For Altadenans and Pasadenans rebuilding from the devastating Eaton Fire, lost tax documents and financial records may seem like an insurmountable problem—but a Texas-based tax professional is offering specialized help to those who’ve lost everything, including their paperwork.
Chester Crawford, an experienced IRS Enrolled Agent since 2013, has specifically targeted his services to local residents facing tax complications after losing homes and documents to fires.
“I know in your market. There are a lot of people that lost everything that they ever had,” Crawford said during a recent interview. “They lost the house, which housed all their documents and bills and receipts. So they have no documents, no bills, no receipts, they have no house, they have no assets because the house is gone.”
Crawford, who has been preparing taxes since 1981, operates under IRS Code Circular 230 through the Office of Professional Responsibility. This designation requires adherence to strict guidelines for ethics, character competency and due diligence. His federal license allows him to represent clients anywhere in the nation and handle California state returns as well.
“Enrolled agents, tax attorneys and CPAs operate under the IRS code, circular two 30, which we operate under the Office of Professional Responsibility,” Crawford explained.
“So we have to adhere to a set of guidelines, Crawford explained. “As for ethics, character competency and due diligence are essential.”
Based in Huntsville, Texas, Crawford provides services remotely through phone, email, FaceTime, and Google Meet. He works alone, personally touching all paperwork sent to him.
Crawford’s approach centers on obtaining power of attorney to access clients’ tax histories directly from the IRS.
“I’m in position by way of power of attorney. I can get copies of the past six years of wage and income transcripts sent to me in my secure mailbox that I have set up with the Internal Revenue Service,” Crawford explained.
The IRS considers six years past as compliant and holds files for up to 10 years.
Crawford recently demonstrated the potential impact of his abilities in a case involving an $81,000 tax bill. A woman whose husband had died and whose business suffered flood damage never filed their 2018 tax return. The IRS calculated the bill based solely on reported revenue without considering business expenses.
After reconstructing the business expenses by reviewing bank statements line by line, he prepared the missing return and submitted it to the IRS. “received a notice from the IRS because I was power of attorney. So I received the same transactions that she received — that she owed the IRS zero.”
Crawford handles various types of returns, including personal 1040s, S corporations and partnerships, which are pass-through entities. Beyond filing returns, he provides tax advice and planning services.
“So it’s creating a relationship with the client business that are personal and helping guide them down the road in their tax world,” he said.
For fire victims facing hardship situations, Crawford points out that the IRS has programs for those unable to pay. He noted that people in such situations “have no ability to pay them ever. And that’s a real story. And IRS can’t just make them pay them because they have no value, maybe have no income stream because the job was destroyed.”
For clients needing to file past due returns, Crawford can establish installment agreements when returns result in balances due.
These agreements are “usually set up over a six year period of time for amounts less than $50,000,” he explained.
Crawford highlights his patient approach.
“I’m not in a hurry, so it’s not going to be an expedient thing. Well, we need to hurry up and do this so I can process that and get that in so you can pay me. No, we going to do this the right way,” he said.
Crawford is a member of both the National Association of Enrolled Agents and the National Society of Tax Professionals. He also holds licenses as a Texas insurance agent and notary public, though those credentials don’t apply to his California tax work. He maintains a LinkedIn page and website for additional information.
Clients can reach Crawford at (936) 661-0692 or onecdcrawford@aol.com. His website is chestercrawford.com, and his IRS Enrolled Agent number is 00109954.
