Straight Talk About Small Business Success in Nevada (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780692505885)

Mary Fries is a former Revenue Officer of the Internal Revenue Service who now runs her own CPA practice and has successfully represented many clients with state and federal tax collection matters over the past 31 years. Although she has a strong background in tax issues, she sees her priority as to help clients address the whole financial picture, helping them design a way that's easy for them to maintain their books and records plus showing them how to prioritize their personal and business finances as well as exit strategies and retirement plans. She says, "I want my clients to understand that there is so much more to owning and operating a business than just doing the work. I can guide them through the process of setup, compliance, maintenance and taxes as a business partner so that they can enjoy the work they love. Educating my clients is a key to success." Mary describes her decision to set up her own practice as one of "desperation" rather than planning. She says, "I had trouble finding a job in my town because many owners were wary of hiring a former IRS officer. That made me reinvent how to use my skills and education to my advantage. I actually took a job with an Enrolled Agent to learn his business model and prepare myself for going out on my own and that was the best decision I made." After leaving the IRS, she became licensed as an Enrolled Agent with the IRS and is able to represent clients in all states. Her experience of the IRS ensures she is very familiar with how it works and what information it needs, especially during a review. She specializes in tax collection resolution issues including appeal cases. This may encompass preparing tax returns, employment tax, probate or estate, audit and bankruptcy concerns. She also handles difficult cases for CPAs, EAs and attorneys when they are unable to resolve IRS issues. Mary says, "I like it when I can resolve an IRS issue in a way that exceeds their expectations and that they see me as a trusted advisor not only for their problems but for their business, taxation and retirement issues." Outside of business, Mary's interests included ancestry research, sewing and gardening. She loves to travel and has also enjoyed puppeteering at Knott's Berry Farm in California.