What Happens When You Work With BestTaxPro™

The first conversation is about understanding what you're dealing with.

We'll talk about the tax years involved, notices you've received, whether returns are missing, what collection activity has taken place, and what you're trying to accomplish.

You don't need to organize your entire financial life before we talk. A short intake form gives me enough information to understand the general situation and determine what the next step should be.

If I need to see a particular IRS or Minnesota notice, I'll tell you.

If representation moves forward, one of the first things I generally want is the government's side of the file.

With your authorization, we can obtain available IRS transcripts and account information to determine things such as:

• Which tax periods are involved
• What balances have been assessed
• Which returns have or have not been filed
• What payments and credits have been applied
• What collection activity has occurred
• What notices have been issued
• What collection dates may matter

Then we compare that information with your records and circumstances.

This is an important distinction in how I approach tax problems. I don't want to recommend a solution based only on how much someone believes they owe. I want to understand the account behind that number.

Once we understand the account, we can evaluate the available paths. Depending on the situation, that could involve:

• Filing missing tax returns
• An installment agreement
• An Offer in Compromise
• Currently Not Collectible status
• Penalty relief
• Addressing a lien or levy
• IRS Appeals
• Challenging an IRS determination
• Another approach supported by the facts

Not every taxpayer qualifies for every IRS program. And the program someone has heard the most about isn't necessarily the one that makes the most sense.

When financial disclosure is required, we review income, allowable expenses, assets, equity, and the other information the IRS uses in evaluating collection alternatives.

Then I explain which options appear available, what each would require, and why I recommend one approach over another. You should understand the strategy before we implement it.

Once we've determined the appropriate direction, we move from analysis to representation.

Depending on the engagement, that may include communicating with the IRS or Minnesota Department of Revenue, preparing required forms and financial disclosures, responding to information requests, addressing notices and deadlines, negotiating collection matters, or presenting your position through the applicable administrative process.

I'm an Enrolled Agent, which federally authorizes me to represent taxpayers before the IRS. I'm also admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court as a non-attorney practitioner.

For qualifying federal tax disputes, that means my ability to represent a taxpayer can extend beyond IRS examination and Appeals if the matter ultimately needs to proceed to Tax Court.

When a case requires expertise outside the scope of our engagement or practice, we can discuss bringing in an appropriate specialist for that particular matter.

An IRS resolution isn't the end of every taxpayer's obligations.

Depending on the resolution, there may be payments to make, future returns to file, estimated taxes or payroll deposits to keep current, financial information to update, or other conditions that need attention.

Before our work concludes, I want you to understand what was done and what comes next.

For clients who continue using BestTaxPro™ for tax preparation or other tax work, we also have the benefit of already knowing the history behind the account.

The objective isn't to create permanent dependence on a tax-resolution firm. It's to address the current problem and make the next requirements clear.