Should I Look for a New Tax Professional?

[O'brian R.]

Recently, I received a rather rude email from my tax professional in response to an email I sent that simply asked clarification regarding a 1099. In short, he said he did not want to continue emailing me if he was going to file the 1099 anyways and that telling me the rules is "burning time for nothing" (his words). 

By the way, I emailed him twice and his emails were literally 2 sentences in the first email and 4 sentences in the 2nd email where half was used to tell me that it was a waste of his time. Seriously? I see comments on BP articles that are more detailed and helpful.

I should mention, this guy has prepared me and my wife's tax returns for the past 2 years. Before then, we've always just filed them ourselves. While he's very knowledgeable, owns real estate himself, and has pretty fair fees, he can really improve on helping people better understand their taxes.  I like to be proactive, but if my own accountant discourages me from asking questions, is this enough of a reason to look elsewhere? 

This also got me wondering, what sort of working relationship do people have with their accountants? Do most of you communicate by email, phone, face to face? Or do most questions require scheduled meetings? Are they responsive to such questions or is it dependent on whether they are charging you or not? 

Curious to read what the norm, if any, is out there. Thanks.