Pacific Northwest Tax

My experience was excellent. I had complicated returns for my family including an estate return. April Gutierrez was wonderful to work with during a difficult time. They are my "go to" tax service.

Critical: Responsiveness I scheduled a phone appointment with them, for this week. I probed them multiple times to ensure they were going to send an invite. Never got an invite and no one ever called me. If I can't trust them to schedule a consultation appointment how would I ever trust them to do my taxes?

Called for a quick financial and tax question, they answered my questions accurately and succinctly. I plan on using their services this tax season due to the good consulting experience.

April has helped my wife and I with our taxes for the last two years. We just finished this year's taxes and with her help we were able to save over $6,000 on this year's taxes. We learned so much from working with April. I would recommend her or anyone at this office to my friends for their taxes! 10/5 stars.

We originally went there to get full taxes done for our first two months of business EVER, I spoke with an older gentlemen on the phone and he seemed knowledgeable so I scheduled an appointment with him to discuss our business, and to ask a list of questions I had prepared and to do our ALL of our taxes. We then were greeted with a confusing, "you don't have an appointment with him" just to find out he passed me on to his inexperienced grandson who was very awkward to deal with, and he kept having to ask other accountants the questions I had for him.

I even had to correct him with the little knowledge I have of taxes. Afterwards he made so many errors, even told me to mail a check to the wrong address. We then had to close up shop during our lunch to head back to their business because the vouchers weren't even matching with his instructions to send the check to the IRS. After correcting the issues without an apology, we complained about our experience to the older gentleman, He told us "Don't worry about it, the IRS won't care about errors on two months of business", which I responded with "then why did you charge me $250 to fill out the forms to pay $200 of taxes to the IRS?

If I wanted to make mistakes and wing it, I would of just used quick books" He pretty much said you are SOL, and made my wife uncomfortable by talking 2 inches in front of her face, which she, I admit, hilariously, laughed out loud. After a few months the IRS sent me a letter and said his calculations/corrections were also wrong, and we had a different tax rate.

I will give them this, the accountant "Heather Hua" they have employed is HIGHLY knowledgeable and I WISH she would of done our taxes, but they clearly overwork her because she is the only one taking the taxes seriously. I do not recommend Leonard Mitchell, and his grandson Austin Gutierrez to do your taxes. I can't speak for any other accountants they have employed so the 1 Star is for the two people involved in my HORRIBLE experience.

Spent 45 minutes with Gary. After sighing for 30 minutes while looking at our dividend/interest form, he asks, "How much did you pay at H&R Block last year." When I told him $400, he replied, "Yeah, maybe you should go there and they can just upload all your information because it's going to cost you $800 here with all the forms to fill out at $12 a form." I asked him how that could be when last year (which is pretty much the same this year) there were only 3 forms (Sch B, D, and E).

He refused to tell me how he came up with that $800 number. According to THEIR price schedule, that would be $240 plus $560 in forms or 47 of them! Obviously he didn't want to bother with it and instead of giving it to another tax preparer he sends us to H&R Block. I'm sure they will thank him!

Called for quote on 3/2/17 @ 12:43, was repeatedly told to go to website for pricing, then call back. I could also come in, or schedule an appointment without knowing what it costs. I even said "Am I being directed to a website for information i called to get?", and was told yes. The website didn't have pricing on amending tax returns. I came here because my mother used them to prepare her taxes for years. Whoever answers the phone is rude and intentionally unhelpful. Guess who's not calling back?

I previously used a different local tax service whereby I owed $1600 IRS and $1300 State Taxes. That service did not assist me with an extension or even advice towards paying because I did not have the means to and I ended up with a wage garnishment. I was hurried in and out and the preparer disappeared until tax-time. I went back this year only to find out I would owe even more money.

Feeling this was not right I left and decided to give PNW Tax Service a try upon the advice of my work colleague/friend. The office is very professional and I did not get a sleezy or hurried vibe at all. After providing all my information, I felt that my preparer was very knowledgeable and more importantly took the time to help me understand my return and what my deductions were.

No false promises were made and everything was done and discussed in a way that made sense. In then end not only did I receive a sizeable refund from the IRS and the State, but she was going to amend my previous years tax return to help refund the amounts I owed. I am very grateful and the $345 I paid was WELL worth it.

This comment is about the Tax School. I am sorry that I have to bring my complaint to the public, but I have reached out to the school for resolution several times and have met a brick wall. I hope your experience is better than mine. I really do not understand the thinking behind the Pacific Northwest Tax School in my case. I paid $569 for a course providing 160 hours of tax law instruction.

I completed the course and passed the exams. When the school reported my hours to CTEC (California), it only reported 60 hours. CTEC says I owe it 20 hours of continuing education which will be due before November of this year. I brought this to the school's attention, but it made a stand from which it is unwilling to move. The school states that it only reports the minimum number of hours to qualify for the license, regardless of the number of hours of the class.

The school even claimed that I did not take a course of 160 hours, in spite of me taking and completing all 30 Sessions, and receiving a certificate for 160 hours of education. I had a conversation of several emails requesting that the school report the correct number of hours, which it adamantly refuses to do. The school now tells me it is my responsibility to report the CE hours to the state of California. However, CTEC only accepts hours reported by the educational facility.

This leaves me in a position where I will have to pay a different school for the continuing education credits that will be due this year. I do not think my position is unreasonable. If the school advertised that regardless the hours a student takes, that only a minimum number of hours will be reported, then I could have opted for a different, less expensive course. Or, I could have simply done the more expensive course for the additional experience.

At least I would have had an informed choice. In my case, because of the apparent misunderstanding, the school should have reached out and reported my continuing education credit (20 units) to CTEC. The school was well compensated for the course. A course with this course providing the minimum hours would have cost about $250, not the $569 I paid for the course.

Even the $250 course would have provided the minimum qualifying education, plus the 20 hours of continuing education. The 20 hours, added to the 60 hours the school reported, comes to a total of 80 hours, which is one half the numbers of hours I paid for and completed. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this school to anyone.

I was looking at other people's review and notice that Pacific NW Tax Service does respond poor reviews. It is not my intention to bash the company. I am pretty sure that lots of people are happy with their service. I only used them once two years ago for my 2010 tax return. Last year, the Federal sent us a bill with an interest for things that did wrong on 2010 tax return.

We looked back the tax return. We provided the info, but Pacific Northwest Tax Service did it wrong. Ok, one mistake, we move on to a different company who can do better. This year, we just got another bill with interest. This time from Oregon state for things were wrong on 2010 tax return. I haven't had a chance to review. However, it is quite unpleasant. If I provided the info, you can't do it right. I can't say that I am happy with your service then.