Affordable, Effective Help for Clients Facing Audits or ID Theft

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Did you know the IRS conducts about 1.5 million tax return audits each year? In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reports that 17.6 million Americans experienced identity theft in 2014; two-thirds of the victims reported direct financial loss, and more than nine percent spent more than a month resolving the issue.

When a client’s tax return is derailed, it can affect your ability to work with your other clients. An unanticipated IRS inquiry, or stolen ID, are urgent matters calling for immediate attention. It can be challenging to deal with the crisis without compromising your other clients’ needs, particularly during the height of tax season.

Certified tax preparer Jacqulin McCoy has been a tax professional for eight years. Based in Arlington, Texas, her company, Affordable Tax Solutions, has offices in Texas and Florida, and serves clients in several states. McCoy urges all her clients to enroll in the Audit Assistance and Identity Theft Restoration bundle, offered by Intuit® through its affiliate, Tax Protection Plus (TPP).

One of her clients was particularly glad he had.

When the client’s e-filed return was rejected because his Social Security number was used on another return, McCoy realized his personal information had been compromised. She filed an extension with the IRS, while her client called TPP.

“I didn’t have to do anything after that,” McCoy says. “I gave him copies of everything he needed and Tax Protection Plus took it from there.”

It’s the sort of service that builds trust and customer loyalty.

“He was so excited,” McCoy says. “It was so easy. Of course, he had the peace of mind that I had his back, but he was so at ease that everything was taken care of.”

Because TPP did all the work, neither McCoy nor her client had to spend hours on the phone with the IRS. She was confident TPP’s team would resolve her client’s situation quickly to enable her to stay on track with her other clients’ returns.

Kimberley Dole, owner of Dole Accounting Services in Enfield, N.H., believe that at a flat $44.95 fee, Audit Assistance is a great value. “It covers my clients in the event of an audit and saves them money because I don’t have to spend hours of time with the IRS,” she says. “I could never offer those services at such a low rate.”

McCoy says she’s always available to help her clients in crisis, but she appreciates that she can offer Intuit’s add-on services. It takes the burden of working through the complexities of an IRS audit, or restoring a stolen identity, off her shoulders. “I’d rather fall into the pillow of ID Theft Restoration’s protection than dive 500 feet into handling it myself.”

Every tax year offers new opportunities and new challenges. Intuit ProConnect™ is here to help. Whether it is with Audit Assistance or ID Theft Restoration, you and your clients can rest easy that a stressful situation will be handled promptly and efficiently. Click here for more information about Audit Assistance and ID Theft Restoration.

Christiane Hile

Christiane Hile, JD, applies more than 15 years of fintech marketing expertise to helping tax professionals grow and adapt to marketplace changes. Her most trusted advisor is her CPA in Houston, Texas. When not working with Intuit® Accountants, she writes encouragingly about online dating for “elders,” and has been featured on Good Day Chicago – WLFD-TV (Fox), Morning Blend – WTMJ-TV (NBC), WREG News Channel 3 live at 9, Memphis, NPR, and more. More from Christiane Hile

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