Albert J.
Larson Tax Relief Review
Sequence of steps followed by LTR does not favor its clients. The 2 week warranty begins when you sign the agreement. There is great pressure to collect the fee upfront. The initial fee is affordable but not representative of the actual fee since they haven't reviewed your past tax returns and don't know your total financial picture. This activity takes you past the 2 week warranty, effectively making it void. I was told my situation was more complicated than they anticipated and I was told what the IRS would say upon reviewing my information. However, I could find any documentation of them contacting the IRS, beyond sending them the POA. So I don't know if the IRS actually told them anything about my case or if they told me what they expected the IRS would say. Their first task in their agreement was to contact the IRS and discuss my case. I don't know if that was done. When I was asked for $2200 over the initial $2500 fee, I was disappointed at how my case was handled and how they conducted their business and their sequence of tasks. So I ended my contract with them and negotiated a partial refund. Since I didn't know if they actually discussed my case with the IRS, I don't know if they performed their initial tasks. So the refund I received was not a fair representation of what tasks were actually performed. The rep. stated how difficult it is to deal with the IRS and that he could not save money himself on his taxes. Not a very comforting statement from someone hired to save you taxes for a fee.
Response from Larson Tax ReliefJun 12, 2023
*Update Reply Dear Albert Joseph, Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your concerns regarding your recent experience with Larson Financial. We appreciate your feedback as it allows us to address any misunderstandings and improve our communication and service. We would like to take this opportunity to address the specific points you raised and provide clarification. First, the two-week guarantee is to provide you with ample time to meet and discuss your tax matter with your team at Larson. We understand the importance of establishing a good customer service relationship and ensuring that you the client are comfortable with representation. If, within this period, a client is dissatisfied with either the customer service or the direction we suggest, we will promptly refund all fees paid. Our intention behind this guarantee is to eliminate any concerns when considering Larson, such as doubts about responsiveness, compatibility, or our expertise. We can assure you we were in contact with the IRS as we discussed. To verify Larson's contact with the IRS and the obligatory compliance check we always do, you can independently confirm this by calling the IRS and verifying that your designated associate (not Larson Financial, Inc.) has Form 2848 on file. Again, form 2848 is specific to an individual CPA, Enrolled Agent, or Attorney, not a company they may work for. These are IRS rules, not a Larson practice. Regarding our Service Agreement, it is important to note that we do not offer a flat fee. We do our best to understand a client’s situation as early as possible and provide as accurate an estimate as possible. In this process and often after talking to the IRS (or state), the situation is more complicated or dire than the client and we were led to believe. It’s like taking your car to the shop for a flat tire, only to learn you need a wheel bearing too. Sometimes things cost more because there is more to fix. This is out of our control. While the majority of our clients appreciate this necessary practice, we understand that you may not have appreciated it in this particular instance. Perhaps we could have better communicated this possibility earlier in the engagement. We value your feedback and assure you that we take all concerns seriously. Our primary objective is to provide exceptional communication and service to each and every client, and we apologize if we fell short of your expectations. We would like to discuss your concerns further to understand how we can address them and find a resolution that leaves you satisfied. Please let us know a convenient time and preferred method of communication, and we will promptly reach out to you. - Larson Management *Original Response Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We look forward to the opportunity to address your concerns and regain your trust. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We take our clients and prospective clients’ comments and concerns very seriously. We have begun to investigate your feedback. You can expect a further reply.