JK Harris has again found itself on the wrong side of the law by promising benefits that it was unable to provide. Despite agreeing to a 2008 settlement in which JK Harris agreed to change its advertising, the firm has again been slapped with contempt allegations for signing up four West Virginia residents even though they did not qualify for the advertised “Offer in Compromise” program.
The 2008 settlement was agreed to after 18 states sued the tax representation firm for false advertising and deceptive trade practices. In that action, $1.5 million in restitution was paid.
West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw has completed an agreement with JK Harris in which $14,180 will be returned to four residents who were enrolled by the firm following the 2008 settlement who failed to receive the tax relief that was promised them.
The 2008 settlement was on top of a 2006 class action lawsuit in which JK Harris has been unable to fully make restitution. That $6 million settlement has been restructured to allow JK Harris more time to come up with the money.
The Internal Revenue Service often urges struggling tax filers to negotiate directly with the agency rather than spending thousands of dollars on expensive attorneys. Their “Offer in Compromise” program and “innocent spouse” program are just 2 ways that a tax filer may be able to qualify for tax relief without falling victim to a tax relief scam.
JK Harris is just one of several tax relief firms that have been punished for breaking state and federal laws. These consumer protection laws prohibit promising clients specific results when many of these clients do not actually qualify for those programs.
If you do owe back taxes and cannot afford to pay, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service to see what your options are. In some cases, a trusted attorney may be able to help you navigate the process. However, you are unlikely to actually receive tax relief by going through a national firm that advertises heavily. This is especially true if it is a firm that has been repeatedly warned and punished by state and federal regulators for fraudulent and deceptive trade practices!
Long is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Industrial Relations. He subsequently received his Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. His Certificate in Financial Planning was issued by Florida State University.
Long has achieved the Accredited Credit Counselor and Accredited Financial Counselor certifications through the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education. Long originally achieved the Certified Credit Counselor designation through the National Institute for Financial Education.
In addition to years of nonprofit leadership, Long has been an innovator in the field of volunteer tax return preparation programs. He assists volunteer associations and nonprofit organizations who seek to integrate credit counseling and asset-building programs with free personal income tax preparation. His approach to using free credit reports as both an incentive and a screening tool for placement into asset-building programs has been shared with members of the National Community Tax Coalition, the EITC-Carolinas Initiative of MDC, Inc. and nonprofit groups across the Carolinas.
Long assists members of our armed forces in the Carolinas, Iowa, Rhode Island, Georgia and Germany with financial readiness. Please support our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors!
Favorite quote:
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson
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