If you're considering working with McMullan and Company CPAs or Mike Townsend as a trustee or tax preparer, read this first.
Mike was appointed successor trustee of my family's trust. Since taking over, he has refused to provide any accounting of the trust, despite repeated requests.
He paid himself directly from the trust, claiming $8,950 in fiduciary and prep/accounting fees--without a single itemized receipt. He then filed my 2024 tax return reporting those deductions on my behalf.
He's also refused to share a transparent fee schedule. At one point, he said he billed hourly and warned that my emails would cost me. Later, he claimed a flat fee--but never disclosed how it was determined.
When I asked what he actually did to justify the charges--especially since the trust was dissolved before his involvement--he went silent.
When I followed up with his staff, Janet and Betty, both of whom had previously offered to help, they stopped responding altogether. I later learned that Mike had instructed them in writing not to respond to me--something he admitted himself. And they complied.This behavior amounts to internal collusion to block a beneficiary from accessing financial records related to their own family trust.
I've filed a formal complaint with the IRS regarding his conduct and the handling of my tax return. Additional actions are pending.
If you are entrusting this firm with sensitive financial or fiduciary responsibilities, I strongly encourage you to demand transparency and document everything. The lack of accountability I experienced is not just questionable legally, but alarmingly cavalier for someone in a fiduciary role.
If this sounds familiar, I encourage you to report it--either to the IRS or the Georgia State Board of Accountancy. read more
