Writing this revue took a lot of consideration. As a new business owner in 2021 I was referred to HLM by a neighbor. I was using the company initially for tax purposes only. The CPA that managed my account seemed very friendly and knowledgable. After many conversations she thought it best for me to change my business to an S-Corp. During this process I was advised to apply for a different tax ID number because the business was tied to a different name when I started it. During this process my CPA "stepped away" and I was put with the owner for the management of my taxes and now payroll. Mercedes, was a different vibe. I did not get overly friendly communication from her, but that didn't matter to me as long as she managed my taxes well. WELL. Let me tell you. The decision to change my Tax ID caused a heap of cascading problems. In the last 2 years I have received countless letters from the IRS saying that I immediately owe money. These letters ranged from $1000-$5000. I was also simultaneously receiving checks from the IRS. It was very stressful. Every time this happened I was told the issue was being addressed, yet it continued to happen. Last week, after all of this was supposed to be in the past I received an additional letter under my old tax ID saying I owe money again for 2022! How is this possible? I had been scared to change accountants because the mess HLM created. The problem was so deep that I wasn't sure anyone else could get a grip on it.
The final issue that forced me to leave HLM was my 2023 taxes. I got a casual email from Mercedes (in February 2024) telling me that I owe the IRS an additional 10k. She noted that it was because I didn't have vehicle depreciation. 10k? My business is small, 10k is a huge oversight. After I told her that I would not be using her services anymore, I was sent a long email blaming me and the IRS for all of the problems. She stated that I received a (1) call from someone on her staff in December to tell me about the 10k issue. I never received an email or any follow ups. Also, I had never received an unscheduled call from HLM in 4 years. There was always an email to schedule a phone conversation. I left HLM with a complete loss of trust.
Overall my experience with HLM was very negative. This is my story and my situation and I thought it was important to share with other consumers. read more