Not only must the marketing associate have done exactly as instructed by the Tax People manual, meticulous records must also have been kept. Typically, I.R.S. audits begin 18 months or more after a tax return is filed. Darlene Siddons, a San Diego woman who bought audit protection from Mr. Cooper s company, said she could not persuade the company to represent her last year until she went to the Tax People sales meetings and loudly declared that the company was not delivering on its promises. She said Mr. Cooper eventually hired someone to represent her but that she lost her deductions. Other clients say they were well represented, though one said he had to pay additional taxes.
Critics also say the Tax People s Web sites make inflated promises.
That s a huge difference, said Mike Wellman, a Texas tax accountant who is one of a half- dozen tax professionals who have sought in an Internet news group to debunk the Tax People s statements. But he said that after contacting the Better Business Bureau in Kansas he had questions about the company and began calling its customer- service number to stop further charges on his credit card. I could never get through, he said, so he canceled his credit card number to stop further charges. Mr. Zehr said he regarded the Tax People as unethical, dishonest and fraudulent. Last night, he said, his money was finally refunded, though his calls were never answered.