Knowing whom to trust when choosing to work with a Tax Firm…

Are they making you a bunch of promises they can’t back up?

If you’ve been following this series of posts, then you know choosing to work with a Tax Firm is engaging in a relationship. And like with any relationship, it’s up to you to determine whether it’s acceptable and with the right “party” for you. The most important and effective way to do so is to….

LISTEN!

Only by listening to what they say can you know and see if they are authentic, or have, what I like to call, integrity. Remember from my last post:

“Integrity includes and transcends honesty, and is actually more about harmony and consistency in words and action. For example, if a snake bites you if you get too close – that’s integrity! That’s what a snake does and is being true to itself. But a human is a much more complex being. A person who has not evolved beyond their inner snake will promise not to bite you, guarantees it, yet will bite you the same. This is, as I like to call it, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And most tax firms are exactly that.”

So what should I be listening for?

Besides focusing on figuring out if they follow through with their words and actions (which is not always easy to see, because it takes time and at least a conversation or two to wait for results) the next one is easier to spot because it should be apparent almost immediately, even from their letters, marketing or website.

Are they making you a bunch of promises they can’t back up?

No Tax Firm should be making any promises about any type of result they might be able to get for you. Period. Especially about whether then can get you an OIC or how much money they can save you, or what percentage they can reduce your debt. If anyone is telling you this, you better run the other way. If a Tax Firm were being totally honest, all they can promise you initially is that they will find the best position for you and save you as much money as possible. Sometimes, this is no savings at all.

If a Tax Firm is telling you that they might not save you any money at all during the first conversation, and that you should only hire them if you want professional guidance to fix your tax problem, that’s usually a good sign. However, if they say that and then ask for some big dollar fee up front, then you can lump them with the rest, as it’s also a selling gimmick. And if they try to shame you, or pressure you in any way to get a fee, you know you are in the presence of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Finding the right relationship, whether with a Tax Firm or even with a significant other is about finding the right fit. Often, we get excited by the surface and don’t think about depth. This is a cognitive bias we all share, and it’s multiplied when living under the burden of IRS Tax Debt, and many of the bad Tax Firms take full advantage. If you’ve ever been burned before, or are considering going with a flashy Tax Firm, please take heart because that doesn’t make you any better or worse than anyone else.

Who wouldn’t like to hear they only have to pay a fraction of their entire IRS Tax Debt? Everyone. Who wouldn’t like to trust the nice sounding man or woman who promises they will fix everything and take the burden off your hands? Everyone.

This leads us to the next point that we must address about hiring a Tax Firm:

Are they a good fit for YOU and your situation?

TO BE CONTINUED………………