Francetic Tax Resolution LLC August 2019

Francetic Tax Resolution LLC August 2019

AUGUST 2019

262-752-6992

WWW.FRANCETICTAXRESOLUTION.COM

FROM GOLF, TO TRUCKING, TO TAXES

My Entrepreneurial Journey

Though I was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, just a few miles from where Francetic Tax Resolution now operates, my journey to becoming the entrepreneur I am today took me far from home. It all started with a trip to San Jose, California, after my high school graduation. My plan was to spend the summer working on a golf course with my older brother and then come back to Wisconsin in the fall to attend UW- Parkside and major in accounting, but that’s not what happened. Instead of going back to school, I got sidetracked by California’s lovely weather, laid-back lifestyle, and the great people I worked with. I ended up staying in the Golden State for the next four years doing golf course maintenance. Far from resenting the manual labor, I fell in love with my days on the green. When I left California, I headed off to Michigan State University to study turfgrass management with the goal of becoming a golf course superintendent. During my two-year program, I became good friends with one of my professors, and he invited me to earn a bachelor’s degree in order to join him in his research and travel the world to analyze

turfgrass problems inherent to golf courses. It sounded like an amazing opportunity, so I buckled down and got to work — that is, until a late-night television ad about learning to drive tractor-trailers changed the course of my life once again. I had always loved trucks as a kid; I used to follow the garbage truck around my city block on my tricycle, spent countless hours in my backyard with my Tonka trucks, and when it rained, I had all my small scale trucks on my mother’s dining room table! That ad sparked a long-buried dream. Everyone thought it was crazy, but I dropped everything and started a new career as an over-the-road truck driver. I stayed in the long-haul trucking business for three years, the last two of which I owned my own tractor and trailer. Then, I took a job with a trucking company back home in Wisconsin when I met my then wife so I could be home every night. I had a feeling my local driving job wouldn’t last forever, so I went back to school part-time at UW-Parkside to study accounting. When the writing on the wall came true and my employer’s contract was terminated, I threwmyself full time into my studies and graduated with my accounting degree in 2001. The rest, as they say, is history. My fascination with taxes started in school and only blossomed from there. After I graduated, I worked at my then wife’s State Farm Insurance agency, and I also worked closely with my tax instructor, David Schwartz, from the university in his sole proprietor tax business before officially starting my own business in 2004. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time more than once after that, with having a strong referral network and buying a tax practice to bring in new clients. Though I never actively looked for tax resolution work, it wasn’t long before it found me. In the beginning,

my clients would come in looking for help for their brother or cousin who was having trouble with the IRS or the state Department of Revenue. I loved taking that stress off of their shoulders and found the work so rewarding that I started taking on resolution cases from a Michigan firm on a contract basis in 2014. Unfortunately, I soon realized that company was promising its clients things that weren’t possible; they were basically hanging me out to dry and disappointing the hardworking people they were supposed to help. The experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that I terminated my contract in August of 2018 and rolled the dice to start my own resolution firm. I was determined to treat my clients with integrity and respect, and Francetic Tax Resolution was born from that goal. Today, I love what I do so much that I don’t consider it work. I spend time with my clients one- on-one, and I even travel to their homes or offices for meetings to make their lives easier. I think it’s vital for people to know that their problems will be handled locally and by someone they can get to know well and trust. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping a client out of a difficult position, and I love negotiating with the IRS and the state Department of Revenue on my clients’ behalf. When I can make a huge difference in someone’s financial situation, I’m just as overjoyed as they are. If you’re dealing with a tax problem and could use expert advice, don’t hesitate to give Francetic Tax Resolution a call. I’d love to join your side. Paul Francetic

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WWW.FRANCETICTAXRESOLUTION.COM | 262-752-6992

RING, RING — IT’S A ROBOT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PHONE SCAMS AND ROBOCALLS

Two of the most common scams are phone scams and robocalls. These calls are incredibly annoying and can trick you out of valuable information if you’re not careful. While it might seem like these scams are inescapable, there are some precautions you can take to avoid their traps. GIVE THEM THE SILENT TREATMENT. One thing you can do to avoid these fraudulent, time-wasting calls is to simply hang up. If possible, it is best to not answer at all. It’s always good to have a list of numbers you can reference, so you never have to guess who is calling. Think of it as going one step beyond caller ID. In some cases, answering and then hanging up can actually do more harm than good. Answering the phone gives the scammers confirmation that

the number works and that they should try again. Once your number is confirmed as active, it often gets put on an “active number” list that can then be sold to other scammers who market in these types of phone numbers. If you can’t verify who is calling without picking up, don’t answer. Let it go to voicemail. If it’s important, the person will leave a legitimate message and you can respond afterward. PUT UP SOME DETERRENTS. You can even go a step further and block the calls. Many phone service providers offer call- blocking options, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can sign up for this service in-store or on your service provider’s website. Each service costs about $4 per month. There are also a number of call-blocking apps available on Though I love all my clients, there’s a special place in my heart for Smoke Stacks. First, the company was founded by my former brother-in-law, Kurt Soens. Second, it’s one of my longest-standing clients. We’ve been working together since 2006, when Kurt first came to me because he was having trouble with his accountant. Since then, I’ve been doing Smoke Stacks’ accounting, payroll, and annual tax return. I think the company deserves recognition for its excellent work. Kurt recently sold the business to his longtime, loyal employees, Eric Yanasak and Jeremy Abrahamson, but he is continuing to work in the business for the foreseeable future to make sure there is a smooth transition and help Eric and Jeremy keep the business growing. If you have a fireplace in your house but are unfamiliar with Smoke Stacks, it’s time you got acquainted. The company is headquartered in Butler, Wisconsin, but services both Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, an area that encompasses more than 20 cities. Its specialties include chimney inspections, sweeping, and repair (including water

Android and Apple devices, but if you subscribe to a blocking service through your phone provider, these apps are unnecessary. Finally, you can sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s “Do Not Call” program (DoNotCall. gov). While the Do Not Call program can help cut back on calls, this list is largely ignored by scammers. If you’re getting a ridiculous number of robocalls every day, signing up can offer you some brief respite. Thankfully, Congress is already attempting to fix this problem by making it harder for scammers to call you. But until they are able to pass tough, effective legislation, it is up to us as consumers to remain vigilant and do what we can to keep our personal and financial >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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