FAQ

When you first call most tax resolution companies, you will be speaking with a salesperson. Not at Mango Tax.

At Mango Tax, from start to finish you’ll be communicating with your IRS Enrolled Agent.

Also, most companies have one person prepare your tax returns, and a different person handle the tax resolution process. At Mango Tax, the tax professional handling your resolution will also prepare your tax returns. This ensures consistency and quality control throughout the process.

The tax resolution process consists of three separate steps:

Step 1: Fresh Start Strategy Session 
Step 2: Tax Compliance
Step 3: Tax Resolution

Fresh Start Strategy Session : We will file a Power of Attorney on your behalf, contact the IRS to understand all the work that needs to be done, and analyze the IRS transcripts to utilize all the possible options to lower your tax liability. We will also gather all necessary wage and income transcripts the IRS has on file for the tax years that need to be filed (W2, 1099, etc.) to make sure we are not missing any income items when we go ahead and prepare your tax returns.

Compliance: Now we need to file all tax returns required for you to become compliant with the IRS. The years that need to be filed will be determined during the investigation. Also, the income information received during the investigation will be used to prepare the tax returns. Expenses or other relevant tax information will need to be obtained before finalizing the tax return to lower your tax liability.

Resolution: Once all required tax returns are filed and the accurate amount of tax liability is determined, we will explore all tax resolution options available. This includes the Offer in Compromise, Installment Agreement, Partial Pay Installment Agreement, or Currently Non-Collectible Status. A Penalty Abatement should also be considered during the process, as it can only be considered once a taxpayer is compliant (or has filed all necessary tax returns).

it is important to know if the professional you will be hiring has the experience and qualifications to handle your case. Is he or she a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)? Tax lawyer? IRS Enrolled Agent?

Here’s a breakdown:

CPA: Certified by the state to act as a public accountant. To become a CPA there are significant educational requirements along with having to pass a series of exams. CPAs can provide a wide range of services including accounting, auditing, financial planning, technology consulting and business valuation.

Tax Lawyer: A JD is a law degree. An LLM is a Masters in Law. (One could earn an LLM in taxation, but other areas of the law also offer an LLM.)

Having a law degree or two doesn’t necessarily mean that an attorney prepares tax returns. Keep in mind, lawyers do not have to demonstrate competence in tax law to pass the bar exam in most states.

IRS Enrolled Agent: An IRS Enrolled Agent is a tax professional who has earned the privilege of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service by either passing a three-part comprehensive IRS test covering individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee.

Enrolled Agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years.

Enrolled Agents, like attorneys and CPAs, have unlimited practice rights. This means they are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and to which IRS offices they can represent clients.

in a time when scams and identity theft have become rampant, it is important to ensure your tax professional keeps your personal information safe and secure. The private and sensitive information contained in your tax documents are the stuff of an identity thief’s dreams: names, addresses, Social Security numbers, banking information, and so on.

The most secure way to send information is the old school way of a physical handoff; however, in the digital age this can be inconvenient. If you are to send your documents over the internet be sure it is secure. Secure methods of sending files over the internet include encrypted file sharing services and encrypted or password protected email. Ask your tax professional if your files will be encrypted when sending those through a file sharing service, as you wouldn’t want your identity to be compromised.

At Mango Tax we use the highest security standards in the industry to keep your information private. Whether that be storage of your personal information, or online file sharing, we use the most up to date encryption software to make sure your privacy is not compromised.

For 1) individuals who travel for their employment and do not get reimbursed

2) self employed taxpayers, keeping track of your business mileage when it comes to tax time can be very beneficial. First, note the mileage that is allowed to count towards a deduction on the tax return. It does NOT include your commute to and from your regular workplace or office. What can be counted is any other mileage conducted for business purposes, including but not limited to travel to clients or customers or traveling among several offices within a region.

The easiest way to keep track of your business mileage is to use one of several mobile mileage apps. The apps use the GPS on your phone to track your trips, and ask you either daily or weekly to classify the trips as business or personal. At the end of the year the app will provide you with a report summing up the amount of mileage for business and personal, which will be used on your tax return.

The “old school way” to keep track of mileage is to keep a notebook inside your car and write down the starting mileage and ending mileage of each business trip with a date. At the end of the year you will need to go through your notebook and calculate the total mileage