My husband and I contracted JK Harris to represent us for overdue and unfiled business and personal taxes three years ago. We trusted them to get us out of a very confusing and overwhelming tax situation. We had very little money and financed the $3,500 they charged us for this representation, often choosing to go without when the $103 bank draft needed to go through for JK Harris payment.
I filled out and submitted (LOTS OF WORK) the required financial disclosure for the OIC *two* times — fully expecting that we were about to make an offer to the IRS and get this settled both times I did so. I was told that we would never have to communicate with the IRS, they would be communicating with them on our behalf. All along I would get letters and liens, call JK Harris and find that my representative no longer worked for the company. A new person was assigned to our case. She didn't return my calls or respond to my emails.
Our OIC was never submitted.
The only work they ever actually did for us was prepare our 1997,1999 and 2000 business taxes. The IRS says they never received these or the power of attorney forms. I had to go to an appointment with a Revenue Officer without the representation or advice we paid for - despite my numerous calls and pleas to help us out. Yesterday my husbands wages were attached and mine will be as of this Firday if we do not submit our offer (or perhaps even so). The IRS can now seize any of our property — we don't have much and we definitely need what we have — our cars are all that we own and of course we need them to get to work. We are afraid that out bank accounts will be frozed and we won't be able to pay our rent or bills.
We now owe twice as much money than when we first began the process with JK Harris because of the penalties and interest. We are experiencing humiliation as former employers and business associates are receiving notices of these levies against us. We are angry and frustrated and feel we are victims of JK Harris' fraud. The IRS has no sympathy for us and says that we should have researched the company 3 years ago when we contracted them to be certain they were reputable.
These are stressful, frightening times for us as we have worked so hard to get to where we are now and it looks as though we are back to struggling all over again. We want to join a class action lawsuit against JK Harris. They are unethical and take advantage of people who are intimidated by their tax problems, only creating bigger IRS problems for their clients in the future. Despite the $3,500 we paid them for the peace of mind that things would be done right and we could settle, there's no chance JK Harris will be representing us with the OIC. I absolutely have to meet with the Revenue Officer again this week and file the OIC — and hope and pray for the best outcome.
If anyone can refer us to a lawyer with a class action lawsuit against JK Harris, please pass along the info!
0 comments