Service
Terms.

1. General information

The website provides general information about Gear, services, and process. Tax laws and individual facts change, and website content is not tax, legal, investment, payroll, or financial advice for a particular person or business.

You remain responsible for obtaining advice and taking action before any applicable deadline unless a signed engagement expressly assigns that responsibility to Gear.

2. Firm quotes and scope

After reviewing the request and enough information to understand the work, Gear may provide a written quote or engagement letter. Final pricing may reflect forms, jurisdictions, transaction volume, record quality, cleanup, deadlines, complexity, risk, software or third-party costs, and available capacity.

Only work specifically listed in the engagement is included. A new return, entity, year, notice, amendment, consultation, representation matter, or additional service may require a separate quote or written scope change.

3. When the client relationship begins

No preparer-client, accountant-client, adviser-client, or other professional relationship begins merely because someone visits the website, submits a request, sends an email or text, speaks with Gear, or provides records.

The relationship begins only when all required parties sign the engagement letter, Gear accepts the engagement, and any required retainer is received. Gear may decline a request because of scope, conflicts, timing, capacity, missing information, risk, or another business or professional consideration.

4. Client responsibilities

Clients are responsible for providing complete, accurate, and timely information; reviewing questions and drafts; disclosing all relevant facts; maintaining source records; and making business, tax, and filing decisions. Gear may rely on client-provided information without auditing or independently verifying it unless the engagement says otherwise.

Clients must promptly report corrected forms, new facts, suspected identity theft, changed addresses or bank information, notices, and other information that may affect the work.

5. Secure records and communications

Do not send Social Security numbers, dates of birth, identity documents, bank information, tax forms, or other sensitive records through the public request form, ordinary email, or text message. Accepted clients receive instructions for the secure method to use.

Email, phone, and text may be used for scheduling and ordinary communication, but they are not substitutes for the secure portal or another protected exchange method designated by Gear. See the Privacy Policy for information practices.

6. Timing and deadlines

Turnaround depends on complete records, client responses, complexity, taxing-authority systems, and current workload. Any target date is an estimate unless the engagement expressly says otherwise. Gear does not guarantee government processing times, refund dates, or responses from third parties.

Work received near a deadline may require an extension, rush fee, later filing, or decline. An extension generally extends time to file, not time to pay. The client remains responsible for taxes, estimates, deposits, and other payments when due.

7. Fees and payment

Fees follow the accepted quote or engagement letter. Retainers, deposits, software costs, merchant charges, cleanup, rush work, out-of-scope work, and third-party costs may be separate when disclosed in writing.

Unless the engagement states otherwise, payment is due before electronic filing or release of final work. Taxes and government fees are paid directly to the appropriate authority, not to Gear.

8. Review, authorization, and filing

The client must review the completed return and confirm names, identification numbers, addresses, dependents, elections, income, deductions, credits, bank details, and payment instructions. Gear will not electronically file until all required signers provide the applicable authorization and payment conditions are satisfied.

Electronic transmission is not the same as acceptance. A return is accepted only when the taxing authority confirms acceptance. For paper filing, the client is responsible for timely signing, mailing, and retaining proof of mailing unless the engagement states otherwise.

9. Important limitations

Tax outcomes depend on facts, law, elections, records, agency action, and other matters outside Gear’s control. Gear does not guarantee a refund, tax result, audit outcome, credit approval, government processing time, or freedom from examination.

Tax preparation is not an audit, review, compilation, attestation, valuation, legal opinion, or fraud examination. Gear does not provide legal or investment advice. Services outside the signed engagement require separate written agreement.

10. Website use and third-party services

Visitors may use the website for lawful personal or business purposes related to evaluating Gear’s services. Do not interfere with the site, attempt unauthorized access, submit malicious code, impersonate another person, or misuse forms and systems.

The site and client process may link to or rely on hosting, portal, e-signature, payment, tax-software, scheduling, or other third-party services. Their availability and separate terms may apply. Gear is not responsible for an unrelated third party’s content or service outside Gear’s reasonable control.

11. Accessibility

Gear Tax Services aims to make website information and services reasonably accessible. If you have difficulty using the website or need information in another practical format, contact us and describe the page, feature, or accommodation needed. We will make a reasonable effort to help.

12. Changes and contact

Gear may update these terms as services, law, technology, or business practices change. The current effective date and revision appear at the top of this page. A change does not replace the terms of an already accepted engagement unless the engagement permits it or the parties agree in writing.