Reliable Tax Relief Firm

[yeknod]

Client needs help with tax relief.  I don't offer that service.  Who would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

[sjrcpa]

Not anyone who advertises on tv.

Check with CPA firms and tax attorneys in your area.

Are you a member of a professional association?

[IRonMaN]

"Not anyone who advertises on tv"

Best advice given this year 😀

[yeknod]

I am a member of Professional Pool Players of America, but I don't think they can help me on this.  🙂

[IRonMaN]

I don't think their advice is as good as you would get from your barber.

[BobKamman]

IRS employees, what's left of them, have to follow rigid algorithms to determine who will be allowed the most common types of relief -- instalment agreement, offer in compromise, currently not collectible.  It doesn't take much time or training to rule out any or all of these.  Consider determining whether there is any hope before sending someone off to an expert who will charge a fee for the same advice.  

How much does your client owe?  If it's less than $10,000, or less than $50,000, there are special programs available.  If it's $5,000, he has a million equity in his house and drives a Maserati, help with a reality check.  

[ljr]

you can ask a couple of questions and determine if they would actually quality for "help"

how much do they owe vs assets (cash/retirement accounts/home equity)

If they can't prove to irs that they don't owe the money - in that the assessment is wrong and they have assets they can forget the offer in compromise - save them the money of going to one of these "tv" places.

You should be able to determine if they really owe the money or not - then explain installment agreements 

[yeknod]

They owe $200K.  With very little assets.  Home equity of around $50K but bank will not loan because of debt owed.

[dascpa]

In the past year I had two clients work with Optima Tax Relief and were actually very happy with them. My limited correspondence with them was very professional. I have local CPA's in my area advertise for this type of work. Consider your state society - if they have a referral bureau.

[BobKamman]

Then you are looking at an instalment agreement, and it's easy enough to figure out what IRS will allow for living expenses.  If they want to ask for exceptions, it might be useful to hire someone with more experience doing that.