Top 7 Tips for Representing Your Tax Resolution Clients

Whether you’re dealing with an IRS agent, a client, or even if you’re trying to grow your tax resolution practice, using the strategies I have listed below will not only save you time, money, and energy, but they will also help you avoid costly mistakes.

1. When making the initial contact with an IRS revenue officer (collections) or revenue agent (exam), always ask for their phone and fax numbers as well as their manager’s. This will come in handy when the revenue officer or agent goes “radio silent” or if they violate your client’s rights.

2. Always memorialize your conversations with revenue offers and agents in a fax so this can be included in the case history notes kept by the IRS. This also holds their “feet to fire” when they ignore what they said or Promised.

3. When a client doesn’t furnish information requested by you or they have dishonored a fee payment — and you’ve tried twice to remedy the situation — send them a certified letter, with a return receipt requested, that you’ll be disengaging from their case by revoking your power of attorney. This will get their attention and get the case back on track. For Roz Strategies members, you can find this termination letter on the membership site.

4. To avoid client complaints and refunds, always include a “plan B” when doing an offer in compromise (OIC) in your engagement letter. For example, if you are hired

to do an OIC, always include two additional service paragraphs: an installment agreement and penalty abatement. This will cut down on complaints and refunds if your OIC is unsuccessful. Remember, at the end of the day, the client is hiring you to protect their income and assets from seizure and to resolve their IRS issue. Additionally, the IRS always has the final word, as they are the final arbiter.

5. One is the loneliest number, especially in business. If you want to grow your tax resolution business to a six-figure business and beyond, you need to employ multiple marketing strategies. You can’t rely on just one, just like you can’t rely on one key employee. Start with one marketing strategy, hone that one, then layer others on top of that.

6. Make sure you have a case status update with your clients every 28 days via a telephone call. This will help to manage client expectations and is GREAT customer service. Your IRS cases are taking longer and longer to resolve due to IRS caseload and personnel issues. Plus, you are charging the client’s credit card or initiating an ACH transfer every month, and clients need to be reassured you are working their cases, especially when you are in a holding pattern with the IRS. They need to know you haven’t abandoned them.

7. Remember, marketing is everything and everything is marketing! When there is a visible scratch on a street/light pole at any Disney Park, it’s immediately repainted. Why? Because Disney knows maintenance is marketing. It’s all about the customer’s experience and what they tell others about you!

FROM THE PRACTICE CORNER

–Michael Rozbruch