Exception & add-on services

Why some work is billed separately.

Your package covers a defined, year-round relationship. Occasionally a specific need falls outside that scope — and when it does, we handle it as distinct, clearly-explained work. This page explains how that works, and why separate billing is about transparency, not surprises.

First, the distinction

Packages are the relationship. Services are specific work.

One is your ongoing cadence; the other is a discrete piece of work outside it. Your engagement letter governs exactly what’s included.

Your package

An ongoing relationship

A defined, recurring cadence of tax preparation, estimates, planning, and advisory — the same CPA-led relationship, all year.

An exception service

Specific work, outside scope

A discrete piece of work your package doesn’t include — handled only when a real need arises, explained and authorized before it begins.

Your engagement letter governs what’s included in your package — and makes clear what would be handled as a separate service. Exception services never quietly expand or replace your package scope.

Why we do it this way

Separate billing is transparency, not nickel-and-diming.

Keeping specific work distinct from your package protects you — it’s how scope stays clear and invoices stay predictable.

Transparency

You can see exactly what each piece of work is — nothing is folded into a vague total.

Fair pricing

Clients who don’t need extra work never subsidize those who do.

No surprise billing

Out-of-scope work is explained and authorized before it ever happens.

No silent scope creep

Extra work is never quietly absorbed — and never quietly charged.

The kinds of work that fall outside packages

Categories, not a menu.

These are the situations that get handled separately. They’re here so you recognize your situation — not to select or price. The specifics are always confirmed with you first.

Onboarding & remediation

When it applies: Books or records need to be brought current before a package cadence can begin.
What it is not: Not ongoing bookkeeping, and not part of any package.
Why it’s separate: A one-time effort distinct from the recurring relationship.

Tax compliance add-ons

When it applies: An additional entity or additional state return beyond your package’s defined scope.
What it is not: Not an unlimited allowance of filings.
Why it’s separate: Each additional return is discrete, identifiable work.

Planning & advisory outside cadence

When it applies: A planning need beyond your scheduled advisory rhythm, including pre-transaction work.
What it is not: Not your package’s standard quarterly or annual advisory.
Why it’s separate: Extra, situation-specific analysis outside the agreed cadence.

Bookkeeping

When it applies: Ongoing books maintenance or catch-up entry.
What it is not: Explicitly separate from Growth — Growth is monthly CPA review, not data entry.
Why it’s separate: Bookkeeping is always a separate service, never inside a package.

Payroll

When it applies: Recurring payroll operation, or initial payroll setup.
What it is not: Not included in any package cadence.
Why it’s separate: A distinct operational service with its own tooling and effort.

Sales tax (SALT)

When it applies: Recurring sales-tax filings, or a nexus review.
What it is not: Not part of income-tax package scope.
Why it’s separate: A separate filing obligation with its own jurisdictions and cadence.

Trust & estate overflow

When it applies: Fiduciary (Form 1041) work beyond what your package already includes.
What it is not: Not unlimited 1041s — Executive includes a defined number only.
Why it’s separate: Each additional fiduciary return is discrete, specialized work.

Notices & representation

When it applies: Handling an IRS or state notice, or sustained representation on a matter.
What it is not: Not open-ended; in-scope notice support stays within your package.
Why it’s separate: Extended, documented work beyond routine in-scope support.

This isn’t a checklist to pick from. If any of these sound like your situation, the right next step is a conversation about whether your package still fits — not ordering a service. Final scope and pricing depend on your facts and a signed engagement letter.

When exceptions add up

Repeated exceptions are a fit signal — not an upsell.

If you keep needing work outside your package, that usually means your situation has grown more complex. The answer is to right-size the package, not to keep adding line items.

What it means

Your situation has likely changed in complexity.
It’s a prompt to review whether your tier still fits.
Right-sizing can move a package up — or down.

What it isn’t

Not a failure on your part.
Not a strategy to sell you more services.
Not a reason to keep stacking exceptions indefinitely.

Nothing happens without your say-so

How separate work is scoped and approved.

Every exception service follows the same controlled path — so you’re never surprised.

Explained first

If work falls outside your package, we tell you before anything begins.

Scoped clearly

The specific work — and what it does not include — is defined plainly.

Authorized in writing

You approve it in writing before it proceeds.

Billed transparently

It appears as a distinct, identifiable line item — never buried.

A CPA defines the scope of any separate work — automation never scopes, prices, or authorizes it. Final scope and pricing depend on your facts and a signed engagement letter.

Seeing work outside your package? Let’s check the fit.

If specific work keeps coming up, the right move isn’t to keep adding services — it’s a quick conversation about whether your package still matches your situation.

Talk through whether your package still fits See how TFS recommends the right package

Exception services are invoked only when scope is exceeded — never bundled, never pre-selected. A fit conversation is not an engagement; final scope and pricing depend on CPA review and a signed engagement letter.