages.

My fees are not going up for 2025 or 2026.

Call anytime with questions (as usual) or text or email. Phone calls are much appreciated - even if just to let me know what you are doing. Phone # will remain (320) 629-4745.

* For clients with many documents, I can email you a pre-paid mailing label to attach to USPS priority mail envelope. Simply request one from me and it will be sent to you the same day via email. For most clients, my pre-addressed postage paid mailers will accommodate up to 30 pages.

If you decide to switch to another tax preparer, I can send your new accountant a copy of your 2023 tax return via my secure portal. Click on "Check In" and then "Copy Request"..fill out the form and I will take care of it. You'll need your accountant's email address, their consent to receive your tax return via my secure portal, and a 4 digit PIN # that YOU select and provide to the new accountant and me. (This keeps the submission secure).

A Personal Note...

In 1988 I stopped in Pine City on my way home from a trip to the North Shore and stopped in at the Century 21 real estate office on Hillside Avenue. The next thing I knew, Mary Kay Brautigan found me a cabin in the woods for which I paid a total of $16,500 (on 5 acres). Who knew I would spend the next 35+ years in Pine city running a tax office?

After the fire and after I realized how difficult it would be to restore my office to it's original condition, I decided to sell out to the Mattson's who have wanted to expand their successful pet grooming and supply business into my space. I looked intently for an alternative location in Pine City and found none. (Even our chamber of commerce can't find a new space!). Bottom line...at age 63 (in October), it just didn't make sense to build a new building. So here I am, destined to "work from home" at least for a few years. I'm thankful to still have my business, albeit in a different format than before. We will persevere!