The Roz Report March/April 2019

The Roz Report

MARCH/APRIL 2019

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A Better Frame of Mind Our Favorite Mastermind Group

A fewmonths ago, Roslyn and I were just outside Nashville for one of our favorite mastermind meetings. You’ve heard me talk a lot about the importance of being part of something bigger than yourself, where a community of like-minded entrepreneurs get together and can help you gain new capabilities. Well, this group in particular checks that box and many others. The name of this group is called theWizard’s Circle, and it is a favorite one of ours for a couple of reasons. One reason is when I call the other members of this group our friends, I’m not exaggerating. We’ve known most of the people in the group for several years now. The night before this meeting, a group of us went out for dinner. At dinner, there was, to name a few: Dave Dee and his wife, Karen—Dave hosts a lot of my launches with me; Shaun Buck, who produces our Roz Report Newsletter and mails them out; Mike Stodola, who has worked with us on launches; and Scott Whitaker, who helps us find ways to improve our membership offerings and benefits. This mastermind is different than any other one we’ve attended because it’s by invitation only. Robin Robins who runs the group is an IT guru and an in-demand marketing consultant for that industry. Robin runs this elite mastermind group that she started several years ago because she wanted to get together with some of her entrepreneur friends and people she admires. The only cost is to donate to her favorite charity, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Last year, Roslyn and I were thrilled when Shaun Buck recommended us to join the group. We were a little nervous when we attended our first meeting, but we quickly realized the group was full of people we already knew and liked. It was like getting together with our friends from all over the country. We met up, swapped ideas, and went out to dinner together. It was some of the most fun we’ve had at something that would technically be classified as a work-related event. The reason we love masterminds in general is because everyone involved gets smarter. Everyone has the same desire: speed of results! When you join a group like this, everyone benefits from the collective wisdom of all the other minds in the room. You get to hear new ideas, discuss solutions to problems you’re facing, and discover the blind spots you didn’t

even know you had. Roslyn and I work hard to give the

mastermind group that I

“When you join a group like this, everyone benefits from the collective wisdom of all the other minds in the room.”

lead the same feeling we get when we attend mastermind groups like this one.

If you want to succeed in business — any business — you need to surround yourself with people as driven and passionate about their fields as you are. It can be challenging to find the mastermind group that’s right for you, but when you encounter the right fit, you can feel it right away. It was because of this mastermind group that we met Scott and he showed us how to better onboard clients and show them all of the benefits of membership. Each time we sit down to look at our mastermind group or talk about plans for the future, we think about how we can give our members the most value. How can we help them learn new things about their business? How can we help them build one another up to find success? How can we make this group fun to be a part of? Even though our 2019 mastermind group only has one spot open, we’ll be opening enrollment for the 2020 group at our Tax Resolution Success Summit this August 22–24 in Dallas. There are plenty of reasons why you should join us for the Success Summit, but if you want to get a sneak preview of the Roz Strategies mastermind group, that’s a big reason to be there. We have big things planned for the future, and I promise you’re going to want to be part of this growing community.

–Michael Rozbruch

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: BY ROSLYN ROZBRUCH (AS I SEE IT)

Over 10 years ago, when Michael and I were having problems with our older daughter, we were in group therapy with other families in our same situation. At one of the sessions, the therapist talked about not enabling our kids. He then told us to write down the answer to his question, “What is the worst thing you fear could happen to your child if you cut them off?”My fear was so great, I didn’t even want to write it down. And that’s what I said: “I don’t want to do this exercise or talk about it.”The therapist and I went back and forth, and then I said, “What if I write down my biggest fear, and it comes true?”

Like the cover of the book says, “A father and daughter’s brutally honest walk with death,” I appreciated how they both shared the good, bad, beautiful, and ugly of their relationship with Jonny. It takes courage to be so honest and share your innermost thoughts and feelings. I also found the book to be very relatable. I gave a copy to a friend who also loved the book and said, “I really related to the brother-sister relationship.” Besides honesty and relatability, Tony and Katie share profound insights. In one instance, Katie writes about her relationship with her brother and realizes you never see 100 percent of someone, while Tony weaves a thread throughout the book discussing in detail liminal space — the place in between “what was” and “what’s next.”

In case you’re wondering what my biggest fear was, I think it’s the same as so many other parent’s, which till this day I still don’t want to write it down, but here goes: I’m afraid that my child will die before I do. Sadly, I know too many parents for whom this has been their reality, and they have lost a child in different situations and circumstances, but in all instances too soon. One such person, Tony Rose — a long-time personal friend of ours and a Diamond member — lost his 28-year-old son Jonny tragically in 2015 and wrote a book with his daughter, Katie, called, “Beautiful Grief.” Katie is also one of my daughter Erica’s best friends. When Erica shared with me over a year ago that Katie and Tony were writing a book about losing Jonny, I knew they were undertaking a big task. Engaging someone’s attention to read a book is tough, even if you’re a writer like Tony who has written several. In today’s climate of the three-second attention span, you need to grab the reader in — gosh, three seconds. When the book was published this past December, Erica gave me a copy to read. I wanted to read the book, and even though Tony is a friend, we aren’t best friends, so I didn’t know everything he was going through. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting. The 123-page book alternates chapters written by Katie and Tony in which they share their pain, grief, and healing.

Grief is a universal feeling. I have had my own experience of losing loved ones tragically and suddenly, and I know so many people who have lost a loved one too soon. For some, they can never get past the “what was,” and others, like myself, have been in the liminal space and moved to the “what’s next.” It’s no easy task, and while I believe the wound heals, a scar always remains. I wanted to share my insights about “Beautiful Grief” because I think it’s a book worth reading for anyone who has lost someone they love. For anyone who is a member of Roz Strategies, whether you’re an Insiders’ Circle member, Audit Protection Network member, or Mastermind member, if you would like a free copy of this book, I will ship one to you. Just email us at: info@RozStrategies.com. If you enjoy reading the book as much as I did, please post your thoughts on Amazon, or contact Tony and Katie at www.BeautifulGrief.com.

–Roslyn Rozbruch

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PRACTICE CORNER FROM THE MARKETING: How to Generate Tax Resolution Leads

Here are 3 proven methods for attracting a steady stream of desirable clients. 1. Who is your ideal tax resolution client? The first thing you need to do is determine who your target prospect is and what your prospect truly desires that only you can provide to make sure they pay the fees you want them to pay. You do this by figuring out what occupations they hold, what their hobbies are, what their ages are, whether they’re predominantly male or female, what they earn, where they congregate online, what trade journals or publications they subscribe to, what TV channels or cable shows they watch, what radio stations they listen to, etc. 2. Give them a clear reason to contact you. Next, you need to give your ideal target prospect from above a clear reason to contact you and get this “reason” out in front of them. This reason or thing is called a “lead generation magnet.” This lead generation magnet is an incentive for the prospect to get in exchange for their contact information. This lead generation magnet can be delivered in various ways and media. For example, it could be a confidential special report that you physically mail to the prospect, or you can make it immediately accessible via download from a website or landing page. It can be a video, DVD, CD, an e-book, etc. These lead generation magnets answer questions that your ideal prospect has swirling around in their head. Some of those questions may include “Will I be forced to meet or speak with the IRS?” Or, “Can I get the IRS to waive these ridiculous penalties?” Another question that needs answering is, “How do I file all these delinquent tax returns when I don’t have any records or documents?” Or, “Can I cut a deal to pay less than what they say I owe?”We have four of these lead generation magnets/confidential special reports on the Member’s site already done for you!

3. Why should I do business with you? Lastly, you need to give your ideal prospect a compelling reason to do business with you versus all the other options out there. To accomplish this, you must identify what’s unique about you or your business. This is called your unique selling point, or “USP.” Everybody has at least one. Your USP, or compelling reason to do business with you, is the fuel for your “call to action.” Your call to action tells the reader, the viewer, or the listener exactly what you want them to do. For example, call this phone number now, or go to this URL now. Your USP must have clearly defined benefits that prospects seek that can only be found in your services. For example, Fed-Ex’s USP is, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” When you get all three of these methods right, it significantly improves your chances of not only getting your marketing message in front of the right audience but also getting better, highly qualified leads to contact you, which leads to more business.

–Michael Rozbruch

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Jeffrey Schneider, EA, CTRS, NTPI Fellow Mastermind Member Spotlight

When it comes to tax resolution, there’s always something to learn. Just ask Jeff Schneider, one of the true experts in the industry. Jeff shares one of the things he’s learned from Michael: “A strategy fromMichael’s program that we found successful is his threatening letters: ‘You have 10 days to give us the information, or else we’re closing the case and the fee is nonrefundable.’ I get calls from that all the time.” Jeff has focused his entire career on tax. Going back to the late 1970s, he worked for Fortune 500 companies, handling corporate audits for everything ranging from federal and state income tax to sales tax. He became an enrolled agent in 2005 so he could do collections and appeals for private clients before the IRS. When asked what motivated him to add tax resolution to his practice, Jeff’s answer is simple: money. “It’s a lot more money,” he says. “You do a lot of work, but you feel like you’re helping the client and you make a heck of a lot more per hour.” challenges Jeff faced when he started doing IRS representation for individual clients in South Florida. “Getting people in South Florida to think I’mworth the money was a challenge,” Jeff says. “When you want to charge them $8,000 for the transcript analysis, the levy release, and the offer in compromise, and they owe $150,000, they say, ‘Oh, what do you mean you’re going to charge me $8,000?’ And so sometimes I ask them, ‘What do you think it should be?’They respond with, ‘Oh, I don’t think more than $2,500.’ I say, ‘Okay. H&R Block is at this address.’” Jeff says he has been successful with these types of clients when he uses that comparison. “When you point out the reality of the situation and throw the fear in and show them the levy notices, but even then the client might think, ‘Oh the IRS will help me. Customer service will help me.’ I explain that the IRS’s customer is not you, it’s the U.S. government,” Jeff says. “Now they think I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread.” It’s no surprise that Jeff’s clients think so highly of him. His recent success stories include settling a pre- and post-marital income tax debt of $178,000 for $13,000 and a self-employment tax debt of $78,000 for $278. Charging fixed fees, like Michael recommends, based on the value the client is getting was also one of the biggest

Jeff owns and operates SFS Tax & Accounting Services based in Stuart, Florida. His wife of almost 19 years, Ali, is the director of business development and has been with the practice almost since the beginning, and their daughter, Marissa, recently joined as the office manager. When he isn’t working or pursuing hobbies

that include sports, music, and reading, Jeff writes books — two of them, so far, with a third not far behind. “NowWhat? I Got a Tax Notice From the IRS. Help!” and“NowWhat? The IRS Is Taking Everything I Own. Help!” are available on Amazon, and Jeff has outlined his third book in the series and hopes to have it out in May. In addition to writing books on tax representation, Jeff teaches webinars for Clear Law Institute, ASTPS, NAEA, FSCA and various state associations, and he was an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College for six years. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of Staten Island after attending Baruch College, both part of the City University of NewYork, and he holds a master’s degree from Long Island University. He operates SFS Tax Problem Solutions LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of SFS Tax & Accounting Services, Inc. Recognizing his accomplishments in tax resolution work and teaching, Jeff has won Mentor of the Year and Educator of the Year from FSCA, National Educator of the Year from NAEA, and Tax Professional of the Year from ASTPS.

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Date: Thursday, Aug. 22 Friday, Aug. 23 Saturday, Aug. 24 Where: Dallas Marriott City Center Texas

The 4th Annual Tax Resolution Success Summit is … Designed to arm you with everything you need to quickly and easily Get MORE CLIENTS, SCALE your practice, and make MORE MONEY! A championship football team doesn’t reach the Super Bowl with just the best players. They have a great coach and a playbook with winning strategies. Without the right coach and plays, it’s just a team— not the best one. Join 200 of your colleagues as I’ll be teaching the entire three days, taking you by the hand and coaching you to have your best year ever. Everyone receives a playbook where you

create your own marketing plan — tailored just for your business! Come SeeWhy This Is Your One-Stop Venue for ALL Your Tax Resolution Marketing and Technology needs!

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S H O U T

Mastermind Members Having Fun

Best of luck to Chris and Cejay Churchwell’s new billboard campaign!

Way to go, Patrick Sheehan, for publishing your first book, “How to Permanently Solve Your IRS Problem: Former IRS Attorney Spills Insider Secrets About the IRS”! Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle edition.

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O U T S !

Congratulations to Alfred “Fredo” Mercado for passing the SEE exam and becoming an Enrolled Agent! Congrats to Toni Cruz for setting up a separate entity for your tax resolution business and a separate website for it. And kudos for getting your first tax resolution client! Kudos to Joe Gray for having the confidence to charge the fees you deserve and work with the clients you want, and best of all, figuring out how to be successful while having more time for yourself!! Congrats to Allan Pearlman for getting his New York State offer in compromise accepted for $34K for his client who owed $88K. NYS hardly ever accepts offers! Kudos to Peter Marchiano for supercharging his profits in 2018 and making an additional $166,000! $127,000 in tax resolution fees and another extra $39,000 with your audit protection plan! This is in addition to Peter’s regular tax and accounting business. Keep up the good work and helping others! Do you have a story or picture to share with us on something you’ve implemented, a client you’ve helped with a tax problem, or anything else? If you do, email it to info@RozStrategi es.com so we can give a Shout Out to you!

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11271 Ventura Blvd #612 Studio City, CA 91604 Inside This Issue pg 1 ∙ A Better Frame of Mind

pg 2 ∙ Food for Thought pg 3 ∙

From the Practice Corner

pg 4 ∙ Member Spotlight pg 5 ∙ Tax Resolution Success Summit pg 6 ∙ Shout Outs! pg 8 ∙ IRS Terror Tale of the Month

IRS Terror Tale of the Month ‘Til Death Do Us Part Doesn’t Apply to Back Taxes

They say the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. But if you aren’t careful, even when you experience the former, you might still be on the hook for the latter. Aretha Franklin is remembered as the queen of soul. Throughout her decades-long career, she was a singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, and a humanitarian icon. After her death in August of 2018, thousands came to pay their respects. Franklin left behind an incredible legacy. Unfortunately, she also left behind millions in back taxes.

Where did these massive unpaid taxes come from? It’s likely they were lost at the bottom of Franklin’s purse. The queen of soul often performed on stage with her purse nearby. Always the savvy business women, Franklin would not perform until she was paid. Checks from her shows went into her purse, which was either handled by her security team or brought onstage, and it remained within view of the piano at all times. Franklin knew how to get paid, but she had a bad habit of forgetting to cash those checks.

“She had a lot of checks lying around that she had never cashed,”Bennett admitted. “I had to have some of them reissued because they were so old.” If this is true, these checks could be considered undeclared income, and the IRS is owed their cut. The IRS has stated, “This debt has priority and must be paid in full in advance of distribution to creditors to the extent provided by law.” Franklin’s estate is working to resolve the issue. It doesn’t matter if you’re a living legend or the late queen of soul, the IRS will always get what they’re owed.

Last December, the news broke that Franklin’s estate owed $6.3 million in unpaid taxes and $1.5 million in penalties. This massive tax lien comes after several audits between 2012 and 2018. Franklin’s attorney, David Bennett, claims Franklin’s estate has paid at least $3 million in back taxes. Bennet insists that most of Franklin’s tax obligations were paid prior to her death, as per her wishes. But the U.S. Treasury has stated that“no part of the debt had been repaid.”

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