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Tax Managemerl-

Its Personal

Metro Detroit
attorney wants
to help you
conquer your
tax troubles.

111 P o

outhfield attorney Evan Kaploe has
two overarching goals: first, to help
prevent his clients from getting in
trouble with the IRS and, second, to help
them resolve their IRS tax issues if they've
already received notices from the IRS.
Kaploe, 34, started his practice in
January. A former attorney with the IRS,
Kaploe understands what needs to be
done and works well with his former
colleagues to "reach results that make
both the IRS and the client happy," he
says.
His practice is already exceeding
his expectations, and Kaploe said he
expects it to grow more. He credits his
entrepreneurial spirit and the Jewish
emphasis on education for his success.
Kaploe lives with his wife, Lauren, in Oak
Park. He's a lifelong member of Temple
Emanu-El, where his grandparents were
founding members. He had his bar mitzvah
and graduated from Hebrew school there.
He did his undergrad work at University of
Michigan and earned his law degree from
Northwestern University.
"Often, the clients I see are panicked
and don't know what to do after getting
behind in their taxes," Kaploe says.
"Unfortunately, I see some clients who
have believed the claims they saw on
TV that some company could solve their
debt for pennies on the dollar. They pay

$10,000 or more to these companies that
take the money and run — and they still
have their tax debt to deal with."
Those kinds of companies that prey on
desperate people make Kaploe angry. "I
wish they would have come to me first,"
he says. "I can't settle IRS debt for pennies
on the dollar — that's not possible. But
I can help them settle their debt for less
than what they owe, reduce their tax
liability and protect their homes from
liens."
Kaploe represents both businesses
and individuals who are undergoing IRS
audits, appeals and litigation. He also
does tax and business planning — to
prevent people and companies from
getting into tax trouble in the first place,
and implementing proactive tax strategies
to help alleviate the tax burden on
businesses today.
Businesses, he says, can easily get into
trouble with employment taxes. "These
taxes are quarterly, and if a business is
going through lean times, it's easy to
fall behind," he says. "However, if not
paid, the owner of the business becomes
personally responsible for the debt."
Kaplaoe notes that self-employed
people also tend to fall behind on their
quarterly estimated tax payments and end
up in trouble. Also, individuals sometimes
get audited by the IRS because of bad

tax return preparers who try to get their
clients more deductions than they are
entitled to.
"A lot of people call themselves tax
professionals, but they don't have special
training — they don't even have to be
CPAs. There is a lot of false advertising out
there. This industry needs to be regulated
to protect consumers, says Kaploe who
is Lead Counsel Rated in tax law, a
Continental Who's Who member, Chair
of the Practice and Procedure Committee
of the State Bar of Michigan tax section
and chair of the Oakland County Bar's tax
section. He was also named a 2014 Super
Lawyer.
"The key is being proactive," Kaploe
says. "If you're getting notices from the IRS,
you need to pick up the phone. Burying
your head in the sand doesn't work."
Kaploe provides free consultations to
both business and individual clients.
Your best bet, he says, is to take steps to
avoid problems with the IRS.
"If you're a business owner, it is
imperative to consult with a tax attorney
for an analysis of tax efficiencies," he
says. "We can make sure the business
is structured properly to maximize tax
breaks, incentives and credits. It is even
possible to turn taxes into a profit center.
For growing businesses, knowing that
there are no potential tax issues makes

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the company more attractive to potential
buyers or mergers."
Kaploe also works with individuals on
wealth planning, and counsels on estate
and gift tax planning.
Kaploe said he appreciates Metro
Detroit's close knit Jewish community.
A Birthright trip three months after
the terrorist attacks of 9-11 was "life-
changing," he says. "It changed my whole
feeling on what it means to be part of a
community and congregation."
He spent four years in Kansas City
where he "experienced anti-Semitism for
the first time" both at work and socially.
"That experience makes me appreciate
the community we have here even more,"
he says.
He wants to help members of the
community who are planning to start a
business and who want to ensure their
businesses are tax efficient. He also wants
to reach out to those who owe $10,000 or
more to the IRS to help them settle their
debt.
"We can work to protect the equity in
their homes, get liens removed and levies
taken away," he says. "We'll work with the
IRS on a reasonable settlement that our
clients can afford."
For more information, visit www.
ekaplaw.com or call (248) 351-8720.0

October 30 • 2014

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