To our valued clients,
At Machen McChesney LLP, the health and safety of our employees and our clients is of paramount importance. For this reason, we are taking specific precautions to protect our staff and visitors during the current outbreak of Coronavirus. With more confirmed cases being reported each day, we are considering the potential impact and how we can best protect our clients and staff.
According to the most recent information from the CDC, for most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is low. However, we want you to feel comfortable working with our firm during this important and critical time of year. Below, we’ve outlined how we are working to minimize potential risk as we work towards April 15th together.
Electronic options - To protect both our staff and our clients against virus spread, we are recommending that where possible, we conduct information sharing using electronic options. While having your tax advisor face-to-face can certainly alleviate stress around this time of year, we can accomplish much with telephone, audio or video conferencing and electronic sharing. Our locked drop-box located beside the front door is available for you to use for tax information that we have requested from you or to return signed e-file forms. We also have a secure file sharing application called SecuriSync, which can be accessed directly from our website once we have created an account for you. If you would like to set up an account, please contact Mary Beth Litsey at mlitsey@machenmcchesney.com. Additionally, we urge you to take advantage of the option to e-sign and receive e-delivery of your tax returns this year. Another benefit to e-filing your federal return is that you can often begin tracking your refund as soon as 24 hours after the IRS accepts your tax return. Please contact your tax preparer if you would like to utilize e-sign.
Remote considerations - Because we are taking the spread of this virus so seriously, we are working on a plan of action if our physical office needs to close. Should this occur, we want to assure you that our work will not be disrupted as we move to a completely virtual environment. All staff members can work remotely for as long as they may need to.
Rest assured, we are monitoring this developing situation closely. We currently plan to remain open during normal office hours. If any major changes occur, such as a government mandated shut down, we will update you immediately with details. Thank you for your patience and trust in Machen McChesney, LLP during these unusual circumstances. If you have any questions or further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (334) 887-7022.
Best Regards,
Martin D. Williams, CPA,
Managing Partner
Machen McChesney, LLP
