Nicholas Hartney, E.A.©

 Click on Image to enlarge  This taxpayer hired me on January 10, 2011, the next day I had all four of his accounts (joint personal checking for himself and his wife, and three accounts that were used by his children) released!  Internal Revenue Service Bank levies are not always easy or possible to release.  It is always, of course, easier to be proactive and hire someone prior to the IRS levying your account-it makes the world a whole lot easier for both yourself and your representative.  But for those who for whatever reason delayed in seeking help it is still possible to have bank levies released in the right situation (or hiring someone who is skilled in knowing how to talk and negotiate with the collection agents at ACS and Revenue Officers). Often times having a federal bank levy released can be an all day endeavor (as was the case with this client)-going back and forth with Automated Collection Services [ACS] through several phone calls th...

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson sued TaxMasters Inc., last month claiming the Houston-based company engaged in consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices. Earlier in 2010 the Texas Attorney General sued them for the same sales scam shenanigans that I speak about throughout this blog.  Here is a news clip from a station in Austin, Texas talking about Scam Masters: According to the lawsuit filed by Minnesota, TaxMasters uses deceptive ads to lure in clients. (Similar to tax telemarketing companies that I reveal  here ). Once clients contact the company, high pressure telemarketers push and manipulate taxpayers into paying anywhere from $2000 to $10,000 + in up front fees. As with telemarketing companies who cold call people on federal and state tax liens, taxpayers are promised that former IRS professionals and attorneys (any attorney worth a damn will not be caught working for one of these companies) wi...

_______________________ 11-13-2010 Hi Nick, Thanks for staying in touch. You should be commended on your professional and timely correspondence. John A. _______________________ 11-12-2010   You are great. Hope I have a chance to meet you personally and shake your hand. If the world had more people like you it would be a blessing. Thanks Melinda F. ______________________ 11-11-2010 YOU are THE man!   thanks again Gerry D. ______________________ 11-10-2010 If I don't talk to you again before the holidays I wish you all the best and a great big huge fat THANK YOU !!!! Diana R.

 Succesfully Abated $13,702.  Hire another company and you may end up paying that amount just in their fees and still not get the results you will with me!  I also had three new client come to me whose bank accounts had previously been levied and paycheck garnished, all released!  Not to mention three summons quashed!  Prepared an old 2006 1040 personal income tax return and was able to negotiate the release of a bank accout levy for this client .   Client has unfiled returns, but was still able to manage a wage garnishment release (not common)!  There were also three clients who came to me where I was able to quash the summons (not pictured).  Which means that the taxpayer did not have to meet with the Internal Revenue Service.  Busy week, but a very successful one.  If you are looking for help, look no further, call me today 720-340-4065 or email nick@patriotresolution.com

Within a few hours from hiring Nick, this taxpayer had their wage garnishment released by the Internal Revenue Service.  Although it is not typical to have a wage garnishment released without providing financial statments and while having unfiled tax returns,  I managed to negotiate a release with the ACS Collection Agent.

Retainer Billing Practices 101 All large tax resolution companies bill by the hour. The contract you sign, usually titled an engagement letter, service or work agreement, may not clearly state that you will be billed by the hour, sometimes it is hidden with broad language and vague legalese not immediately recognized by non-attorneys.  The salesperson may tell you it is a "flat-fee" but then you will be surprised when they send you a retainer statement a month or two down the road asking you to "replenish" your retainer by sending them extra money (usually thousands). Here is a copy of a "monthly retainer billing statement" from one of the larger tax resolution companies. I am currently working with this taxpayer to obtain a refund from this firm he fired after coming to me. Please keep in mind that I don't mean to suggest that everyone who works at these companies are necessarily bad people, but they are pushed by their manageme...

The 2010 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum was nicely set up and had some great presentation speakers.   Some of the highlights discussed from the forum: There were almost one million federal tax liens filed in 2009. The National Taxpayer Advocate's Office discovered that federal tax liens drop your credit score 100 points as soon as they are filed.  The investigation also found that the three major reporting credit agencies, Experian, Equifax, and Transunion, do not remove tax liens for years, if at all, even after the tax has been paid.  The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows the agencies to keep the lien on your credit report for up to 7 years after payment in full.  Regardless of this Act for some reason the investigation found that Equifax keeps liens on your report for up to 15 years, Experian keeps the liens on your report for 10 years, and TransUnion indefinently!  Federal Tax Lien filings went up 475% over the past 10 years. Bankruptcy on back taxes are di...