The Tax Resolution Help Center is a response to a pressing need in the US. An estimated 14 million Americans are saddled with significant tax debt, and among them, approximately 10 percent retain professional help while another 10 percent attempt to resolve the situation themselves. This leaves a whopping 80 percent who let their tax issues linger. Recognizing this, financial services industry veteran and entrepreneur Kelly Coughlin created a solution. Introduced in 2020, Tax Resolution Help Center offers an affordable way for consumers to address their tax problems and save thousands of dollars in a cost-effective and timely manner.
Coughlin compares his company’s role in the tax debt resolution field to the way Uber revolutionized the ridesharing industry.
“Like the taxi business, the tax debt resolution industry has drivers who don’t know their way around the city, prey on unsophisticated visitors, and overcharge for their services,” Loughlin explained. “We equip taxpayers to deal with tax debt by themselves and to make a more informed decision if they determine they want professional help. We also equip other tax and accounting professionals to position themselves to better help their clients who have tax debt.”
Tax Resolution Help Center: How it Works
With the Tax Resolution Help Center, consumers can pay an expert to fully handle their tax debt issue or participate in members-only education. This education offers resources to help resolve their tax debt on their own via coaching, virtual open office sessions, group online video and audio classes, and articles by over 50 fully vetted, high-quality tax resolution professionals. These industry professionals pay a membership fee to join the Tax Resolution Help Center affiliate expert network.
“We have invested significant resources and attention to identifying our affiliate experts. They are honest, smart, and tough with tax collectors while also showing compassion and sympathy for taxpayers with tax debt,” Coughlin explained. “Tax, accounting, and payroll professionals can better serve their clients by being more knowledgeable about tax resolution strategies and tactics; in addition, they can better serve their own income statements by earning a portion of the recurring membership fees generated when they help clients help themselves.”
Tax Resolution Help Center: Origins and Evolution
Kelly Coughlin has diverse industry experience with more than 25 years as a CPA, background as an executive for financial services companies, and as a successful entrepreneur. He spent his formative years earning a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga U. and an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. With these tools in his toolbox, Coughlin founded EveryDayCPA to focus on business strategy, taxes, accounting, and risk management.
As EveryDayCPA began to take shape, tax resolution service was not yet highly requested by its clients. However, tax resolution was among their chief areas of complaint. In particular, Coughlin noticed about 10 percent of clients had an Internal Revenue Service or state tax debt on their personal or business balance sheets. He decided to take a closer look.
“I found that some clients had federal or state tax debts on their balance sheets, and recognized that was an area of concern for business owners and individuals,” said Loughlin, “This was a need I knew we could address far more purposefully, so we began helping businesses and individuals with tax problems. People need help because it obviously causes emotional pressure and stress when those issues grow. They won’t go away unless they are resolved.”
Tackling an Underserved Market
A service of EveryDayCPA, Tax Resolution Help Center was designed as a cost-effective way to help consumers remove, reduce and resolve past and current tax debt themselves without hiring an expensive tax professional. The service covers multiple ongoing and recurring types of virtual sessions to guide and inform taxpayers to help them resolve their tax debt themselves.
Another fact helped to shape Coughlin’s business model – a lack of manpower to address the growing tax resolution need. Of the 300,000 professional tax preparers in the United States, fewer than 1,200 actively work in the tax resolution business.
“There is an abundance of tax and accounting professionals who could and should become more familiar with tax resolution strategies and tactics,” Coughlin said. “Frequently, they see tax debt before anybody. And they can help guide their clients to a better resolution.”
When he conducted a deep dive into the tax debt resolution industry, Coughlin discovered that professionals face a significant challenge finding clients because individuals who are experiencing tax debt issues are reluctant to share their concerns on social media and with family and friends.
“Life happens to people. They don’t intentionally get into tax problems. People get themselves into tough situations and have a tough time getting out. In many cases, they are embarrassed to reach out for help,” Coughlin said. “Also, targeting households with tax liens is similar to lawyers who approach drivers after a DUI or an accident. It seems like ambulance-chasing.
“The Tax Resolution Help Center platform is like a professional trade show where consumers can talk to experts and learn how to resolve their tax debt,” Coughlin added. “We give experts a forum where they can access clients who need their services. This allows them to help people while also growing their business.”
Empowerment > Scare Tactics
“Help” is a key part of the Tax Help Resolution Help Center model. Most tax debt resolution companies emphasize fear to attract clients. Coughlin prefers an uplifting educational method where consumers feel empowered to tackle their tax debut issue and get a fresh start.
“We don’t like scaring taxpayers to do business with us, and clearly 80 percent of the market doesn’t like it either,” Coughlin explained. “The better way is to educate and empower people to help themselves.”\
For more information, visit www.taxresolutionhelpcenter.com.
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About Tax Resolution Help Center
A service of EveryDayCPA, Tax Resolution Help Center offers a cost-effective way to help consumers resolve past and current tax debt themselves without hiring an expensive tax professional. The service features multiple ongoing virtual sessions to guide and inform taxpayers to resolve their tax debt themselves. EveryDayCPA provides strategy, tax, accounting, and risk management services (STAR) to businesses and individuals throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.taxresolutionhelpcenter.com.
