Tax Preparer Error: Jackson Hewitt Made Serious Mistakes on My Return - Seeking Remedies Under Circular 230

Have you considered requesting a comprehensive review of your original return? Many national tax preparation chains have internal quality review procedures that can be invoked before escalating to regulatory authorities. Did they offer to file an amended return at no cost? And have you requested a copy of all documentation they used to prepare your return? This could be essential for identifying exactly where errors occurred and establishing the preparer's liability under Treasury Department Circular 230 standards.

Been there, done that w/ a diff tax prep company. Total nightmare getting them to fix their mistake! Spent hrs on hold w/ their customer svc. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to reach an actual IRS agent who confirmed the prep error and told me exactly what forms to file. Saved me days of frustration! The IRS agent walked me thru the whole process of filing a formal complaint against the preparer. Def worth it when ur dealing w/ preparer errors that affect ur refund.

I've analyzed this situation and can offer some guidance based on my research: • First, request a complete copy of your return AND all supporting worksheets • Document specific errors with citation to relevant tax code (which you've already done - good job) • Calculate the financial impact of their errors on your tax liability • Submit a written demand for correction with specific deadline • If unresolved, escalate to district/regional manager with documentation • Consider filing Form 8275 (Disclosure Statement) with your amended return Most importantly, maintain a timeline of all communications in case you need to demonstrate good faith efforts to resolve.

I had this exact problem. Jackson Hewitt messed up my education credits too. I filed a complaint with BBB. They responded quickly after that. The office manager offered to amend my return for free. Keep detailed records. Take screenshots of everything. Save all emails. Print confirmation numbers. This helps if you need to escalate the issue. Their corporate office eventually fixed everything. The process took about three weeks.

Your situation involves multiple regulatory frameworks including Circular 230 and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. When analyzing preparer errors of this nature, it's important to understand the specific calculation methodologies that were incorrectly applied. I recommend using taxr.ai to analyze your transcript once you file an amended return. The platform's algorithmic analysis can identify discrepancies between your original and amended returns, providing documentation of exactly how the education credits and student loan interest deductions should have been properly calculated according to current tax regulations.

I had a similar nightmare with Liberty Tax last year. They somehow managed to report my W-2 income TWICE! Can you believe that? 😂 When I called them out, they first tried to convince me it was correct. The best part? After they finally admitted their mistake, they wanted to charge me $75 for the amended return! I refused to pay and cited their own accuracy guarantee. Suddenly they were all "oh we'll take care of that right away sir!" Amazing how quickly they change their tune when you know your rights.

I worked as a tax preparer for 7 years. Here's what they don't tell you: these big chains often hire seasonal employees with minimal training. Back in 2019, I witnessed new hires getting just 3 days of training before handling complex returns! Your best move is to request a review by their most senior preparer or EA (Enrolled Agent) if they have one. Mention specifically that you're considering filing Form 14157 and contacting your state's board of accountancy. That usually gets their attention fast. I've seen countless clients struggle with exactly what you're dealing with, and the companies often count on you giving up.

I had a somewhat similar issue, though perhaps not quite as serious, with a different tax preparation company last year. After several frustrating attempts to resolve it through their customer service channels, I finally spoke with a district manager who was actually quite helpful. They ended up not only fixing the error at no cost but also provided a partial refund of my preparation fees. It might be worth asking specifically for a district or regional manager rather than just dealing with the local office.

I documented a comparable situation with photographic evidence in 2022. The preparer had checked the wrong box for education expenses, causing my American Opportunity Credit to be denied. When I showed them the error with highlighted sections of my original documents compared to their input screens, they couldn't deny responsibility. One effective strategy: create a side-by-side comparison document showing what information you provided versus what they entered. For education credits specifically, Section 25A of the tax code is very clear about qualified expenses, and IRS Publication 970 provides explicit examples they should have followed.

I went through something very similar with Jackson Hewitt two years ago. They missed my student loan interest deduction entirely and miscalculated my education credits by over $800. What finally worked for me was escalating beyond the local office manager to their regional compliance department. I sent a certified letter referencing specific IRC sections (just like you did) and mentioned I was prepared to file Form 14157. Within 10 days, their regional manager called me directly and arranged for a senior preparer to review my entire return. They ended up amending it at no charge and even reimbursed me for the postage costs of mailing supporting documents. The key was being persistent and demonstrating I understood the regulations they violated. Don't give up - you clearly know your rights and the tax code better than their preparers do!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share my experience from last tax season. I had a similar issue with TurboTax Live where their "expert" completely missed my educator expense deduction and incorrectly calculated my retirement savings contributions credit. What really helped me was creating a detailed timeline of all interactions and keeping copies of every document I provided to them. I also found that referencing the specific Taxpayer Bill of Rights (particularly the right to quality service) in my communications got much faster responses. The IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service was incredibly helpful too - they have a local office locator on their website and can intervene when preparers aren't responsive. In my case, they helped facilitate the resolution and ensured the preparer covered all associated costs including penalties. Document everything and don't let them wear you down with delays!

I went through a nearly identical situation with Jackson Hewitt in 2022 - they botched my education credits and completely missed my student loan interest deduction, costing me almost $1,200 in additional tax liability. Here's what actually worked for me: 1. **Document everything with dates and reference numbers** - I created a spreadsheet tracking every phone call, email, and document exchange 2. **Request their internal complaint escalation process** - Most people don't know that Jackson Hewitt has a formal Quality Review Department separate from local management 3. **File Form 14157 immediately** - Don't wait. I filed mine while simultaneously working with their corporate office, which actually strengthened my position 4. **Contact your state's Board of Accountancy** - If your preparer was a CPA or EA, this adds serious pressure The breakthrough came when I sent a certified letter to their corporate Quality Review Department (not just customer service) citing IRC §6694 and mentioning I had already filed Form 14157. Within 5 business days, I had a call from their regional compliance manager who arranged for a senior EA to completely redo my return at no cost. They also reimbursed the $89 I paid for professional review of their errors. Total timeline: 3 weeks from escalation to resolution. The key is being persistent and showing you understand the regulations better than their seasonal preparers do.