Williamsville, NY (PRWEB) April 18, 2012
In an effort to show its deep and sincere gratitude for the sacrifices made by returning servicemen and women, in addition to showing the public that they truly represent a well-meaning and upstanding industry. The American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS) is offering pro bono representation to returning combat veterans (RCVs) who are facing tax problems with the IRS. ASTPS member firms include CPAs, Tax Attorneys, and Enrolled Agents many of whom are also Certified Tax Resolution Specialists, a certification reserved for ASTPS members in good standing who meet a high standard of performance requirements, earn continuing education credits, pass a qualifying examination, and exhibit an ability to solve a wide range of tax problems. More than 120 member firms have agreed to participate in the pro bono program. The key now, however, is increasing public awareness of the initiative in order to allow more service members to participate.
“Combat veterans have had enough to deal with, without having to return home and face IRS problems on top of that,” says Lawrence Lawler, ASTPS National Director. “Our members are offering to represent the cases to help the returning combat veterans to get reestablished in society without concern for their ability to afford representation. IRS statistics show 1 in 15 taxpayers have some form of IRS problem, and we expect returning combat veterans to have similar incidences.”
While the thrust of the pro bono initiative is to serve those men and women who have put their lives on the line to represent and serve America, a parallel objective of the program is to show the public that the tax-problem resolution industry is comprised of thoughtful, genuine individuals and businesses who care about a lot more than just making a profit. In light of the recent black eyes the industry has incurred as a result of the unscrupulous practices a handful of well-known companies have indulged in, the ASTPS is doing its part to help make people aware of the fact that not all tax-debt relief companies operate with the same dubious business model—in fact, if anything, probably most companies do not operate like those who have since gone out of business. In the last year alone, three well-known companies—JK Harris, Roni Lynn Deutch, and TaxMasters—have been caught red-handed in highly publicized cases of advertising false claims to lure in customers who usually did not qualify for representation in the first place.
“We need to let people know that companies like TaxMasters are really outliers in our industry,” said Lawler, “and they do not represent us as a whole. That said, we want to focus on the positive—and that means doing everything we can to let our returning service men and women know how much we appreciate what they do for our country.”
The American Society of Tax Problem Solvers is approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), the Internal Revenue Service, and various State Bar Associations as a provider of continuing professional education. To learn more, visit http://www.astps.org.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/AmericanSocietyTaxProblem/ProBonoCombatVeterans/prweb9418618.htm
