Tax Problem Resolution Services In Fairfax County, Virginia
We Are Northern Virginia's Certified Tax Resolution Specialists
Tax Problems? No Problem.
As Certified Tax Resolution Specialists and Certified Tax Representation Consultants, our Northern Virginia CPA firm specializes in tax problem resolution and representation before the IRS / State.
Year-round, we help troubled taxpayers who owe money to the IRS but can’t pay, are facing severe IRS collection action, are being audited, or have unfiled delinquent back tax returns. After serving hundreds of clients over twenty years, we have perfected our three-step system for tax problem resolution.
We have been members of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers for fourteen years. You don’t have to face the IRS alone. Doing nothing about an IRS problem or going it alone can be very expensive. We’re here to help you solve your IRS problem and put your financial house in order. From the moment you retain our firm, you no longer have to speak with the IRS.
Our Three-Step Tax Problem Resolution Process
Resolving a tax problem is, in many ways, analogous to resolving a medical problem. The summary below illustrates this analogy further. Since every case is unique, not all phases below and not all services below apply to every case. Still, the summary below will help you start to visualize what the path to resolution looks like for a tax matter.
Step One – Discovery
We diagnose the problem. Step one involves conducting an in-depth case evaluation.
Step Two – Compliance
We begin to restore your financial health. Step two involves getting you into tax compliance.
Step Three – Resolution
We prescribe and implement a solution. Step three involves negotiating with the IRS.
Step One – Discovery – Diagnose the Problem
Phase one involves conducting an in-depth case evaluation. During the case evaluation process, we review your case in detail, contact the IRS, and ask probing questions to explore several items. A correct diagnosis leads to the correct solution. Conversely, a poor diagnosis can lead to the wrong solution which can often worsen the problem.
During this phase, we file a power of attorney and obtain your tax transcripts to facilitate the evaluation of your case. Here are some examples of items we explore and questions we ask during the first phase of most engagements, as applicable.
- What do you believe the problem is attributed to?
- What does the IRS or State believe the problem is attributed to?
- Are there any time-sensitive deadlines approaching on your case?
- Have you missed any critical deadlines on your case?
- Have your rights as a taxpayer been preserved and protected?
- Have you received any correspondence, notices, or threatening collection letters from the IRS or State in the mail?
- Have you opened the correspondence you received in the mail to determine the impact?
- Approximately how much does the IRS or State claim you owe in taxes, penalties, and interest?
- How much do you actually owe the government in taxes, penalties, and interest?
- Did you file a joint tax return with a spouse for any of the years you owe taxes?
- Based on the state where you reside and have assets, how do the community property laws impact your case?
- How do the various statutes of limitations affect your case?
- What does your wherewithal (or lack of wherewithal) to pay look like?
- Has the IRS or State garnished your wages yet?
- Has the IRS or State taken money out of your bank accounts or retirement accounts yet?
- Has the IRS or State placed any liens on your property yet?
- Has the IRS or State attempted to seize any of your assets?
- Has the IRS come to your home or business?
- Has a Revenue Agent or Revenue Officer been assigned to your case?
- Are you currently being audited by the IRS or State?
- Do you potentially qualify for abatement and removal of penalties?
- Do you have any unfiled prior year tax returns?
- If you have unfiled tax returns, which years do you need to file, federal and state?
- Do you have the records in your possession to support the filing of your returns. If not, what can be done about that to get you into compliance?
- Has the government filed any substitute tax returns on your behalf?
- Are you current with this year’s withholding and/or estimated payment requirements?
- What collection resolution options might be available to you to achieve resolution if you have outstanding tax debts?
Examples of phase one services include but are not limited to:
- Preparation and Submission of Power of Attorney
- In-Depth Case Evaluation and Analysis
- Tax Transcript Analysis and Report Preparation
- Preliminary Financial Analysis
At the end of phase one, you will have a tax resolution plan which explains our findings, outlines your options, and provides our recommendations.
Step Two – Tax Compliance – Begin to Restore Your Financial Health
Phase two involves getting you into “tax compliance” with the government. This means getting caught up on unfiled returns and into tax filing compliance with the IRS and/or State. It also involves addressing your current year’s (and future) withholding and/or estimated payment requirements. This phase is applicable to most, but not all, clients. In this phase, we invest our research from phase one into helping you get caught up on your back taxes (business and personal).
If you have unfiled back tax returns, we’ll need to address these to get you into “compliance” with the Internal Revenue Service and State. We will assist you with bookkeeping and tax preparation, as needed (both business and individual), to get you caught up. The IRS will not negotiate with a taxpayer that is “non-compliant.” Therefore, this step is generally a prerequisite before moving on to phase three. If you have already filed all your required tax returns, this second phase may not apply to you.
Examples of phase two services include but are not limited to:
- Tax Preparation (C-corporations, S-corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and individuals)
- Accounting & Bookkeeping
- QuickBooks Consulting
- Unfiled Back Tax Returns (Non-Filer Cases)
At the end of phase two, we will restore you back into “compliance” with the government and all your outstanding tax returns will be up-to-date, business and/or personal.
Step Three – Resolution – Prescribe and Implement A Solution(s)
Phase three involves completing detailed financial analysis and negotiating with the IRS as we attempt to implement the most appropriate case resolution option, often to deal with accumulated back tax debts and collection matters. We address issues pertaining to all divisions in the IRS (Examinations, Collections, and Appeals) depending on what your case requires.
Examples of phase three services include but are not limited to:
- Unpaid Back Taxes
- Tax Audit Representation
- Preparation of forms 433-A, 433-B, 433-F, 433-A (OIC), 433-B (OIC)
- Offer In Compromise
- Installment Agreements and Payment Plans
- Employment and Payroll Tax Problems
- Trust Fund Recovery Penalty Defense and 4180 Interviews for Responsible Persons
- Administrative Appeals and Collection Due Process Hearings
- Penalty Abatement
- Innocent Spouse Issues
- Injured Spouse Claims
- Statutes Of Limitations
- Tax Lien Removal
- Contesting Wage Garnishments
- Contesting IRS Bank Levies
- Currently Not Collectible
- State Tax Problem Resolution
- Sales Tax Audits
At the end of phase three, our goal is to achieve complete resolution to your tax matters so you can move on with your life and put your IRS troubles behind you.
Offers In Compromise
Do you qualify to settle your back taxes for less than what you owe? Contact us to find out if you qualify.
Unpaid Back Taxes
Do you owe the IRS back taxes, penalties, and interest? Every IRS problem has a solution. We can help.
IRS Audit & Exams
Are you or your business being audited? Get local representation and the help of a Northern Virginia IRS expert.
Unfiled Tax Returns
We can help you catch up on back tax returns for individuals, S Corporations, C Corporations, Partnerships, and LLCs.
Payroll Tax Problems
We can defend you against the trust fund recovery penalty and negotiate a settlement on your behalf.
Installment Agreements
We can help you setup a properly structured payment plan with a payment that you can actually afford.
Penalty Abatement
If you qualify, we can help you get penalties removed through the reasonable cause or FTA rules.
Innocent Spouse Relief
In certain circumstances, a spouse can sometimes be relieved of part of a joint tax liability.
Statutes Of Limitations
We can help you calculate the collection statute expiration date to determine if the IRS can still collect your tax debt.
Tax Lien Removal
To improve your credit score, we can help you with tax lien withdawal, tax lien release, tax lien subordination.
Wage Garnishments
The IRS has the power to seize your assets, levy your bank accounts, and garnish your wages. We can stop this.
Bank Levies
The IRS can freeze the money in your bank account preventing you from withdrawing the money. We can stop this.
Sales Tax Audits
We have extensive experience in handling sales tax examinations and audits for businesses throughout Virginia.
Administrative Appeals
Disagree with an IRS decision? We can help you file an appeal and represent you in a local, face-to-face appeal in D.C.
State Tax Resolution
We represent business and individual clients in state tax issues including sales, payroll, and income taxes.
All Services We Provide
IRS Problem Resolution
Solve your IRS problems with the help of a local Northern Virginia expert. From the moment you retain our firm, you no longer have to speak with the IRS. Our services include unfiled back tax returns, unpaid back taxes, tax audit representation, offers in compromise, installment agreements, employment tax problems, trust fund recovery penalty defense, administrative appeals, collection due process hearings, penalty abatement, innocent spouse issues, injured spouse claims, statutes of limitations, tax lien removal, wage garnishment removal, IRS bank levy removal, currently not collectible, state tax problem resolution, sales tax audits, and more.
Proactive Tax Planning
Many small businesses over pay their taxes because they do not have a proactive CPA and they do not take advantage of all the tax incentives available to them. Our objective here is to save you more in taxes than our overall fees through identifying ideas and strategies which may save you money in taxes. Our goal is to proactively perform year-round tax planning and coordination at the entity/business level and at the individual level throughout the year–and to advise you of any new tax laws which may affect your business. When was the last time your tax pro came to you and said “here’s an idea I think will save you some money?”
Accounting and Bookkeeping
You will likely have accounting questions throughout the year as various transactions arise. Our service includes accounting support year-round to help you ensure that you are properly recording your transactions from an accounting perspective. You will need two core financial statements in order to properly track your business, to conduct tax planning, to accurately prepare your tax returns, and for a variety of other matters. Our service will enable you to track your Income Statement/Profit & Loss and your Balance Sheet. We will also help you interpret the numbers so you can actually use your financials to understand, operate, and improve your business.
Outsourced CFO
We provide small businesses financial leadership as your business’s Chief Financial Officer to help you increase revenue and profits. In this way, we transcend traditional accounting services to provide you with ongoing strategic advice. Most small businesses want a CFO to provide financial management but they don’t have the budget to pay for a full-time dedicated CFO or controller. We fill this gap to provide businesses with the financial advice they need in an outsourced model which can be done part-time at a fraction of the cost. We partner with you and become a member of your management team to help you achieve your business goals, faster.
Small Business Consulting
We help you find meaning and insights in your numbers so you can make smart, strategic decisions. Simply put, we help our clients run their businesses better. We strive to optimize every facet of the financial management of your business including strategic business planning, cash flow management, tax strategy, marketing strategy, payroll, financial planning, and much more. You benefit from our hard-won industry expertise which is achieved only after working with hundreds of clients over many years. On an ongoing basis, we meet to review your financials, provide tax planning insights, discuss our observations, and answer your questions.
QuickBooks Consulting
In our experience, without professional guidance, QuickBooks has the potential to make clients “dangerous.” QuickBooks must be setup properly and maintained properly on an ongoing basis in order to accrue benefits from the software. Otherwise, “QuickBooks” can quickly turn into “QuickMess.” Since the integrity of your financial statements from QuickBooks impact both your tax planning and tax returns, it becomes extremely important to ensure your Books are in good shape. Our service includes ongoing year-round QuickBooks consulting and periodic QuickBooks “health checkups” to help you manage your internal accounting system.
New Business Advisory
We help with entity selection decisions, tax consulting, and business formation issues to get you started on the right track. We help you answer the critical questions that are necessary for a successful business launch and alert you to issues you may not have considered so you can avoid potential traps. Our objective is to gain an in-depth familiarity of your business goals during a kick-off consultation where we will discuss a variety of accounting, tax, and business matters as they relate to your business and to you individually. We can also provide you with initial training on how to start using QuickBooks in your business successfully from day one.
Business Tax Preparation
Our year-round oversight, QuickBooks consulting, and tax planning leads up to the preparation of your business tax returns. We provide high-quality and accurate year-end business tax preparation which reflects all the work that was done throughout the year. We offer tax preparation services to S Corporations, C Corporations, Partnerships, and LLCs in a variety of industries. This includes forms 1120S, 1120, 1065, and schedule C for Single-Member LLCs and Sole Proprietors. We can also help your business prepare its tangible personal property tax returns, business license tax returns, state tax returns, payroll tax returns, and sales tax returns.
Complex Individual Tax Preparation
Our expert guidance will enable you to navigate complex tax laws to maximize your deductions, minimize taxes, and file accurate, timely tax returns. We ask probing questions to ensure nothing gets overlooked. All returns are reviewed multiple times to ensure our quality is among the very best in the industry. We spend the time necessary to research and resolve any items in those “grey” areas which might be subject to interpretation with respect to how the tax law applies. Clients appreciate our unique systems, technology, and process to individual tax preparation because it saves them money, time, and unnecessary scrutiny from the IRS or State.
Payroll Services
Depending upon your goals, you may need to hire additional people and employ them in your business. If you have an S-corporation, C-corporation, or a Professional Service Corporation, you will need to be on the payroll as well to draw a reasonable salary. Payroll tax compliance is complicated, frequent, and ongoing. The IRS is very aggressive with respect to collection matters relating to payroll taxes. We will provide you with consulting and help you get setup with a professional payroll processing company to efficiently manage and successfully outsource your payroll. Our strategic partners include all of the largest payroll processing companies in the U.S.
