Information and Alerts

Pattern of Complaints

BBB files indicate that consumer complaints involving Wall & Associates, Inc. demonstrate a pattern of concerns regarding fees, customer service, communication, and services rendered.  Specifically, complaints allege that: the business charges an initial fee and subsequent monthly fees to provide services to help resolve IRS and/or state and local tax problems; a lack of communication with consumers regarding their cases; failure to provide updates about the status of cases; cases are not resolved within the time frame given by the business; and that the IRS informs some consumers that they have not been contacted by the business at all on their behalf.  On August 22, 2018, BBB submitted a written request to Wall & Associates, Inc. encouraging the business to address the pattern outlined above.

On November 1, 2018, BBB met with Wall & Associates to address the underlying causes of these patterns.  The business provided BBB with the following statement and plan of action to eliminate its pattern of complaints.

“Over the years, W&A has represented tens of thousands of taxpayers. An important factor in successfully reaching resolution to a tax liability is communication between W&A and its clients.  This means communication must be effective both to and from the client. It is important that clients cooperate with W&A. To continue effectively representing its clients, W&A provides:

    1. W&A has a longstanding policy of providing its clients with an information folder to help aid in their clients’ understanding of the representation process.      This is given to the client at the initial consultation.  Included is contact information for reaching out to someone internally at W&A if the client should ever have any     questions regarding any aspect of the representation.

    2. Per policy, W&A returns client phone calls within hours of receipt.  In order to ensure adherence to this communication policy, independent oversight is provided by     W&A’s Client Services Group and management.

    3. When client information is received, a response is provided to the client indicating receipt of the communication.  If the client would like a current status of their     case, it is available upon request.

    4. Individual time frames are, by nature, unpredictable.  Some factors contributing to this unpredictability include slow response times from the IRS or other taxing     authority and non-responsive clients.  W&A professionally urges faster responses from the IRS or other taxing authority when necessary, while maintaining a     cooperative relationship with them.  W&A works with its clients to reduce the burden on them as much as possible; however, each client plays a role in the timely     outcome of his or her case by how effectively they communicate with W&A.  For these reasons, W&A makes no representations to its clients regarding time frames.     Upon hiring W&A, we can provide suggestions for how a client may positively impact their case.

    5. Consistent with ongoing policy, W&A will continue providing its clients with copies of written correspondence sent to the IRS on their behalf.  Any time the IRS is     contacted on behalf of a client, the client will be notified in writing of such contact and the nature of the contact.”

BBB will review complaint activity at three-month intervals to determine Wall & Associates, Inc.’s progress toward eliminating the patterns identified above and will provide the business with updates based on those reviews.