LAS VEGAS, March 8, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- In "A Helping Hand With Taxing Matters" writer Sara Callard asks 12 CEOs to rate the usefulness of the top seven tax advice sites - to them. This is the closing line of the Inc Magazine's March 2001 article about the top seven tax advice sites on the Web:"The panelists scorned TaxMama.com in many respects yet couldn't help liking it for its sheer fun. http://inc.com/articles/details/0,3532,CID22116_REG3,00.html
Have you ever heard of a FUN tax site? Well, that's one goal, clearly met. TaxMama couldn't be prouder! http://taxmama.com was created by Eva Rosenberg, an Enrolled Agent with over 20 years of challenging tax and business experience. (Not one year, 20 times.)
scored an overall "C" rating when compared with the well-funded sites of the IRS; two Big Five accounting firms, Deloitte & Touche's Dtonline.com, and Ernst & Young's TaxCast.com; Bankrate.com's, lender-funded site; and a 20 year-old tax publishing site.
That's perfect when you consider: TaxMama.com was created specifically for individuals and small businesses who did not have access to costly, and often incomprehensible advice. After all, TaxMama.com was never designed for CEOs or people who could afford high-priced tax professionals.
In fact, it was originally built with TaxMama's own two hands, with nary a bit of HTML training or even web site software. Most of the articles and the first 74 issues of the free weekly newsletter, Ask TaxMama, were not just written by tax professional Eva Rosenberg, EA, they were also lovingly coded by hand for the site.* (No web editor software used - TaxMama didn't have time to learn.)
Rosenberg's goal is to be the 'Dear Abby' of Tax. TaxMama.com was conceived with the idea that people need a friendly, unintimidating place to bring their questions and problems.
So, while the CEOs rate TaxMama.com a "C" site - real people say:
"Hi there Eva. You helped me earlier with a tax question. I forwarded the information that you sent me to my accountant. He was telling me this morning that we would owe around $4,000. After forwarding the information to him that you sent me, he just called me and said we will be getting an $800 refund!!!! I don't think I can even type the words to thank you enough." Carrie N.
Too often, tax professionals speak in code and never explain things in terms their clients can understand. And often, the clients, not wanting to appear foolish, don't ask for clarification. They just walk away confused and resentful. Then, they either make costly mistakes or keep searching for a tax professional who speaks plainly to them and explains why they must follow the obscure instructions they were given.
And then there are the small businesses -- the owners don't even know where to begin to get advice. Sure, there are lots of resources, like SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), the government's Pueblo, CO pamphlets, even the IRS. But most new business owners don't really even know how to find out about things `everyone' knows.
Same thing with folks who are trying to understand the day-to-day transactions in their brokerage accounts, child care issues, buying and selling their homes, moving due to a new job, taking care of a foster child, helping a disabled aunt, borrowing money, donating time to charities. Considering how complex the new laws are,...with more changes about to come, are you surprised at how intimated and confused people are about the tax laws that affect their lives?
After decades of hearing people complain about their tax pros, Rosenberg realized that they need a haven, a legal tax haven - and so, created TaxMama.com .
TaxMama.com brings things into perspective in plain English. This site provides information about how to handle specific transactions - links to the forms and instructions, online, that people can use to complete their tax returns or do planning. The information is accurate and, whenever possible, specific. After all, real people are asking the questions every day.
TaxMama does throw in a bit of scolding, when necessary; a bit of humor, at other times; but always, wisdom drawn from over two decades of helping people with their tax and business (and emotional) problems.
With a new set of tax laws on the horizon, don't you want TaxMama watching ... out for you, too?
* TaxMama received a great deal of advice from members of the I-HelpDesk and WebReview http://www.audettemedia.com/i-help/ about specific coding tricks and techniques; formatting a site; Internet resources and more...those Helpmates are quite generous with their time.
Links related to this article:
taxmama.com - The best Tax Information site on or off the Web
http://inc.com/articles/details/0,3532,CID22116_REG3,00.html - A Helping Hand With Taxing Matters
http://taxmama.com/AskTaxMama - Ask TaxMama - a FREE weekly tax newsletter
http://list.audettemedia.com/archives/i-helpdesk.htm - I-HelpDesk & WebReview - a free daily Digest
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CONTACT: TaxMama.com, Las Vegas
Eva Rosenberg
800-594-9829