Alidade does not represent clients before the IRS
FAQ · The five trust questions
What Alidadewill and won’t do.
The five questions that come up before someone starts. Each answer states the boundary — what Alidadeis and isn’t — the practical reason behind it, and a one-sentence reassurance. Nothing here is hedged; if a question you have is not on this page, the intake asks it and the answer comes back in the Action Plan.
Shape of every answer
- Boundary. What Alidadeis and isn’t — the scope of the role.
- Why. The statute, the rule, or the practical reason.
- Reassurance. The one-sentence answer to the worry underneath the question.
Question 1 · Licensing + ethics
Boundary.
Alidade is not a Circular 230 covered practitioner — no PTIN, no EFIN, no preparer/trustee role. Alidade provides education, document organization, and financial-information preparation only. EAs, CPAs, and tax attorneys each carry their own license (Treasury Circular 230; state boards; state bars).
Why.
Keeps Alidade clearly outside the IRS “tax practitioner” perimeter so it doesn't have to maintain practitioner enrollment; the credentialed partner is the only party that can speak to the IRS on your behalf.
Reassurance.
When your matter routes to a partner, their license — and their obligations under Circular 230 and their state board — cover the representation; Alidade does not collect a referral fee.
Question 2 · When you need a professional vs. doing it yourself
Boundary.
Routine administrative responses — CP 501 balance-due paperwork, installment agreement requests (Form 9465), and currently-not-collectible hardship packets (Form 433-A) — can usually be handled by you with our templates. Collection Due Process hearings (LT 11, Letter 1058), Notice of Federal Tax Lien appeals, summons-related matters, or anything touching statutory defenses needs a credentialed practitioner.
Why.
CDP hearings have a 30-day statutory window and procedural rights only a representative can exercise; statutory arguments trigger Circular 230 signing-and-filing rules that do not apply to a self-prepared matter.
Reassurance.
The Action Plan template's referral flag (Enrolled Agent / CPA / Tax attorney / Not required) tells you which tier the matter routes to; “Not required” means you can complete it on your own with the checklist.
Question 3 · Why no settlement-program guarantees
Boundary.
No guarantees on Offer-in-Compromise acceptance, Currently-Not-Collectible status duration, Installment Agreement terms, penalty abatement amounts, refund outcomes, or timeline. Each depends on IRS discretion and on your verified financial information.
Why.
Outcomes are governed by statute and discretionary review; specific outcome promises would violate state consumer-protection law and Circular 230 §10.29 advertising rules. Alidade states typical results, not what yours will be.
Reassurance.
The partner you may be referred to will quote their own historical acceptance rates with the disclosures those figures require — and that disclosure is theirs to make, not Alidade's.
Question 4 · How the referral path works
Boundary.
Alidade routes to a credentialed partner when your matter requires representation. Alidade does not negotiate partner fees, does not hold partner retainers, and does not oversee representation. The engagement letter, the retainer, and the privileged communication are between you and the partner.
Why.
Clear separation keeps fee-splitting out of the picture (Circular 230 §10.5 / state fee-sharing rules) and keeps privileged communication in the correct channel — with the credentialed representative, not with an administrative service.
Reassurance.
Partners are listed transparently at /partners by tier; you choose which partner to engage, and the engagement and pricing happen with them, on their letterhead.
Question 5 · How prices are set at each tier
Boundary.
Flat published prices, no contingency, no percentage-of-refund, no advance fee. The tier list at the home page is canonical — Course $149 (self-paced), Document organization $299 (one-time), Guided preparation $599 (one-time, highlighted), Compliance package $999 (one-time); monthly membership $79–$199/mo.
Why.
Contingency and percentage-of-savings payments trigger state advance-fee prohibitions and Circular 230 advertising rules; flat published pricing also means there is no upsell pressure and the price is the price.
Reassurance.
You see the price before any engagement starts; if the matter needs a partner, partner fees are quoted separately and in writing.
Next step
Start the intake.
Five fields describe the shape of your matter — notice type, balance owed, unfiled years, levy status, customer type — and the Action Plan pre-loads from the answers. No account, no retainer, and nothing happens to your matter until you act on the plan.