Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Independent of Independent

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Indpendent

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates to accomplish?

• Prepare my taxes properly

SOLUTION

How did you find Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates?

Other

Why did you select Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates over others?

Close to my geographic location

How many teammates from Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Prepare Federal, NY State and NY State taxes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Prepare tax returns accurately and without errors

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were ok at responding on time until there were issues with the tax returns. Then they were less responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Nothing. They're not good.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lefstein-Suchoff CPA & Associates could have done differently?

STAY AWAY from this accounting firm like you would a COVID hot spot! If I could rate zero stars for this sham of an accounting firm, I would do so. Sandy and her cadre of alleged tax professionals are just not good at their job. I was a client for about 7 years and thought things were ok until I received a notice from the IRS last year stating there was an error in my 2021 tax return and I owe $1,400. Upon trying to get in touch with the accountant who filed my return, her staff became incredibly rude, belligerent, and unhelpful. 

After dealing with that nonsense they finally connected me with the accountant, who basically blamed the error on their accounting software and told me to have a nice day. I then made the move to find a much better and more professional tax prep service. Fast forward to Nov 2023 when I received yet another notice, this time from the State of NJ, stating that I underpaid my NJ taxes in 2020 and now owe money. Guess who prepared my taxes in 2020? Sandy Lefstein-Sucksataccounting. When I called her office to ask about how I should handle, I was repeatedly told that Sandy was too busy to talk to me, especially since I'm no longer a client, and that I should seek help from my current tax accountant. 

So not only did I pay this sorry excuse of an accounting firm to handle my taxes in 2020, and subsequently owe more money to NJ than I would have originally due to accrued interest stemming from their error, but they actually advised me to have someone else deal with it! This firm won't even stand by their original work and offer to assist me in making it right. When I finally spoke with the accountant who prepared my return, she blamed the error on not having all the info, which just wasn't true, especially since this is now the second time in as many years where they messed up my returns and cost me money. 

There are many other 1 star negative reviews that tell similar stories of malpractice and negligence with Sandy refusing to accept responsibility for her and her firm's work. They are now operating as The Canna CPAs with an email domain of "ourcpas.com." But even an additional d.b.a. name cannot change the fact that Sandy and her firm have provided substandard work to many of their clients over the years and suffer from a dearth of business ethics and accountability. There are many other better options in the area to choose from.