Ok I got a voicemail message from a man who is a client and whose adult son is a client to the effect that the man wanted to talk to me about the son's matter, of which I was already aware the man had detailed knowledge. Fortunately for me the call went to voicemail and I didn't retrieve it until to late to call back. Therefore I have so far avoided babbling incoherently out of shock.
I obviously know that I cannot discuss his son's tax situation with him unless his son is present and has been offered the option of having me tell Dad to get lost. I won't even confirm the details the Dad already knows. But I am undecided as to whether to even return the call.
Background information - I have been playing Telephone Tag with the son for three weeks but apparently neither of us can call the other when the other is willing to answer the phone and he has ignored my repeated pleas that he call me one night and tell me when between 9 and 5 the next day he wants me to call him and I will. Naturally I can't reveal even this to Dad.
1. I could ignore Dad and continue my efforts to reach the son.
2. I could call Dad and explain that without his son on the line I cannot discuss the son's affairs and also continue my efforts to reach the son.
Which should I do or is there a best option that I am overlooking?
By the way here is the problem. The son went to an unscrupulous preparer for several years and didn't pay attention to the inflated deductions. He got caught and last I heard the preparer had been raided by the IRS but of course the young man still had a debt to pay. In August of 08 he did an installment agreement because I told him that he had too much property and too much income to do an OIC and at that point it was too late to argue that he didn't owe the tax which by the way would never have worked anyway. He has since lost his well paying job and been unable to find work and he has sold some assets to raise cash. Now he is wanting to look again at OIC or at least at a renegotiation of his installment agreement. I'm willing to look at the situation again but he comes behind clients who when they call and don't get me leave specific times to call them and answer the phone at those times. He was single when he incurred the debt but he got married in either 07 or 08 and has always filled MFS because his wife does not wish to pay his debts. Any observations on his case would be welcome as well. My thought would be that if he can make a significant extra payment to the IRS then he should be able to arrange a reduction in his monthly payment. If his Unemployment Insurance runs out before he gets work we might be able at that point to work out something else but the Service is not going to respond to an emergency that does not yet exist and might not ever exist.
I obviously know that I cannot discuss his son's tax situation with him unless his son is present and has been offered the option of having me tell Dad to get lost. I won't even confirm the details the Dad already knows. But I am undecided as to whether to even return the call.
Background information - I have been playing Telephone Tag with the son for three weeks but apparently neither of us can call the other when the other is willing to answer the phone and he has ignored my repeated pleas that he call me one night and tell me when between 9 and 5 the next day he wants me to call him and I will. Naturally I can't reveal even this to Dad.
1. I could ignore Dad and continue my efforts to reach the son.
2. I could call Dad and explain that without his son on the line I cannot discuss the son's affairs and also continue my efforts to reach the son.
Which should I do or is there a best option that I am overlooking?
By the way here is the problem. The son went to an unscrupulous preparer for several years and didn't pay attention to the inflated deductions. He got caught and last I heard the preparer had been raided by the IRS but of course the young man still had a debt to pay. In August of 08 he did an installment agreement because I told him that he had too much property and too much income to do an OIC and at that point it was too late to argue that he didn't owe the tax which by the way would never have worked anyway. He has since lost his well paying job and been unable to find work and he has sold some assets to raise cash. Now he is wanting to look again at OIC or at least at a renegotiation of his installment agreement. I'm willing to look at the situation again but he comes behind clients who when they call and don't get me leave specific times to call them and answer the phone at those times. He was single when he incurred the debt but he got married in either 07 or 08 and has always filled MFS because his wife does not wish to pay his debts. Any observations on his case would be welcome as well. My thought would be that if he can make a significant extra payment to the IRS then he should be able to arrange a reduction in his monthly payment. If his Unemployment Insurance runs out before he gets work we might be able at that point to work out something else but the Service is not going to respond to an emergency that does not yet exist and might not ever exist.
Comment