Tax Masters Fined $195 Million for Defrauding Clients

(c) 2012 Benjamin D. Knaupp
Attorney at Law
Admitted in Oregon since 1997

Finally, justice is served on Tax Masters! In an article today on Fox News, it was reported that Tax Masters, a well-known firm claiming to fix people's tax debts for pennies on the dollar, has been ordered to pay more than $195 million in penalties for defrauding its clients. The firm was shown to have lied to clients, misleading them as to work performed on their cases and had committed over 110,000 violations of Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

As a tax attorney, I’ve spoken with several taxpayers who have paid good money to firms like Tax Masters for help with their tax problems, and had terrible experiences. While there may be some decent firms out there, taxpayers get much better service hiring a local tax attorney who is licensed right here in Oregon. I represent taxpayers in IRS audits, appeals of audits, and tax court cases.

I also represent taxpayers who have tax debts, and for most taxpayers with tax debts, there is no “silver bullet” that will allow me to reduce their tax debts. The opportunity to settle with the IRS for “pennies on the dollar” is very rare. Firms like Tax Masters have been misleading taxpayers with these promises for years, and its about time they be held accountable.

For further information please contact me or visit my website. You can also check out my article Why You Need A Licensed Tax Attorney to represent you. If you live in Beaverton, Hillsboro, or Portland Oregon, give me a call with your questions or comments, or post a comment to this blog.