Tax Masters reviews and complaints
They STOLE $4650.00 from me
I'll try to be brief.
I contacted Tax Masters to assist me with a tax issue. They requested $4850.00 from me to get started & to get settle with the IRS.
They did nothing except get themselves listed as my agent with the IRS, so I received no communication from them or the IRS.
The IRS came calling at my bank account, my tax returns & my salary.
They did NOTHING.
Sure like to get some of my money back
Representation Lacked Integrity
I too have been a victim of Tax Masters to the tune of $2, 800.00 to assist in an IRS audit. Since around April 2008, I have been hounded by IRS auditors, letters, threats, garnishments/levy, and ended up cashing in my retirement to pay off the blood sucking IRS. Cory McAlister was my point of contact with the company and Keith Cothroll appointed my case worker for most of the duration. Others were also working on my case in the beginning. I now see that Tax Masters, Inc. has filed bankruptcy in April 2012, and I have been notified that I may have a claim against Tax Masters, Inc. I know that I will never see my $2, 800.00 back, but in the hope that someone else is not ripped off, I will continue to monitor these pleadings.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
they took $2, 460 dollars from me, just to put the IRS on hold.That's all they did, now I owe more. And my house got a levy put on it. they are no GOOD"""I hope they all get there's.
Tax Masters is no more than a scam and only gets in touch with you concerning payments. Please do not use this service and if you know of a class action suit, please let me know at aquatan2002@yahoo.com, Thanks
Spent $4, 000 so they could "fix" my tax issues. Nothing done, I still had a lean place on my paycheck. They stole my money, don't let them steal ytours.
After reviewing over and over again the facts verball I wanted an Offer in compromise with Tax Masters and to resolve IRS and State collection monies for approximatel 2-3 years+. After saying yes to everything they tried to commit fraud and ask me for my credit card informaition early while they faxed over a contract that contradicted what I said and immediately I could see the scam. Terry
Lets take this to the media and other tv outlets. This company did nothing for me. i could have used the 3000 dollars to pay medical bills. they never return e-mails or don't speak to you in person.
Due to juridictional issues and the victims nationwide, this case has been transferred from the Texas AG and the Harris County DA to the Treasury Dept. They can be contacted at :
Andy Farwell, Special Agent
US Treasury Dept
1919 Smith #2270
Houston, TX 77002
All questions and new complaints should be directed to the Treasury Dept not to the AG or DA since the case is no longer in their hands.
Taxmasters debited oer $2, 000 from my checking account and to date has sent me one form letter. Stopped automatic withdrawls in June 2008. I need help and my money back to help pay my taxes.
John Nichols
johncnichols@me.com
[protected]
They ripped us off in the amount of Nine Thousand dollars and now the IRS has put a lein on our house ans garnishing my husband ss check. We have all emails back and forth with Tax Masters. They did Nothing but steal what little cash we had. Now what do we do?
The same as I have been reading here. They wanted $3, 650. to start my case with the irs then they went under cover except to ask me for extra money a couple of months later
I talked with a SALES man at Tax Masters (who SOLD me) on tax relief. He ask for my bank acct info to set up FEE payment. I post-dated the payment for a week out. Then they FAXED me the Documents to sign and fax back.. BUT.. I went to the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
before I sign, and lucky I did... OUCH. they have a "F" rating..
This is the problem... I called them to let them know I was going with another FIRM and they said they could NOT stop payment.
THEY WOULD NOT STOP PAYMENT>?
Taking money and doing nothing
They had me pay $3, 500.00 on t6he promiss that they would file past taxes and help me to enter an agreement sith the IRS. They began almost 8 months earlier taking money from my bank account without a signed agreement. I called them back and they had not even started to handle my case nor advise me of the next step. In mid 2011 they said they were going to be more expensive and when I reveived their new billing schedule, I had made one more payment and then cancelled my agreement with them. Since they did nothing, I asked for my money back via Certified Mail, Fax, and Phone. I later received a letter saying that they would not credit any money back. The 2 different contracts they sent me were different. All I want is my money back!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Stay far away from this company
I thought I would use Tax Masters service so I contacted them on 4/4/11 and talked with a woman about their services. She said the cost would be 2650 to start service with them. I then (big mistake!) gave them my bank account info and they took out the 2650 + 350 to do 2011 taxes.
After a week I didn't hear from anyone at the company so then I decided to do a complaint check and the complaints were a mile deep. After many calls and given the run around i contacted someone and told them I was cancelling my agreement which I sent in on 4/12/11 and cancelled on 4/13/11. I then called back to get a confirmation of my cancellation from what they call customer service. It took 5 days to get the email from them. I then place more calls to find out about my refund. They told me 60 days and I was sent a refund check on 8/14/11(120 days later!) after calling again to complain about them not refunding in 60 day. I spoke with someone named Ernie and he was a lawyer with the company. He explained that company policy requires they keep the 350.00 for administration costs. What a bunch of Bull!
This company has an F rating and 1000 complaints with attorney general of TX. They are being sued by the state and the lawyer says they are working on the complaints but of course their are way too many to handle that is why (he said) I had to wait 120 days not the company policy of 60 days to get my money back. Stay far away from this company and any other offering these services. They actually as I have read other complaints made things much worse for the person retaining their services. Lesson learned get a good cpa or ex-IRS tax service to do these taxes and forget about paying for service when services were not rendered and at a cost of 350.00 for nothing! Stay far away from this company!
agree...they did the same thing with me bk in 2004...gave me the same run around...don't give out your bank info...after so many unanswered questions, I decided to go to the IRS myself and what I was trying to do, ...I couldn't do it...because the taxes I was tryna take care of (deceased spouse) we never filed together so I couldn't do it...so my question to them what were they going to do for me, if I could'nt do it on my own. And the games begin.
AVOID BEING SCAMMED!!
Tax Masters led me to believe that for 5+ months they had been in contact with the IRS helping me to get my interested and penalties lowered. I paid them upwards of $3000. I had a hard time getting them to return my phones calls or emails, and the few times I was able to get in touch with someone, they assured me they were taking care of everything.
Wasn’t I surprised when I had a knock at my door and found a man whom had a certified letter from the IRS stating they are going to take action, drain my accounts, come after my home, etc…everyone’s worst nightmare.
There is an attorney in NY that is trying to get victims together...if you want more details just say the word. I sent him all my information. PJ
Don't use
Completely unreliable and does NOT deliver the goods, one screwup after another..cannot bear to watch their ads..will promise you everything and NOT delivery on anything! GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING THEY ARE VERY CLEVER AND TRAINED IN TELLING YOU THINGS OVER THE PHONE (UNDOCUMENTED) AND NOT PROVIDING RESPONSES OR CONFIRMATIONS VIA EMAIL. They dropped the ball not once, not twice but three times. Your account will move from one manager to another or an employee who is helping you is gone and unless you call frequently you have no idea until it is too late! Verify, Verify, Verify, Verify!
Fraud/Scam
I saw last night on ABC Nightly News that Tax Masters is being investigated for decptive/fraudulant practise. This is only being investigated in 2 States, they who are investigating need to open there eyes to the full extent of which Tax Masters will go it is a lot more than merely 2 of the 52 states, I would imagine most all states have been lied and scamed by Tax Masters. Who do I file a complaint with? I live in Illinois and I as well as many have had the same treatment from Tax Masters, they are trained to lie, I was told I was being stupid for working with the IRS on my own Jeremy Long, and John Thaker who work for tax masters told me. Jeremy Long told me he could reduce my tax debt to 8000.00 because they have former IRS agents and attorneys who knew how to get around the IRS. I was panicy, and the reps. at the IRS were rude, hateful, yes that is true also. How ever Jeremy Long of Tax Masters must laugh his self all the way to his new car and home after he hangs up the phone because every thing he told me was a lie. Tax Masters took over 3000.00 from me never returned calls, or emails, because they can not do what the claim they can. It is a huge Scam, they Tax Masters are preditors prey on the emotions of people going through hard times. They all deserve to go to jail for fraud, and we need a class action law suite to reclaim some or all of the money that they stoled, they might as well be wearing ski masks and have a hand gun the result is the same, THEY LIE AND STEEL YOUR MONEY LEAVING YOU ON YOUR OWN BECAUSE EVERY THING THEY SAY IS UNTRUE/
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Did not help solve tax issue
Tax Masters was paid a $2500.00 between Jan 19, 2009 to June 20, 2009, to assist with a tax issue. After they received payment was told by a Nicki Sample (Tax Consultant- [protected]) that we needed to gather all W-2's from previous employers, and previous tax filings and send them to their Texas office. Although we has some documentation, there was not anyway to obtain "all" documentation. We informed Nikki that we thought that was Tax Masters' responsibility. We repeatedly tried to contact Tax Masters using the ID number they assigned, because nothing was being resolved. We never were able to resolve the tax problem through Tax Masters...they just took the money and did nothing.
Other people at Tax Masters that were invovled in our tax issue were;
Marla Alvarez - [protected]
Damarius Givens- Case Coordinator
Patricia Marinez
Jena Murphy
***Documentation is Available****
Christian Maceo - Case Coordinator [protected]
I am certain that none of these "Scammers" are employed there now.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I hired Tax Masters in Dec. 2011 and it's been a horrible experience. I don't owe the IRS any money, but I hired them to file unfilled taxes. I've sent them e-mails that went unanswered, phone calls that went unanswered, they strung me along. I got a certified letter dated February 17, 2012, stating that I would be receiving my taxes from [protected] and that I needed to walk them into the IRS to be in compliance. Well a few weeks went by and I was concerned that they got lost in the mail. Well, I sent an e-mail, and of course no response. So I called, the lady I talked to said she would check into it. No response. So I called left a message, that I was not sending any more money. I put a stop payment on any further withdrawals from my checking account. Well the bank filed the wrong paper work and I am in the hole right now. I am going to close the checking account and I have hired another tax company. Well I received my taxes in the mail, March 26, 2012. The package that they came in was ripped to shreds. I thought that state tax forms would be in there also, but were not. When these people do taxes, do they not do state taxes also? I could of done the federal taxes myself it's the state taxes that are difficult to do. Tax Masters filed for bankruptcy on March 19, 2012, and now I receive my taxes. Is that so they can keep taking money out of my account, because they owe everybody? I read where they can garnish your wages and wondering if that is true. I want this to be over, I want nothing more to do with them. I have already paid Tax Masters $2, 640.61 and for what? I am taking the taxes they did send to my tax lady today, March 27, 2012. I already know that the taxes they did for 2008 is totally wrong. I was lead to believe they had former IRS agents, Ha, what a joke. My tax lady has already done my taxes and that includes the state too. All Tax Masters did was take my money and I was dumb enough to give it to them.
I found a company that can help www.americastaxnetwork.com. They offer up to two hours of consultation for $99.00. The person they put you in touch with is an Enrolled Agent that was a FORMER employee of the IRS. They will talk with you, discuss your case and answer any questions during that time. If you wish they will then pull your masterfile and check your records with the IRS. If they can help they will offer solutions after they review all your info. Since they are Enrolled Agents and not sales people like these other groups. Hope this helps...
Sales department and untrained personal
Tax Masters is not a reputable company. Contacting them I was pressured into believeing that they would stop liens and resolve my issues. They did not! Investigate before you give them any money. They misrepresent what they advertise. Do not use them and seek out a local CPA in your area. This company wanted anothe $2, 600 from me for doing the Fed and then another $2, 600 for State. Why when the Fed has to be done first and then to be charged again is high powered robbery. Someone has got to stop TM from scamming people in stressed!
I found a company that can help www.americastaxnetwork.com. They offer up to two hours of consultation for $99.00. The person they put you in touch with is an Enrolled Agent that was a FORMER employee of the IRS. They will talk with you, discuss your case and answer any questions during that time. If you wish they will then pull your masterfile and check your records with the IRS. If they can help they will offer solutions after they review all your info. Since they are Enrolled Agents and not sales people like these other groups. Hope this helps...
Help
I had an appointment with a representative and was assured that my debt would be decreased to cents on the dollar from 70k. He said I had to sign the contract and pay there retainer fee of 8, 000(Wow!) before anything would take place. So, I called my wife and told her how they could help. I was so relieved and looked forward to letting the “professionals” represent us, and having the promise of being worry free. With all there commercials I was conditioned to think that they must be the best.
The same thing happened to me that everyone is complaining about, endless paperwork, not returning calls, more requests for the same paperwork, more missed e-mails, never being able to talk with my case representative, etc. This went for 9 months with no real progress. The IRS has placed liens and I believe we could have avoided this if I had done some research into the company first. In the meantime our debt went well over $100, 000 with interest and penalties. What a nightmare and how do I get my money back?
In the meantime my father in law had gone through a very similar situation. Difference is he did a lot of research into the company he chose. The Tax Relief Foundation. His experience with them was so inspiring that I had to talk to them myself.
What a difference a company can make! As different as night and day. Tax Relief Foundation essentially picked me up and dusted me off. Now I live stress free and would recommend these guys to anyone.
I do have a question for you, I am glad that you found a honest company that is great. But are you seriously OK with Tax Masters stealing 8000.00 from you know all the while they were not and can not do any thing to help you. they are very deceptive, and fraudulent I ask again are you ok with them taking your 8000.00. You will never see that money again EVER on the ABC news last night it was noted and exposed that Tax Masters were under investigaion in 2 states, and it showed the ceo or who is really is I no one knows getting out of Houstan to avoid the camera crews and being question about all of the surfacing complaints of fraud. So you just going to take it from them really?
mk.whalen@yahoo.com
Companies like Tax Masters are a Scam!
Honestly, when my hubby and I became aware we were in tax debt we were more scared about getting scammed by the organization assisting us then the IRS taking our money.
How do you browse for one reputable tax relief company, like Tax Defense Network, in a sea of frauds? You go with the one which gives straightforward answers to the questions and doesn't hold a fraudulent record. That's why we didn't pick frauds like Tax Masters, and so relieved we did choose Tax Defense Network.
From the very beginning we had an uneasy feeling about Tax Masters. We heard and read that a lot of people have been scammed, but since they are a national company, and we really didn't know too many other companies, we took a chance.
When we first called Tax Masters, what seemed like an operator answered the phone, asked us a few questions, in which we gave brief answers to, then she put us on hold. She came back and started talking about fees, and services. It was as if I was ordering off of a menu. I could have my tax levy removed for this much, or get the levy and an agreement for this much. I immediately said I had to go and hung up.
After looking at a few of the IRS Hitman articles on the internet, my husband discovered Tax Defense Network. TDN had a BBB rating of an A (it was like discovering a mythical creature). We immediately noticed a difference in the manner Tax Defense Network did business compared to them, after talking with a TDN consultant. He didn't point out fees immediately (first indicator TDN wasn't a scam), spoke to us at length about our circumstances, and outlined our options. Yet, we weren't 100 % sure TDN wasn't a scam. We asked our rep about an Offer in Compromise (we believe an OIC is often a scam), and he told us the reason TDN doesn't recommend OICs, "Because we understand only a minimal percentage of people would really qualify for an OIC, and it is fraudulent to suggest otherwise." At that instant, we were assured Tax Defense Network wasn't a scam.
There are a small number of businesses, like TDN, that aren't frauds, and stand for integrity in the tax relief industry, where scam happens to be the term that means business as usual. The fact is firms like TDN are going extinct in their own area. Tax Defense Network fixed our tax debacle almost immediately, got us affordable payments, and debt free (with taxes anyway).
Remember to search smart, because it doesn't necessarily take much to spot a fraud like Tax Masters in a market of honest businesses, but honest businesses like Tax Defense Network, is generally buried beneath a market covered with fraud.
SCAM ALERT! TDN is the IRS Hitman... The IRS Hitman is TDN. Tax Defense Network is violating Googles Double Serve Policy to gain a competitive edge in the Tax Resolution market. All at the expense of the consumer. What a shame...
BREECH OF CONTRACT
Hired Tax Masters to help me with an issue regarding my watercraft and the Ohio Dept of Watercraft concerning a usage tax.They proceeded to delve into the State income tax and Federal tax which is not what they were hired to do.Only to find out months later, and after being turned over to the Ohio Attny Genaral, that they said they were not qualified to do such work.Now mind you, they proceeded to scam me for 1500.00 b4 I caught it.We have been arguing ever since .We finally came to an agreement, signed contract, stating that they would send me 1300.00 back stating the credit card company kept 200.00 .After going thru the, we never received the fax etc for months, they finally sent a check in the amt of 550.00.They said they are keeping the rest because the work they did on my tax returns(I DID NOT HIRE THEM, TO DO ANY WORK ON MY PERSONAL TAX RETURNS).We have been calling everyday, leaving messages.Have not cashed the check and I dont see how a legal document stating they have settled on 1300.00 means nothing.This company has barked up the wrong tree here.I wish to go forward with any class action law suite and see this company persecuted to the extent of the law.They are taking advantage of people left and right.They must be stopped.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
How do I learn about any Class action suite against Tax Masters, who took me for a lot of money under false pretenses ..
thanks
tkjtkj@gmail.com
I don't understand how to start a class action law suite, yet every one of the tax masters complaints it is suggested. How do we do this, I agree they need to be brought in to court, for the scam that they are. Any suggestions on how to intiate such a law suite?
mk.whalen@yahoo.com
Tax Help
Recently our firm [protected]) has been receiving calls from consumers that have been complaining about Tax Masters and Jk Harris. It seems that these two companies are telling everyone that calls in that they qualify for an Offer in Compromise. If you want an OIC all you have to do is download form 656 off the IRS website and submit it. on the site they even tell you what qualifications are necessary to qualify for an Offer in Compromise. Let me be the first to tell you that if you qualify for an OIC you do not have any money to pay a tax preparer of any kind thousands of dollars to do this for you (for most cases, some cases are much more complex). There is no miracle process to resolving a tax payers debt, each individuals case requires a different approach. And there is no way to determine what it will cost a financial firm to resolve your tax situation from one phone conversation. Which is why our firm will do a Tax Investigation first. we actually contact to IRS and determine why you owe the debts you do. Once that is determined it becomes possible to know how your tax situation can be resolved. Fillings as 1099, 1040, k1, 940 etc. have different ramifications, and the reasons you owe the taxes: sub returns filed for you, non payment, receiving lump sums of cash (401k, divorce settlement, lottery winnings, stock trading) all have different ways of being resolved and depending on your situation. you may be entitled to having your debt reduced dramatically, or you may not be qualified to have it reduced at all. I'm not even sure why Those two companies promote Offer In Compromise as the legitimate fix all for tax debt, according to the IRS over 90% of all OIC's submitted get denied. A huge marketing budget doesn't equate to actual help. if you want actual advice and help call [protected]. There is no miracle cure, but there are many ways to fix your tax problems.
@ Jim
I don't mind you promoting your company on my comment. And you have made some very good points about the companies out there that are not providing proper help.
But don't call this spam and yours not spam. And especially don't tell me that i have provided poor advice when you have provided no advice at all, but instead are perpetuating the idea that most people with tax problems can get an Offer In Compromise. Most tax payers DO NOT qualify for an OIC. If you "MAKE" them qualify you are defrauding the IRS. depending on your situation you may not even need an OIC.
Many people can have their tax liability reduce to pennies on the dollar through methods that work and can be completed in a DAY! Instead of waiting at least six weeks to know if the OIC went through and if it did not then you have to do it again. AGAIN for most cases tax payers do not qualify for an OIC because that means the IRS believes that they will never be able to repay that debt EVER!
so if you have a JOB that pays decently for example, then you probably wont qualify. Or if you do qualify then there is probably a different means of reducing your tax liability which will be faster and probably reduce it by more (in this situation you probably file as 1099) . Pigeon holing people into an OIC is NOT a way to provide tax help.
But thank you for the Comment Jim. I think this will spark a good dialogue between you and I.
p.s. we work on a national basis. if there is a court summons we will do a change of venue and go to court for you. (we have EA's licensed to do it, as well as a fully staffed law firm)
p.p.s. WE start work on a case for a flat rate. 199.00 And sometimes we do promotions for even less.
p.p.p.s. www.settlewiththeirs.info
p.p.p.p.s. Check mate.
Hahaha Mr. Laufer I didn't know that you worked for us! I appreciate the comment though.
Jim,
You are obviously a Liar who is defaming people on this site and promoting other companies shamelessly. you should be ashamed of yourself. i hope your parents aren't still alive to see you blatantly slandering other people just to promote for companies you know nothing about. Shame on you!
This is obviously a fake post for www.settlewiththeirs.info - which is not a law firm.
If you want real tax help, call someone who is professionally licensed and directly talk to them.
Here's a list of some legitimate companies:
Tax Resolution Professionals (www.taxresolutionprofessionals.com) - A licensed tax law firm owned and operated by attorneys. When you call you speak directly to a licensed attorney.
Joe Mastriano, CPA (www.taxproblem.org) - Licensed CPA firm. When you call you talk to a licensed CPA.
eTaxes.com (www.etaxes.com) - Tax Services Company. when you call you talk to a licensed Enrolled Agent.
Mike Habib, EA (www.myirstaxrelief.com) - Tax Services Company. when you call you talk to a licensed Enrolled Agent.
Almost all other companies than what is listed above - including settlewiththeirs.info - will be shutdown due to new FTC regulations that will take place in about two months.
You can visit our site @ settlewiththeirs.info
POOR SERVICES, FALSE ADVERTISING
I hired Tax Masters to file 3 yrs worth of returns and negotiate a settlement. After paying $4000.00 I got the returns filed, which had errors and my offer in compromise was rejected based on something a simpleton could figure out let alone "tax professionals" . So now not only do I owe the 54k I know spent another 4k for nothing. I ended up owing more than when I started. The false advertising and hope these people give you is almost criminal.
I am handling the OIC appeals myself and will probably get better results. My advice is educate yourself and take care of tax matters yourself. It can be done.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
there are now 4 federal lawsuits against TaxMasters, for varied reasons:
8 Taxmasters, Inc. (dft) txsdce 4:2010-cv-02373 710 07/02/2010
9 Taxmasters (dft) txsdce 4:2010-cv-02373 710 07/02/2010
10 TAXMASTERS, INC. (dft) paedce 2:2010-cv-03331 480 07/07/2010
11 TAXMASTERS (dft) paedce 2:2010-cv-03331 480 07/07/2010
14 TaxMasters Inc. (cnflck) txsdce 4:2010-cv-03055 710 08/25/2010
15 Taxmasters, Inc. (dft) txsdce 4:2010-cv-03055 710 08/25/2010
16 Taxmasters (dft) txsdce 4:2010-cv-03055 710 08/25/2010
17 Taxmasters, Inc. (dft) txsdce 4:2010-cv-03330 190 09/16/2010
1. There used to be a huge blog filled with TaxMasters stories and complaints. The sued the guy and he took it down. Here's an archive of it though:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080621192338/www.enormousincongruities.com/2006/02/22/tax-masters/
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2. Apparently there is a US Treasury investigation into TaxMasters.
US Treasury Department
Attention: Agent Farwell
1919 Smith Street
Suite 2270
Houston, TX 77002
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3. And a potential class-action suit:
Pam Mitchell
[protected]
----
4. Additionally:
If you've been a victim of TaxMasters, below is a good starting list of everyone you should send a letter to, detailing your experience. Signed and mailed letters are often still taken more seriously than an emailed or faxed one. You should also include any/all supporting documentation/evidence.
This really is needed. The sooner these agencies receive more complaints about this company, the more they will investigate.
1. Your state's Attorney General
2. All of your state's Senators and Representatives (Federal and State)
3. All of the following:
U.S. Treasury Department
ATTN: Special Agent Farwell
1919 Smith St.
Suite 2270
Houston, TX 77002
Texas State Board of Public Accountancy
333 Guadalupe, Tower 3, Suite 900
Austin, TX [protected]
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
Hotline
P.O. Box 589
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC [protected]
Office of the Attorney General of Texas
PO Box 12548
Austin, TX [protected]
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Attorney General
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530
Internal Revenue Service
Office of Professional Responsibility
SE: OPR, Room 7238/IR
1111 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20224
Better Business Bureau of Houston
http://houston.bbb.org/
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Mayor Annise D. Parker
City of Houston
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251
DIDN'T HELP WITH TAX PROBLEM
I sow there at and fox news network. They even had a recomendation from Bill O'Reilly. I gave them a $1000.00 they wanted $3000 I told him that it would be no problem if they got the garnisments from IRS and Oregon Revinue (which are $1600.00) off my paycheck. We are unable to payoff my Medical Bills from my Heart condition or Dental bills. There line has been pay the $2000.00 and they will fix them. They have done nothing for me about the garnishments and nothing with dealing with oregon rev. DO NOT GIVE THIS COMPANY ANYTHING...
DUANE HUNT
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Apparently there is a US Treasury investigation into TaxMasters.
---
US Treasury Department
Attention: Agent Farwell
1919 Smith Street
Suite 2270
Houston, TX 77002
----
And a potential class-action suit:
Pam Mitchell
[protected]
Fraud
I am just another victim of fraud from Tax Masters! I rejected their services and didn't sign their contract. They stole $4000 from me. Tax Masters high pressures their victims like me into sending them money misleading the victim into thinking the IRS is going to levy their accounts and garnish their wages immediately if funds aren't sent to them.
I rejected their business and did NOT sign any contracts and yet they won't return my $4000 they charged me! They then lie and say there was a verbal contract and a third party! If that wasn't the biggest lie I ever heard then why did they send me contracts to sign?
Tax Masters are total crooks. I can't believe there are so many victims on this board and these guys are still ripping off people as I write this. Where is the justice in America anymore. What does it take to help victims like me out and to protect future victims from Tax Masters ongoing FRAUD?
Please e-mail me if you have any positive advice to help. I will gladly join in any Class Action Lawsuit against them.
Thank You Brian
TAX MSTR TAX MASTERS FRAUD!
SOME ONE PLEASE HELP ME! I am an OLD man with very limited resources...
I am a 65 year old Vietnam veteran who chose to retain the services of Tax Masters after hearing certain radio host giving them a thumbs up.
After a few conversations with them over the phone, I decided, and notified them that I did NOT want to go ahead with their services.
The next day tax masters illegally withdrew 2, 500.00 dollars from my acount. I have everything in writing, emails and phone conversations that my rfefund would be issued in 90 days.
Its now been 120 days and still no refund. All i get from them is that the check is on the presidents desk waiting to get signed.
The crooks that run this scam are good at taking your money and not returning it. I have made more than 40 calls to them in the past month. Still nothing!
Please advise on what to do, an d what your experience with Taxmasters has been!
I will help you do what it takes so no one else suffers at the hands of Tax Master Frauds!
PS. IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT USING TAX MASTERS, JUST GOOGLE THE HUNDREDS OF VICTIMS.
PSS. I really dont know what to do, I am old and very hurt by this. Please someone help ME!
Gerald
These people are compete frauds and their service is a scam. They prey on desperate people who are being threatened by the IRS, promise you everything in the world until they get their money, then do nothing. They were supposed to file my power of attorney with the IRS, which they never did, they were supposed to prevent my bank account being levied, which they never did. They don't return phone calls, they don't get back to you, and they keep you on hold forever as a way of making you go away.
Take my word for it. They have no more influence with the IRS than you or me. Negotiate your own agreement with the IRS and avoid these Tax Master scam artists.
I'm suing to get my money back.
This just happened to me.. I had been with Tax Masters for two years. I had a defalcation/embezzlement that happened to my company and me 10 years ago. It took us two years to bring the party to justice. They were convicted of aggregate felony theft. (they stole also the computer and physical records for the two years that caused the problem with the IRS) Many attempt to work with IRS, no help. in 2005, granted Chapter 7 in which the IRS was included. Still no help. Tax Masters promised to come between me and the IRS. We filed Offer in Oct 2008, In Sept.2009, finally got meeting with Tax Masters, asked them to call IRS to check on status. They said they wanted to wait two weeks(Until Oct 09, then in there for one year and had to approve). Nope. Got letter Oct 2, that they were "returning"..not rejecting. Aparantly there was some info that they asked Tax Masters for that Tax Masters did not respond to. I was on their rearends on a daily basis, ie ; emails, phonecalls, etc to call the IRS. They kept saying they called and the IRS would not answer their calls. Finally, Fri. got email from Tx Masters, that the irs denied offer and we would have to start over(for more money). They were going to keep the 750.00 that we had included toward the first offer, and the Tax Masters had been paid upfront 2650. I decided to call the IRS myself. Guess what? Tax Masters Lied to me. They NEVER called the IRS. The IRS agent on record answered the phone on first ring. There was no record of Tax Masters ever calling. Further, IRS told me what I had been asking for the past six months.. there apparently been a letter they sent in July requesting more financial info; and even though I asked the agent at TaxMasters to "double check"s, as I had movedover the summer, they did not. Tax Masters, further had received the letter(they got a correspondense every time I did).. Two years of my life WASTED.. because of Tax Masters negligence and deceipt. Not only did they lie. If they had just called the IRS(which they charge each client in their line item 500.00 for contacting and meeting with IRS), they would have found out what the IRS needed, and the IRS would have worked with us to get the info in, and not return. Now, I have to start over. I have a meeting on Mon. with Tax Masters. I am going to show them the copy of the letter the IRS was kind enough to fax to me (that Tax Masters did not respond to)in July. That is what got us rejectd. And their negligence and enept ability to simply do their job has not only cost me over $4, 000.00. but cost me the last two years of my life, and I have to start over? Can there be anything done? Can we at least take these guys to court and have them remove their false advertising that Patrick Cox does every time he gets on Fox or other channels and spews out his lies about getting in between me and the IRS and SOLVING our tax problems... He just caused my problems to escalate.. I have a good reason for an Offer, and they were close to granting it, they just need a bit more info)(ofcourse, they had requested different things atlest 3 times in the two years)...But Tax Masters complete incompetence cost me more than the 4, 000. They cost me not to be able to start my life for how much longer? ----------------------------------
I went to TaxMasters for help. They used scare tactics to sell me. I fell for it because I didn't know any better. After they didn't do ANYTHING for almost a month except tell me that I owed more than the IRS said I owed and that they would set up apayment plan for me for double what I had already paid, I went to the BIG SCARY IRS. THEY helped me in three days do what I had already paid TaxMasters to do. It turns out that the IRS owed me money! Tax Masters was going to set me up to pay $63, 000! TaxMasters is a terrible company to do business with. Worse! They are pure evil! The people that I delt with were all very nice to me personally and very happy to help me become completely destitute. The time that they caused me to lose cost me my credit because if they had advised me properly instead of telling a bunch of lies I would have been out of Levy in a couple of days, instead I was in Levy for over a month, so I was late on everything, my bank account was overdrafted and my family had live through December on $438.00! I sent them the letter below and have not gotten any relpy from them. I will tell everyone that I can how they ruined me.
TaxMasters shall regard this letter as legal written notice to terminate all contractual agreements and/or arrangements made by MY NAME (SSN xxx-xx-****) with TaxMasters, a business located at 900 Town & Country Lane, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77024. Be it also known that this includes any and all Power of Attorney authorizations which are hereby revoked and terminated upon the writing of this letter. TaxMasters shall cease and desist in further works or actions in the interest of MY NAME (SSN xxx-xx-****) . All works or actions in the interest of MY NAME (SSN xxx-xx-****) by TaxMasters and any employee or agent acting for TaxMasters after the date appearing on this letter are to be considered null and void by all. This termination is to take full effect immediately. No further payments will be made to TaxMasters. The bank account that the drafts were authorized to be drawn on has been closed. Any further collection attempts by TaxMasters or any employee or agent acting for TaxMasters will be met with legal action and full refund will be pursued.
Tax Masters are frauds! My boyfriend hired them to help with taxes and wasn't satisfied with the service so he sent them a letter telling them they were more or less fired! Well after several attempts to call them and never getting a call back he was sent a letter saying they would'nt give him a refund! Although the contract stated he could get a refund if he was dissatisfied. They screwed him out of $4000 and only had 1 20 minutes conference call with the IRS! What a bunch of DOPES! I hope they get SUED![censored]s!
The company took all my money, Via credit Card, electronically transferred over state-lines, upfront and never provided the service/representation they advertised or verbally stated they would provide...
My contact information: David LaFond, 2411 Davis Circle, Sebring, Florida 33870, [protected]
This is a formal complaint I am sending to you (and many others) about Tax Masters that are stationed in Houston, Texas. There web address is http://www.txmstr.com and there address is; 900 Town & Country Lane, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77024. The Phone number there is [protected].
The Problem began in November of 2010. I received a letter from the IRS stating that I owed back taxes in the amount of $4.000. That seemed like a lot of money to me and it was from 2002 and I thought they were wrong. I called Tax Masters and was told it would cost me $5, 000 to sort out the mess and file some returns that I had not. I said ok and paid them a down payment of $1, 100. After talking with an accountant friend of mine who told me to cancel them because he could file the old returns for me for nothing and that Tax Masters wanted more then the IRS did. I called back 3 hours later (over 2 days) and cancelled. The said they would send me the return of my down payment. Fast forward a month and I had not received anything from Tax Masters.
This started on of the worse transgressions of any "professional" outfit I have ever seen. Enclosed with this emails that went back and forth for the first round. I was told to call billing which I did. I would either be put on hold and forgotten about, or I would be hung up on. I email the agent who I first talked to and was given the number of their QA department where I was told that they were experiencing "High Call Volume" and was dumped into a Voice Mail box, where no one would ever return my call. Though many attempts I finally got a hold of a QA supervisor named, Donice Reiss () who told me that QA had sent my file to finance were "Denis" would sign off on it. I then asked when I could expect my refund and was given the name of Ms. Jessica Gonzalez, who is the head of finacnce. She told me it would be 90 days. She now claims that she never said that, but the more I think about it, Im sure it was her.
Fast forward to today. It is 2/15/11 and I still have not received on dime of MY money. I called billing three times. The first time, I'm not sure why but the 3rd time, it was because I got hot under the collar with whoever it was that answered the phone. The third guy asked it I ever sent a letter to QA. I did and told him I spoke with Donice Reiss. He said that my file never said I called and offered to transfer me to QA. I told him no thank you, Ill just sue. After calming down for a minute, I decided to call and try one last time. I actaully got an answer from QA after telling the story for the umpteenth time, I was put on hold and she came back 15 minutes later with the excuse "Oh, there are 2 Michael Swiney's in our system, they must have been confused. I know of 2 Michael Swiney's. One is a Judge and the other is an actor. Google it. There are not that many Swiney's in the world. She transfered me back to Jessica Gonzolas who swore she never said it would take 90 days and "Denis" did not sign off on it yet. I asked how I could reach "Denis" and she said I couldn't, but she could leave him another e-mail asking his highness to sign it so they can release MY money.
I then did research on this company and found out this is the way they do business with everybody. This HAS to stop. If anyone out there wants to start a class action suit against this fraudulent company, please contact me and was can get the ball rolling
Michael J. Swiney
[protected]
I just received the notice of Chapter 11 bankruptcy regarding Tax Masters. I paid them 6, 250$ and never received any services. On top of that I incurred thousands of dollars in penalties and interest for work not performed on their behalf from the IRS. I am about to fill out a proof of claim but it will take me a while to accurately calculate the amount of money they caused me to be delinquent on. Please tell me if there is any class action law suit or some sort of help regarding recouping my loss. Thank you very much. My name is David and my email is daveytillotson@hotmail.com my case # is 12-32065.
The Tax Masters office in Houston, TX did the same to me. I sent them a letter of "Cancellation" on May 17th, 2011; we received a letter from them dated May 18th, 2011, that they had received our letter of "Cancellation of Services" and had started the process of cancellation and would get my refund to me as quickly as possible. After several phone calls, only able to talk to the receptionist, a registered letter, and messages on voice mail and e-mail, since then to now, Jan. 12th, 2012, I have had no reply to any messages and still do not have my refund check. I'm about to contact a lawyer and take them to court, and it will definitely cost them much more for all of this anguish and time.
I am so glad to have found this page on google. In 2008 I called Tax Masters to seek help from the IRS after seeing Mr. Cox on TV saying how he could help with your tax problems. First of all I am a 72 yrs old man and did not have the money to pay the IRS so I fell for the line that the man on the phone gave me as to how they could help me for all reasons that I was a Senior Citizen and couldn't afford to pay the IRS what they were seeking from me. For six months they took 984.00 dollars from me and never did anything for that money except file my 2006 returns. My taxes were not that much that I would pay the $5000.00 to do just one year of taxes. The IRS told me that they never heard from this firm on my behalf. I wrote the BBB in Houston and they put me in touch with someone at Tax Masters that was very mean and nasty to me on the phone. I also feel stupid for not checking before I gave them my money. As I said at the beginning as a senior I really could use that money. Mr. Cox should be jailed for telling such lies to peoples.A fool from Chicago.
Fraud and Neglect
I contacted Tax Masters because I saw their ad on Fox News. The IRS had sent me a letter that they were going to levi everything I owned including my checking accounts. The IRS said that I owed them $12, 000. Tax Masters said no problem. Don't woory they can take care of it and help me. Tax Masters contacted the IRS and set up a "Collections Due Process Hearing" (CDP) to be conducted over the telephone. They then missed the date of the hearing and did not cantact the IRS. Oh, by the way, they would do nothing until they had collected $5000 from me over several mopnths of drafting money from my checking account. Then after they missed the CDP Hearing I received a letter from the IRS that Tax Masters missed the Heraing date. I begin to try to call the representative at Tax Master that was supposed to be assigned my case. She was either not there or currenting on the phone with someone else. So, they told me she would "call me back". No one ever called me. I was now in worse shape than before I paid Tax Masters the $5000. They did nothing. I faxed Tax Masters And Called to demand a refund. They let me know that they were not going to refund me a dime. I had to go hire another Attourney to handled my tax case. Tax Masters are a fraud. Do not use them.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Apparently there is a US Treasury investigation into TaxMasters.
---
US Treasury Department
Attention: Agent Farwell
1919 Smith Street
Suite 2270
Houston, TX 77002
Hello Everyone:
POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION:
I am trying to forward information to the attorney who is reviewing our potential Tax Masters class action suit. Please forward the following for our preliminary summary:
Name
Contact Information
Summary of Your Issue with Tax Masters
Amount Loss
Please forward this information to me at your earliest convenience (triplejassoc@aol.com) in order for me to compile and forward to the attorney. I will keep you abreast of the status.
Thanks,
Pam Mitchell, Sr. Paralegal
[protected]
Fraudulent representation and charges
I called Tax Masters and inquired about their services on the phone. I told them that I was inclined to retain their services so the representative said he will send me a retention contract by email to sign. I did not want to give them my credit card number on the phone and wanted to mail them a check for payment later. The representative insisted that i give him a credit card number for just the initial $1, 000 of the total $6, 500 fees and that he will send me the credit card authorization form to fill out before they put the charge through. Within an hour the rep sent me by email the retention letter and the credit card authorization form for $1, 000 initial retainer fee. Within that hour, I did some research on the internet & learned that Tax Masters is a terrible company so i called & emailed the representative & told him that i will not be retaining their services & why & will not be signing any retainer or credit card authorization. The rep sent me a long email explaining how the company has been wrongfully portrayed by a very small number of complainers on the internet and pursuaded me to retain them but I did not. I received my credit card statement last week and Tax Masters has billed my credit card twice, each time for $1, 000 (total $2, 000) against my authorization. I called them repeatedly and emailed them but they kept giving me the run around and there is never a live body to talk to abou this billing mistake. They have many representatives to try to talk to you about retaining their services but they always transfer you to the billing department which only has a answering machine. I now have to cancel my credit card to stop further charges & have to go through the time consuming process of getting these fraudulent charges reversed. Tax Masters should not be allowed to do business and i should have read all the terrible reviews about them before talking to them and I should not have given them my credit card number but I was told that they will not put it through unless I signed the authorization which is not true. Please warn the public about this terrible company & their practice. Please let me know what will done about this. Sue Hansen at [protected]@chjustice.com, thank you
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Apparently there is a US Treasury investigation into TaxMasters.
---
US Treasury Department
Attention: Agent Farwell
1919 Smith Street
Suite 2270
Houston, TX 77002
Hello Everyone:
POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION:
I am trying to forward information to the attorney who is reviewing our potential Tax Masters class action suit. Please forward the following for our preliminary summary:
Name
Contact Information
Summary of Your Issue with Tax Masters
Amount Loss
Please forward this information to me at your earliest convenience (triplejassoc@aol.com) in order for me to compile and forward to the attorney. I will keep you abreast of the status.
Thanks,
Pam Mitchell, Sr. Paralegal
[protected]
No services rendered, unauthorized withdrawl of funds
This is a copy of the letter that I sent to Tax Masters thinking that they were a reputable company and could help. Boy, was I wrong. I have since contacted the BBB of Houston, the Attorney Generals of Texas and Colorado, the Office of Consumer Fraud with the FTC, and an attorney. So far, everyone has taken my complaint but only the BBB has received any correspondence telling me that I have no case for a refund and that I am responsible for the remaining "installments" even though they do not have a signed Power of Attorney to represent me with the IRS.
Anybody for filing a class action lawsuit? Looks like I'm just one of many with complaints against these frauds. How can there be this many complaints without remedy from someone?
January 7, 2009
To: Quality Assurance, Tax Masters
From: Client #R7209
Re: Contract screwups
On December 30, 2009, I contacted Tax Masters through e-mail (at 9:07 am) regarding a rejected Offer in Compromise from the IRS. Antonio Ruiz called me on December 30, 2009 to discuss what Tax Masters could do to help. At that time, I agreed to work with Antonio, and he explained the billing to me. I was told that the cost would be $4750.00, that fees were deductible, and that I could make payments in installments. Antonio and I agreed on January 8, 2010 and February 8, 2010 as dates for two installments of $2375 to be withdrawn from my checking account.
I received an e-mail at 3:35 pm from Abigail Venegas with the Engagement Agreement and Power of Attorney to sign and fax back. The Engagement Agreement listed the dates of installments as December 30, 2009 and January 8, 2010. I immediately called Antonio to tell him that the dates were incorrect. He said he would notify Billing of the changes and send out new paperwork. I told him I would not sign the incorrect paperwork. I have yet to sign any paperwork.
On January 4, 2010 the first installment was taken from my checking account. I immediately called Tax Masters, albeit after hours and left a message for Antonio to call me. I again left a message for Antonio to get back to me regarding this matter on January 6, 2010 and did not receive a response. I called again this morning (1/7/2010) at 8:15 am and was put through to the Billing Department because Antonio again was not in the office.
I spoke with Aaron Sinclair in Billing, and his records did not show that a change in billing dates had occurred. Unfortunately, Aaron bore the brunt of my anger and I apologized to him for that. This is not Aaron’s problem. Aaron did tell me that the initial deposits are non-refundable. At no time was I told this by Antonio nor is this shown in any paperwork that I have read through.
I have not signed the incorrect Engagement Agreement or the Power of Attorney, an installment of $2375.00 has been drawn from my checking account, I’ve been told that that money is non-refundable, the agent will not return my phone calls, and I’m stuck with something I no longer want to be a part of. At this point in time, I want to end the services from Tax Masters, receive my first installment back, and be done with it. I’m hoping that we can work together to resolve this problem. And I would expect to be contacted by Tax Masters Quality Assurance Offices and by Antonio.
Sincerely
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Apparently there is a US Treasury investigation into TaxMasters.
---
US Treasury Department
Attention: Agent Farwell
1919 Smith Street
Suite 2270
Houston, TX 77002
Hello Everyone:
POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION:
I am trying to forward information to the attorney who is reviewing our potential Tax Masters class action suit. Please forward the following for our preliminary summary:
Name
Contact Information
Summary of Your Issue with Tax Masters
Amount Loss
Please forward this information to me at your earliest convenience (triplejassoc@aol.com) in order for me to compile and forward to the attorney. I will keep you abreast of the status.
Thanks,
Pam Mitchell, Sr. Paralegal
[protected]
Is anyone starting a class action suit?
I have made call after call after call. Read the other Blogs that is my story also. Paid them $5, 000 a year ago and they have done nothing. I think everyone starts with Mr McCallister and then he disappears and you are sent to someone else. It is never the same person handling your case. When you call in after being on hold for an hour they state "Your case has been passed to someone else" and they never return calls. What ever you do DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY MONEY. I called for 1 week straight just to do a test. I was told the same thing every day and not one return call. Horrible, horrible company. They should not be allowed to stay in business.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I so agree! I hired them and it has been over a year and nothing! Oh but, they did in fact do something. My garishment went though anyways! When I called them I demanded my money back since they did nothing to support me and there representive agreed with me. Outrageous that these people are still in business. I did however get them to understand why I want my money back and I offered to give them $200 for my 2006 tax returns they did and nothing more.
I called them to get a quote, first thing they asked for was bank acct# and routing#, to put on form to get your money. wanted $7700 to take care of my tax issues. Called them and e-mailed them on the same day to tell them I was going a different direction that I couldn't afford their services seeing I was unemployed. Spoke with both the person I contacted his assistant and McCallister who then offered to lower the fee by $2000, still higher then everyone else. This all happened on Nov23rd, On dec.10th they decided to take the original $500 from my account, even though I didn't use any of their services. After a dozen phone calls trying to get info and to make sure they didn't take any more money they didn't earn, On Dec22nd after having to call them again, they informed me that because I gave them my account info they were by law within their rights to take the money, not because they earned it. These people stole from me $500 even after letting them know I was unemployed. I wish the attorney general from Texas would look at these crooks
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Any idea on how to get our money back? They got me for $5000.00 and now the state is coming after me when I thought the problem was taken care of