Free Consultation

What Actually Happens on the Call

A free consultation with me is a working conversation, not a sales presentation and not a script read by an intake rep. I am the person you will talk to, and I am the person who would handle the case if you decided to hire me.

We usually spend the first few minutes on what brought you here — the notice you opened, the money that came out of your paycheck, the years you know you never filed. Then I ask the questions that actually determine what your options are: which years are involved, roughly what the balance is, whether returns have been filed, whether you have heard from a revenue officer, and what your income and household expenses look like right now.

From there I tell you what I see. That normally means walking through which resolution routes are plausible in your situation — an installment agreement, an offer in compromise, currently not collectible status, penalty relief, innocent spouse relief — and, just as importantly, which ones are not, and why. If your situation is simple enough that you can handle it yourself, I will say that. It happens fairly often, and I would rather tell you than sell you.

Most calls run twenty to thirty minutes. Nothing about it obligates you to anything.

What to Have in Front of You

None of this is required — plenty of people call with nothing but a notice and a rough memory, and we manage fine. But the more of it you have, the more specific I can be:

• Any IRS notices or letters you have received, especially the most recent one — the notice number is printed in the upper right corner
• A rough idea of which tax years are involved, and which of them you filed
• The approximate balance the IRS says you owe, if you know it
• Whether a wage garnishment, bank levy, or federal tax lien is already in play
• Your current filing status, and whether a spouse or former spouse is on any of the returns
• A general sense of your monthly income and monthly living expenses
• If you are self-employed or run a business: what the entity is, and whether payroll taxes are current

If you do not have your records, that is not a dead end. Once I am authorized on a Form 2848, I can pull your IRS transcripts and see what the IRS actually has on file — which is usually a more reliable picture than anyone’s paperwork drawer.

Who Should Book One

• You received an IRS notice and cannot tell whether it is routine or urgent
• You owe back taxes and cannot pay the balance in full
• You have unfiled returns — one year or a decade
• Your wages are being garnished or your bank account was levied
• A federal tax lien has been filed against you
• You are self-employed and behind on estimated taxes
• Your business is behind on payroll tax deposits or Form 941 filings
• You are being audited, or an examination letter just arrived
• You believe the balance belongs to a spouse or former spouse, not to you
• You already hired a national tax relief firm and are not sure anything is happening

What It Costs and What It Commits You To

The consultation is free, and it commits you to nothing. There is no fee to talk to me and no charge for the review of your situation.

If we do decide to work together, I quote a flat fee for the specific scope of work before anything starts, so you know the number in advance rather than watching a meter run. What I will not do is quote you a fee, or a result, before I understand the facts — and I would treat any firm that does with real caution. Nobody can tell you what the IRS will accept before looking at your transcripts and your finances.

I am an Enrolled Agent, licensed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS in all fifty states. That is the credential that lets me speak to the IRS on your behalf, not merely prepare a return.

If You Are Not Ready to Talk Yet

Some people want to understand the landscape before they speak to anybody, and that is a reasonable instinct. Start with the free guides, or read up on the specific problem you are facing:

Common Questions About the Consultation