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Former IRS employees/lawyers advertising to help with back tax issues

Asked over 2 years ago - Portland, OR

personal &business taxes from at least 2004 not filed because of personal family financial issue. business was an LLC but that hasn't been kept current either. we want to get everything filed and start paying past taxes back and have entertained the idea of contacting a business that advertises they are former IRS employees and can be helpful. we are just leary of knowing whether that would be the right step or would it be better to hire a tax consultant or lawyer that is familiar with the industry that the business is in or is there a better way to proceed? we have all the business record, just not in order. are those advertisements a hoax?
we don't want to lose any of our assets. secondly...is there any way to protect assets that we own outright before we proceed?

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Attorney answers (2)

Steven J. Fromm

Reputation Level 20

Answered over 2 years ago. Tax Lawyer in Philadelphia, PA.

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Your situation sounds complicated since there seems to be both personal and business debt. They need to be prioritized and a strategy needs to be developed. As far as professionals, tax attorneys and CPAs are your better bet in most cases. However, as with everything in life, you get what you pay for. You should talk to a lot of friends, business associates, etc to get a list of reputable tax attorneys and/or CPAs to help you. Interview a couple of them by meeting with them. You should have all your documentation and a statement of your factual situation prepared for the meeting. Be diligent and proactive on your own behalf to minimize any further mistakes.

Hope this helps.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Mr. Fromm is licensed to practice law in PA. The response herein is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/ client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter within the question. Oftentimes the question does not include significant and important facts and timelines that if known could significantly change the reply unsuitable. Mr. Fromm strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in their state in order to ensure proper advice is received.

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Henry Daniel Lively

Reputation Level 20

Answered over 2 years ago. Tax Lawyer in Costa Mesa, CA.

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I agree with Mr. Fromm. In the tax business the pecking order for professionals is typically Enrolled Agents (what most former IRS agents are), CPA's, and Tax Attorneys. There are exceptions as with everything. Just because someone worked at the IRS does not necessarily give you an advantage. Obviously, as you go up the pecking order it gets more expensive. This is because you are paying for expertise. The more you need the more expensive it gets.

Any individual seeking legal advice for their own situation should retain their own legal counsel as this response provides information that is general in nature and not specific to any person's unique situation. Circular 230 Disclaimer - Advice given in this response cannot be used to eliminate penalties with the IRS or any other governmental agency.

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