In September of I got a levy notice from the IRS. I was frantic, so I retreived a card I received in the mail and called the number. The card advertised that they could stop all liens and levies due to taxes owed. I spoke with a man named Chris Hanna. He told me not to "worry" he would take care of it. But he needed $2500 deposited into their bank account that day so they could get started immediately and stop this, I would have a balance of $1400 due in one month. He gave me their account number and told me to go to Boatmens Bank and deposit the money, then send him a copy of the deposit slip, so I did.
He then called me and said that he had received the fax and again "don't worry".
On December 14th, I called the telephone banking number to double check my balance, all my accounts were overdrawn. Thinking this was weird, I called my local branch and was informed my accounts had been levied. I proceded to call "American Tax Relief" and Chris told me that my account was in the resolutions department with a female named Melissa.
I called another number and got Melissa. She told me how she had had a problem getting in touch with me and that she need 6 months p&l statements and all kinds of infomation. She also told me that they had filed a power of attorney and would most likely be able to talk to the revenue officer at the IRS and recover all or some of my money. I stayed up until about 4 A.M. Getting all of this together so I could fax it first thing in the morning.
Nothing ever happened other than me running up my phone bill just to get more lies and false statements. Anyway, I thought, OK I'll live, it's just that much less I owed. But I was told that they (IRS) couldn't do this to me again without going through the whole process again which would take 60-90 days. They would have everything worked out by then.
Well, on January 16th my accounts were levied again. So I called Chris Hanna and he just couldn't understand how the IRS was attacking me like this after they had done whatever they had done. He told me he would walk to Melissa's desk and ask her what was happening with my account. Again Melissa called and told me that she had had a hard time trying to get in contact with me. I replied that I had been expecting a call from her and was keeping a close eye on my caller ID and answering machine with no calls coming in from American Tax Relief. She said "Oh our number is blocked, you wouldn't know if it was me by looking at the called ID." I informed her that was not true that when she had just called it came up American Tax Relief.
Again, Melissa told me of a bunch of paperwork she needed me to gather and fax to her right away. She needed copies of my taxes and all of this other stuff. I called my neice who also does my taxes and while explaining to her what was going on, she was looking up apparently this website to see what kind of business I was dealing with. Obviously, not good! I asked what I should do and she said to call my IRS Revenue Officer myself (You see, American Tax Relief had advised my not to talk to anyone from the IRS). I hung up the phone and called the IRS just to learn that she had not once ever spoke to anyone from American Tax Relief, but had received a power of attorney in the name of Stacey Brandon.
Anyway, all I had been through with the levies, the IRS Officer, agreed to lift the levy from the 16th of January and come up with a payment plan for me. So as far as my back taxes go, I am on my way of resolving the problem myself. As far as American Tax relief. I will do everything possible I can to discredit them. They don't know that I contacted the IRS myself, but first thing in the morning, I will start calling hourly to try to recover some of the money I paid them to do nothing. It probably won't happen, but I will certainly give it my best shot. Take this advice; check out the company you do this business with or save yourself some money and call the IRS and work it out yourself. They aren't as bad as you think, just cooperate with them and give them what they ask for.
Thanks for listening!
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