Letter from Phyllis Rosales

April 21, 2006

Dear Tom,

The day I opened my mailbox in January 2003 to find a letter from the IRS saying I had been chosen to be audited was a real turning point for me and my business. I collected my thoughts and then immediately called you! I have attended enough of your workshops to know that I needed professional advice, and you are truly the professional.

Who would have thought it would have taken over three years to finally resolve this issue, but here we are finally done and it is now 2006. I appreciate the fact that you were always just a phone call away. You were the only person around me who understood where I was coming from and why my level of frustration was so high. My family tried to support me, but they were not the ones dealing with the day to day gathering of information or attending meetings with auditors and hearing officers. You have dealt with these people and advised me accordingly.

You gave me so much advice and support that I always felt energized after talking to you and knew that I was not going to ever give up fighting for what I believed to be right and just. I battled several major illnesses during this time including being diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I told my husband that if anything should happen to me and I didn't pull through, he was to send you all my files and tell you to fight to the end. If he didn't I would find a way to haunt him.

The advice you gave me was always precise and valuable. Unfortunately for us, the IRS didn't listen when I quoted the items you armed me with. They just didn't care. I felt empowered anyway knowing I had items that they should have listened to and I wasn't just talking but had legitimate information to pass along that addressed my issues.

Tom if it wasn't for you and your institute; I would not have been able to fight my fight. I would have had to let the powerful IRS win, even though I knew they were wrong on many issues. I would not have had the resources that you offered me. There is no other Institute that I know of that is willing to help a small business owner for free. MY husband told me that signing up for my life time membership was one of the smartest things I have ever done, after marr[y]ing him. Even though the monetary amount that we battled over was not a large amount of money in the scheme of things, for me it was not just the money, my integrity was in question and my savvy as a business owner. I have always prided myself with being an honest person and doing the right thing. The IRS treat you as a criminal until you prove yourself innocent. If it wasn't for you and your dedication to my cause, I'm afraid I would have given up and not have the satisfaction that I feel knowing that I was just and you helped me prove that. What a boost for my self-confidence!

Tom, mere words can never thank you enough for being the utmost professional advocate for me and other Family Child Care Providers[.] You put your time, effort and all you have into our causes. I truly appreciate you and respect the work that you do. You were one of my higher powers for three years and you made my life easier and enabled me to focus my energies where they were needed at that time. If at any time you can use any of the information learned from my case, to help anyone else or use the information for one of your publications, please do so. Thank you so very much and if I can ever help out one of your causes, you know I'm there for you.

Sincerely,

Phyllis Rosales