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H&R Block Silver Parkway Office Expanding |
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| | H&R Block Silver Parkway Office Expanding To Better Serve Their Local Community | | |
You
may know H&R Block as one of the most recognized brands worldwide,
it represents value, integrity, and strong client focused service. On
January 6th, just in time for the looming tax season, H&R Block's
Silver Parkway Office reopened their doors to an entirely upgraded and
expanded office. While the address remains the same, visitors will be
greeted with a new, more convenient entrance. The office was closed for
two months while significant renovations were taking place inside.
While negotiating their own lease renewal, H&R Block was able to
acquire the vacant retail space adjacent to their old office. A former
insurance agency, the newly acquired space nearly doubled their old
square footage. Once H&R Block took ownership, a complete
renovation was set in motion. According to Patrick McGorisk, Franchise
Owner, "The interior was completely remodeled and upgraded to include 20
private offices to serve clients. Clients' response is fantastic. We
made a significant investment signing a new long term lease and
upgrading the entire system, everything is new, including every client!
The upgrade included new networking and computer equipment significantly
increasing speed integrating with the IRS with continued focus on data
protection. We also added a new larger LED sign out front, it's
brighter, bigger, and saves energy!"
Patrick shares why their
franchise story is unique to H&R Block and the tax services
industry. "The two Fenton H&R Block offices became part of our
Franchise Group in 2010. Previous to 2010 the offices were "Company"
stores owned by H&R Block. About half of H&R Block offices
throughout the country are franchise and half owned by H&R Block" As
a successful franchisee in Michigan we were offered an opportunity to
make an investment in Fenton, with the addition of the Fenton locations
our Franchise Group has eight offices in Michigan. Being locally owned
and operated gives us some “skin in the game” serving the community. I
believe it makes a big difference in how we approach the business. "
 
This
major renovation was not the first for Patrick. When corporate
downsizing forced a change after 22 years in the financial service
industry, this excellent opportunity emerged. Patrick recalls, "I worked
for a Financial Services firm that was acquired by H&R Block in
1999. Then in 2005 I found myself on the outside looking in and needed
to start the next chapter of my career. One of the driving factors in
making this life changing career move was noticing the attitudes of
other H&R tax professionals. In my previous career I had a chance
to visit hundreds of H&R Block offices across the country and gained a
great deal of respect and admiration for the tax professionals serving
clients." Patrick said, "I came to find out the average tenure and
experience of the tax professionals was off the charts relative to most
industries. Many tax professionals had achieved the highest levels of
education and spent decades working for Block. They love their job. The
seed was planted that someday I could purchase a Block office as a
franchise, return to my passion as a financial advisor, serve the
clients financial services needs, and work with some amazing skilled
individuals in the tax services industry." Much like the hundreds of
clients they currently serve that have recently endured a career change,
he knew almost immediately what he wanted to. His first tax season as
an H&R Block owner was 2006 in Clarkston, Michigan.
He spent
the first few years learning the tax business and over time has
surrounded himself with a talented crew representing some of the most
experienced and highest regarded tax professionals in the industry. Tax professionals and financial advisors have been jointly helping clients
for many years. He says, "Some wear 'both hats' and serve clients in
several capacities while most have a referral relationship with a
trusted individual. I underestimated what it would take to run multiple
offices in such a dynamic industry. Now that we are serving multiple
communities and have such a strong team in place I have been able to
focus time on the clients that need help with retirement while our core
group serves tax clients."
Patrick is passionate about a business
that allows him to focus on his strengths while confidently relying on
his talented staff at each of his branches. Having made it through the
early years, he gets to look a little farther forward now. "It’s
exciting to leverage a great company like H&R Block into a community
like Fenton. It’s a privilege to serve our staff and clients. I get to
step away from day to day functions and look to opportunities to enhance
our infrastructure and environment to help the staff serve their
clients. Creating a friendly, productive environment to serve clients is
a significant part of what I do and during tax season, this means being
on call 24/7. There is no substitute for hands on, everything from
networking and IT issues to facility repair. That said, my true passion
is helping clients with the retirement planning. I let our exceptional
team handle the IRS and get clients the maximum from a tax return,
that’s where we really shine." They have grown all client segments over
the past three years but have really made inroads into complex and small
company returns. They specialize in estates, trusts, and unique
returns like farming and trucking… and offer a great deal on dependent
and EZ returns.
In response to being asked why he selected Fenton as a branch
location, Patrick said, "Like all the communities we serve in Michigan,
the economic environment has been tough. It’s reflective in every aspect
of the business. From client hardship to commercial real estate.
Compared to the other markets we serve in Michigan, Fenton is leading the
charge as the state rebounds. The people in Fenton are great. It’s a
wonderful community. While I was aware of the staff and opportunity in
Fenton when I made the purchase of the Fenton offices in 2010, I really
had no idea how lucky I was to have taken advantage of this opportunity.
With our expansion of the Silver Parkway location this year, I now have
my own desk in Fenton! I am learning what a great place it is all the
time. There is so much to learn about the community, the story gets
better all the time. It’s great to see new businesses opening and
crowded restaurants. I have come to like Fenton so much we made an offer
on a commercial building this past fall."
Their H&R Branch
is open year round to serve their clients. "The IRS sends letters and
conducts audits year round, and clients need a local source that can
provide personal help with complex issues. We often get the IRS agent on
the phone with the client right here in Fenton. Whether it’s a
retirement question, a 401K rollover, or the unwelcome inquiry from the
IRS…we are here to help. The State of Michigan has already started to
send inquiries regarding 2013 returns. We make a difference in clients
lives. We will review up to three years of previous returns for free.
Just bring in the tax return and supporting documentation and we’ll go
to work. " Here is a link that describes the power and benefits of
Second Look. Community members can begin an assessment right here.
Http://www.hrblock.com/tax-offices/extended-tax-services/past-taxes.html
They
believe it is their duty to get every dollar Uncle Sam owes Fenton and
work hard to give their clients every chance they are legally allowed to
get the maximum from their tax preparation. They enjoy sharing their
many success stories including:
"A client went to one of our
competitors to have her taxes prepared, that year she had over 10 cancellation of debt forms from credit card debt. The competitor
company said she was responsible to pay the tax on over $100,000. The
client had a gut feeling that the tax professional was wrong. She ended
up calling our Fenton Office and was referred to one of our tax
professionals. The result came to be that the client was insolvent
meaning she had more debt than assets and was not held responsible to
pay the debt on forgiven credit card debt. It saved her thousands of
dollars!"
Another story from the past year was:
"A client
that received a letter from the IRS questioning her 2106 un-reimbursed
employee expenses for tax year 2009. This client had all of her receipts
that matched the tax return perfectly, where the problem came into play
was the IRS wanted the company's policy pertaining to employee
reimbursement. They wouldn't even look at the receipts until they held
the policy in their hands. The company filed bankruptcy and went out of
business in 2010 which meant that there was no way of getting a copy.
Our Tax professional worked on this over 8 months faxing copies of the
w2 showing no reimbursed, writing letters, proving these expenses were
legit, and finally this client received a letter in the past month
saying the audit was complete. They don't owe any additional monies!"
And yet another story that is too familiar when they review clients past returns.
"A young former Military family came in with their 2 children, they were
struggling to find work and Healthcare. In the past, they were
stationed in 3 different states but Michigan remained their tax home.
For tax years 2009 through 2012 they had never filed a State of
Michigan tax return. The tax preparation company didn’t think about the
fact that this family was eligible for certain credits. Our Silver
Parkway Tax Professional conducted a second look and found over $3200!!!
Then reviewed our Helpth healthcare website and helped them get health
insurance too.
Patrick says, "Our Tax Professionals make the
difference in Fenton and surrounding areas. We have six enrolled agents in
Fenton. There is no substitute for the interaction of a client and a
tax professional during the tax interview. Every client situation is
unique to that client… and it takes an expert to relate the clients
personal situation to the complex, continually changing tax code. Our
staff sets the standard in the industry. We strive to create a friendly
environment to offer clients a high value experience guaranteeing the
maximum benefit for their household or business."
He believes,"Our
customers choose to do business with our HR Block Brand because we make
them feel confident that their taxes are completed accurately. We always
stand behind our work. If we make a mistake or the IRS does not agree
with our preparation, we will pay the penalty and interest. If the
client chooses to purchase our POM product, the error or discrepancy
could be covered, HR Block would pay the penalty and interest along with
the additional tax up to $5500. "
They have over 275 years of tax
experience between all of their tax professionals with 6 out of our 14
professionals being an Enrolled Agent registered with the IRS.
Continuing Education is a significant part of what we do. The staff
attends classes through Block, the National Association of Tax Preparers
and universities like MSU annually.
The staff is linked directly
to the community. All reside in Fenton or the surrounding area. They
are active in schools, churches, kids sports, everything. This is the
place they choose to live and do business. The Office Leaders have been
working for Block for many years: To be sure the success of each Fenton
office is a direct reflection of the team and leader. Patrick says, "The
leadership we have in Fenton makes a difference every day.
The
Fenton East office on Leroy Street is managed by Donna Clark. Donna has
worked at this location for 7 years and HR Block 16 years now. She
retired from Citizens Bank and thought this would be a great seasonal
job and would keep her math skills sharp. Donna started out being a tax
professional then was offered a great opportunity to write returns and
manage the Fenton East office. Fenton East also has a great group of
employees who take great pride in serving their clients.
The
Silver Parkway office is one of the most productive offices in the Block
system. Dawn Matuscak currently manages the HR Block Silver Parkway
location. She has worked in this location for 9 years with a total of 13
years with the Brand. "I decided to take the class way back when
because we had a CPA preparing our Personal and S-Corporation business
returns and shortly after the filing dates we received a letter from the
IRS showing a few mistakes and an additional balance due." She thought,
“I could learn how to do these returns, understand what is needed to
file a proper tax return and save us $1200 in tax preparation fees. "
She signed up for the accelerated class. Dawn said as it was nearing the
time to take the test, "I remember the District manager coming into one
of the sessions inviting students to apply for work, but I refused to
consider it until I passed the final exam. Well you probably guessed, I
passed, and the rest is history. I worked as a Tax Professional the
first year, but I wasn't getting enough out of the job so that summer I
decided to apply for a management position at that location. It turned
out that the next season I was placed at the Fenton Road location as a
manager. At the end of two years, I proceeded to work my magic to be
transferred to the Silver Parkway Fenton location. My wish was granted
that next tax season, and since then I loved every bit of it. We're
like a family, we help each other work through special tax circumstances
and always put the client first. This group of ladies and gentleman
are definitely a monumental piece to what makes the City of Fenton a
wonderful place to work and live."
Patrick and his wife
Denise live here in southeastern Michigan and are busy raising four
teenagers. One at MSU, one off to Western in the fall, and two in high
school. They spend as much time as possible at their cabin up north near
Petoskey and Indian River on Burt Lake. They are Spartan Sports fans
and attend football and basketball games. "We always Cheer for The
University of Michigan except for game day when the Maize and Blue
versus the Green and White……...Go Green! Michigan is a great place to
live and raise a family."
As for the newly renovated H&R
Block branch on Silver Parkway, Patrick says "The investment made
perfect sense, it fits with our vision of what each and every client
deserves. A friendly, secure, confidential environment focusing only on
the client, eliminating the distractions of a busy office. We invite all
the community to stop by and take a look!
17135 SILVER PKWY
FENTON, MI 48430
810-629-0707
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