28 Apr My tax preparer had a stroke. What can I do about my taxes?

Q. So this is crazy. I signed my tax returns after my preparer completed them. I just learned he had a stroke and is in a coma and he never sent in my tax returns. How am I supposed to handle this now? He worked alone so it’s not like there is an office I can call.
— Stunned and perplexed

A. Wow.

We’re sorry to hear about your tax preparer’s health.

We’re going to assume he was supposed to e-file your tax returns and not just mail them to the IRS.

“I send my clients a complete copy of their tax returns for their files,” said Bernie Kiely, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with Kiely Capital Management in Morristown. “Hopefully your tax preparer sent you a copy.”

But it sounds like that may not have happened.

“My advice is to mail a paper copy of your tax return to the IRS and the state,” Kiely said. “When you send the copy, include a letter that explains that your tax preparer had a stroke and was unable to e-file on time.”

The sooner, the better, to hopefully minimize any penalties and interest.

If you don’t have a copy of your tax return and can’t get one from your preparer’s office, you are going to have to get another tax preparer, Kiely said.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

This story was originally published in April 2025.

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