How to Choose a Tax Resolution Specialist You Can Trust

If you have started searching for help with the IRS, you have probably already noticed the problem. Every website promises the same things. Every company claims to be the best. Some make guarantees that sound too good to be true, and honestly, they usually are.

Picking the wrong firm does not just waste money. It can waste the one thing you cannot get back: time, while penalties and interest keep adding up. So before you hire anyone, it helps to know what you are looking for.

Is “tax resolution specialist” a real credential?

“Tax resolution specialist” is not a protected title. Almost anyone can put those words on a website. What matters is the license and training standing behind the label.

That is the real question to ask any firm before you sign anything: who, specifically, is going to work my case, and what are they licensed to do?

The credential that matters first: EA, CPA, or attorney

Only three types of professionals are federally authorized to represent a taxpayer before the IRS: an Enrolled Agent (EA), a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or a tax attorney. If a company cannot tell you which of these three licenses the person on your case actually holds, that is worth pausing on.

An Enrolled Agent is licensed by the IRS with unlimited rights to represent you before all administrative levels of the IRS. Those levels are an audit, collections, and an appeal, all handled inside the IRS rather than in court. It is a narrower credential than a CPA or attorney’s broader license, but it is built specifically around tax representation.

The specialty layer: what is a CTRS?

Beyond the base license, some practitioners go further and earn the Certified Tax Resolution Specialist (CTRS) designation through the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS), a national organization focused on training tax professionals in IRS representation.

According to ASTPS, earning a CTRS requires already holding an EA, CPA, or attorney license, completing more than 50 hours of resolution-specific training, passing a comprehensive exam, and maintaining at least 12 hours of continuing education every year afterward.

It is not a requirement to practice tax resolution. It is closer to a signal that someone chose to specialize further, on top of the license they already earned. It is a fair, reasonable question to ask any firm you are considering: do you hold this, are you working toward it, or is resolution one service among many you offer?

Red flags to watch for when vetting a firm

A few things worth noticing before you hire anyone:

• Guaranteed outcomes: No one can guarantee how the IRS will resolve your case before they have even looked at it.
• Big pressure to sign today: “Act now” urgency is a sales tactic, not a sign of expertise.
• Vague answers about who is licensed: If they will not name the specific person and credential handling your case, ask again.
• No access to the person working your file: Some firms route you through a call center and you never speak to the licensed professional at all.
• Upfront fees with no clear plan: A firm should be able to explain, in plain language, what they intend to do and why, before you pay anything.

None of this means resolution firms are untrustworthy. Most people in this field got into it because they wanted to help. It just means a little homework up front protects you.

Where we stand at Mercy Tax Solutions

We would rather you check us the same way we just told you to check everyone else.

If you hire us, the person dealing with the IRS on your behalf is Heather Coonley. She is an Enrolled Agent, which means she is licensed by the IRS with unlimited rights to represent you before all administrative levels of the IRS. She can handle an audit, a collections case, or an appeal on your behalf, without you having to be the one on the phone. For most people who call here, that is the part that matters. They have been carrying the IRS conversation alone, and they do not have to anymore.

She is currently working toward the Certified Tax Resolution Specialist (CTRS) designation and has not finished it yet, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Heather is an active member of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS), working alongside other tax resolution professionals through their Practice Builders program on both case strategy and running a better practice.

Whoever you end up hiring, that is the level of detail worth asking for.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Enrolled Agent?
An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a tax professional licensed directly by the IRS, specifically to deal with the IRS on your behalf. It is one of only three credentials, alongside CPA and tax attorney, that allow someone to represent you in an IRS matter.

What does CTRS mean, and does my tax professional need it?
CTRS stands for Certified Tax Resolution Specialist, a certification through the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers that requires an existing EA, CPA, or attorney license plus specialized resolution training. It is not required to practice tax resolution, but it is a reasonable thing to ask about when comparing firms.

How can I verify someone’s credentials myself?
You can look up any Enrolled Agent in the IRS’s own Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers, which lets you filter by credential. ASTPS has its own verification form if a firm claims a CTRS. A firm that is comfortable being checked is usually a good sign.

Is a lower fee always a red flag?
Not always, but a fee with no explanation of the plan behind it is worth questioning.

Whoever you choose to help with an IRS problem, make sure you know who is on the other end of the phone. If you would like to talk with Heather directly about where you stand, call us at 423-430-8515.

Prefer to start in writing? Reach out through our confidential contact form and we will follow up.