Stand Up to the IRS Blog

The other day I was reminded of the saying “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”  It reminds me of those M&M clients that went through a different tax resolution “professional” before hiring us.  Some went with their local accountant, CPA or attorney.  Others went with a different tax resolution company before calling M&M.  All of them hired an amateur before signing up with the professionals at M&M.  And like the saying goes, it cost them.

When you hire an amateur to do a job; you often create a bigger mess than when you started, and end up paying a professional to fix the amateur’s “work”.  Separating the good tax resolution experts from the bad can be difficult.  So, how do you find a knowledgeable and competent tax resolution expert?  Good question.  Let’s take a look.

Must Have a License (preferably more than one)

To represent a taxpayer before the IRS, your representative must be an Enrolled Agent, CPA or attorney.  I suggest checking company websites to make sure you will be represented by an in-house, licensed tax resolution professional.  You can also check the IRS website to find an Enrolled Agent’s credentials or send the IRS an email.  At M&M, each of our Tax Teams is headed by an Enrolled Agent.

Experience in Tax Resolution

There are hundreds of jobs out in the world for Enrolled Agents, CPAs and attorneys.  Just because you have one of these three licenses doesn’t mean you’re automatically a tax resolution expert.  In fact, M&M has had many tax professionals as clients over the last decade plus.  Each of our Tax Teams is trained in M&M’s Tax Resolution System which has been developed since 2005.  Currently, our 6 Enrolled Agents have a combined 49+ years of experience with M&M.

Strong Ethics

This is a big one in tax resolution.  Although this area of the industry has gotten better in the past several years, especially after Tax Masters, JK Harris and Roni Deutch were shut down; ethics in our industry is a still a loose term for some.   Here are some tips to check for solid ethics.

• A BBB rating is important, but it can also be deceiving.  M&M has an A+ rating and has earned the BBB complaint free award 7 times (in 11 eligible years).
• Talk to current and former clients to find out more about the process.  M&M sends a client reference list with each proposal.
• Check the fine print in the agreement. Is it consistent with what you are being told? Just about every salesperson out there will tell you their company charges a flat fee but their contract may state an hourly rate is billed against a retainer. This commonly leads to additional fees and your resolution being drawn out to get more billable hours. M&M’s agreement outlines our Flat Fee.
• Is there a money back guarantee?  This is good in case you realize right away that you didn’t hire the right fit for you and your situation. M&M has a 15-Day Money Back Guarantee.

 

Dependability

Be sure the tax professional you hire is going to be there throughout your case.  This may seem simple, but many companies out there are not stable.  A website and letterhead are cheap and may suggest a good image, but you need substance, not just a logo.  New companies, as in any industry, often don’t make it past the first four years.  You also want to avoid getting involved with a company like:

• Tax Tribute
• Monarch Tax Solutions
• National Tax Consultants
• Ultimate Tax Defenders
• Reliance Tax Group,
• Zip Tax,
• Nationwide Tax Resolution,
• JL Tax Group, and
• Dartmouth Tax Group

Each of these companies appear to have closed in 2016 or 2017 after less than 5 years in business.  Why did they close?  There are many common reasons companies close in this industry.  Some companies grow too quickly and when change happens, there is no ability to adapt and survive.  Others underestimate the importance of ethical business practices and their reputation catches up with them quickly.  In business since 2005, M&M is a boutique tax resolution firm large enough to take care of our clients and small enough to still care.

In addition, employee retention is a good sign of a dependable company.  How long has the company’s core employees been together?  How long has the tax professional that will be assisting you been at the company?  75% of M&M’s Resolution Department employees have been with the company for 5 years or more.

Show Me Proof!

All the claims in the world don’t matter unless you can back them up.  A voice over the phone or text in an email shouldn’t be enough to convince you to send a tax resolution company your hard-earned money.  Find proof of M&M’s real client tax resolutions near you.  Then Contact Us.  We’ll send you proof that we are qualified to represent you.  From there, you decide whether we’re the right fit for you and your tax issue.  Call 866-487-5624 or 773-969-5825.