Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My annual tax returns for my personal and businesses have always been included as a part of my services that I pay monthly to Next Gen Tax Services for monthly bookkeeping for 2 businesses. I was notified last night that if I want my documents released to me and my taxes filed I would need to pay an additional $3310 for tax preparation. The owner and CEO Cindy ****** emailed and stated that they have always billed tax preparation separately which is completely false given my contract which states mine was included and I didn't pay last year nor was I ever billed for it. They then are trying to say that I didn't pay for 2 months in 2021 and this is why I can't have my tax returns filed however per the invoices they emailed and the excel spreadsheet they sent, this too is false. The only months not paid for are the 3 months they issued credits voluntarily. She is also charging me $1650 for February even though February wasn't completed at all stating that I gave them a promise to pay. It feels like I'm dealing with the mafia. I want my tax returns filed, my P&L Statements updated for accuracy, or my money returned to me for breaching contract.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/01/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2022/10/03) */
  The former client failed to pay for services rendered. We provided payment plans and they defaulted on those plans. After default, their account became past due > 180 days and we dismissed the former client from the practice. Since being dismissed the former client has been dishonest about the services received, demanded free services, launched personal attacks, harassed, bullied and engaged in activities tantamount to business interference. Their actions have resulted in 2 calls to the local police and engagement of an attorney demanding they cease and desist. Additional legal action is pending due to continued business interference.
  
  They are not eligible for a refund as they failed to pay for all services received and we stand firm on our decision to dismiss and decline to provide any further services.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2022/10/04) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  The excel spreadsheet previously provided to BBB shows the 2021 balance was paid in full minus 3 months credits issued by owner Cindy ****** who issued these after I made my first complaint in writing on 11.18.21 after making numerous complaints monthly in person & via phone. Per email, Cindy made a lot of promises to resolve those complaints many of which were never addressed to date. I stayed with the firm because of the promises & patiently waited on them up until 3.8.22 when I suspended payments for 2022 bookkeeping services only due to getting the runaround for 5 months while continuing to make good faith payments for 2022 services. I was being given the runaround about my 2020/2021/2022 P&L statements, 2020 tax returns deficiencies, lack of any tax planning for 2020/2021, lack of consistent team communication outside of sporadic emails & neglect of team informing me that one of my businesses was now a S-Corp & had a March due date instead of the expected April due date. I communicated that I still needed all of the answers & documents that had been promised to me since 2021 in addition to the tax planning so that 2021 could be filed correctly, 2021 P&L statements updated & discussions about 2020 being redone based off finally getting the tax planning. These were services I had already paid for & I wanted resolution & had no interest in continuing to pay for inaccurate services moving forward in 2022. On 3.8.22 Cindy ****** confirmed receipt of this email with no mention of needing additional funds to complete what was included in my contract. On 4.18.22 e-mail, there was no mention of additional fees being charged outside of the contract. My 7.19.22 email was ignored. On 8.2.22 I forwarded that same email to Cindy since she had taken over point back in February 2022. (It is important to note here that on 2.8.22 is the first time I began to get a response from Cindy (via her assistant) since the 11.18.21 email she sent & that is only because I communicated that I now had a legal discovery request for court & then she scheduled a zoom call for 2.12.22 after a failed attempt to complete it on 2.10.22. There was no response to my questions until I mentioned this court document. This call was supposed to address all of my concerns for a resolution from the 11.18.21 email as well as discuss the valuation of my company, but it wasn't accomplished as she didn't share her screen with me to allow me to see the documents that allegedly existed, & she never sent them to me like she assured me on the zoom she would. She also had to cut zoom short due to a personal emergency & promised a follow-up that never occurred. She became unreachable except via email which had been my chronic complaint as I was not getting answers I needed for court via email just the run around.) Finally, on 8.2.22 at 8:23pm Cindy emailed back & apologized again. She attempted to extort me for $3310 for tax planning/tax returns for 2021 that was included in my contract. I assumed because she rushed to reply at a late hour that she made a mistake, so I reminded her of my contract & even gave grace reminding her that her team once before had tried to charge me, & I had to remind them of my contract, so they rescinded it. I was shocked when she emailed back with lies that are easily disputed via their own contract & documentation attached. She lied when she said that it is their policy to bill prep fees separately as evidenced by my contract created by them. She lied when she stated I had payment gaps in 2021 outside of the credits she applied as evidenced by their own excel spreadsheet they sent to me as well as the P&L statements they completed that reflects no gaps. She lied when she claimed she told me via zoom that she wrote off a 2021 balance to start fresh as our discussions on zoom were to start fresh since she was taking point after her team's performance as she didn't want me to leave the firm. She even referenced that the reason why I owe them funds for February 2022 even though no work was completed or provided to me is because of the contract as it needed a 30-day notice to terminate. She never responded after that & my e-mails were left unanswered by her to date. Per my phone records on 8.3.22 at 11:02am I called the office & asked to speak to Cindy who they stated was unavailable which has been the norm since late 2020 & then I asked to speak to the next person in charge. The receptionist asked me to tell her my complaint so she could route the call appropriately & we spoke for 22 minutes & then she attempted to connect me to Human Resources, but the call disconnected. I received an immediate call back from HR at 11:24am & she assured me she needed to hear the complaint since she was HR for the entire firm but after listening, she stated I needed to speak to the person in charge under Cindy & transferred me to Christina Armstrong. She stated she would look into my concerns and review the contract & emails & give me a call back, entire call lasted 13 minutes. All 3 women were compassionate & understanding while listening to my concerns & complaints. I was emotionally in tears & passionate because of the way I was being treated as a first time Black woman business owner by an experienced Black businesswoman who knew my platform was about building a Black ecosystem to mitigate & negate the effects of structural obstacles to business building for Black business owners. My entire platform is centered around preventing businesses from preying on the Black community even if that includes other Black businesses. Adding insult to injury, they were aware that it was a court ordered discovery request. There was no harassing behavior or bullying with personal attacks as evidenced by the CCTV footage from the store I was making the calls from. I received a call back from Christina at 11:46am that lasted 8 minutes & her tone & choice of words had changed. Instead of an open conversation, she continued to robotically repeat that paying them $3310 for tax planning/tax returns for 2021 was the ONLY path forward. After that, my calls were ignored & I began to send emails. Christina's last email to me was at 3:41pm & she awaited my decision on whether to end services with NextGen. I filed my BBB complaint that day & waited an additional 24 hours for resolution after all email correspondence had been reviewed by management because I still didn't believe they would breach their contract & extort additional money. No one followed back up regarding my receipts & questions so on 8.4.22 at 3:40pm I called & spoke to NextGen receptionist & informed her that I would come pick up my documents in person & obtain answers. On 8.4.22 at 4:23pm I made a social media post based on my own personal experience expressing the urgent need to find another Black CPA & received overwhelming responses for referrals as well as a lot of people & businesses thanking me for having the courage to go public with my experience where they had not. I was inundated with phone calls, text messages, social media messages, videos, screenshots, radio interviews, etc., of other experiences in the Black community as well as correspondence from former & current employees that are ongoing. When I checked my email later that evening, I had a cessation letter from NextGen on 8.4.22 at 3:26pm & they sent over my documents on 8.5.22 before I could arrive in person minus the receipts for cash payments I had asked for as well as the memos, contracts, valuations, etc., that Cindy referenced existed on her 2.12.22 zoom call. I assumed they cancelled services because they could not back up their extortion attempt for $3310 in addition to believing they had made this decision because of my court case knowing that they had committed unethical & illegal actions with my P&L & tax returns without my knowledge or permission which has since been reported as recommended by attorney and new CPA. I reached out to my attorney to inform him that they were refusing to send the documents for the discovery request that I had been waiting on since 2.12.22 & he stated he could issue a subpoena. I advised him we would wait on the BBB resolution. They are now issuing false statements above as to the reason why they sent the cessation letter per their own documentation. I suspended services on 3.8.22 & made my last payment the last week of February 2022. 180 days from last payment would be 8.29.22, 180 days from when I suspended services would be 9.4.22. I requested services I had already paid for & never requested anything for free. It is well known & documented (see attached screenshots) that there is a mass exodus of clients due to similar complaints such as mine dating back to 2020 that have nothing to do with my recent complaints in August 2022. I am one of the last victims to learn how this business operates. I need a refund of $3310, P&L statements fixed & 2020 tax returns refiled correctly.
  
  
  Business Response /* (4000, 16, 2022/10/14) */
  We are governed by confidentiality standards that limit the details in which we can share on this matter. All calls to our office are recorded and email correspondence is retained for seven years. Those records fully evidence our commitment to serve the former client. They also evidence an instance where we fell short of our efforts to serve the former client.
  
  The former client's contract with our office was signed in April 2020. The 12-month cycle of their contract is therefore April through the following March of each year.
  In November 2021, the client brought to our attention that in addition to monthly accounting and tax preparation services, they engaged to do tax planning services for the company as well. Upon review, our notes and the phone recording evidence those services were discussed verbally and the client was advised they would be provided. However, during preparation of the client's contract and stated fees, those services were not included (contract attached - tax planning services are not reflected).
  
  The absence of tax planning services from the contract and fee structure was an error made by our office. Although the client did not pay for these services, we determined it was what they expected, and what we'd verbally committed to provide them. Therefore, in a spirit of excellence, we determined that we should provide the services. We elected not to charge the client for the services and provide them at no additional cost.
  
  Further, due to absence of planning services, the client expressed frustration with our services. We therefore decided to provide the client with a credit equal to 3 months of their recurring monthly fee. At this time the client was 3 months past due on their fees to us and the credit would bring their account current. This credit was issued in November 2021 for the periods September, October & November. The client was scheduled to pay for December 2021, January, February and March 2022 per their annual contract. Those payments were not received.
  In January 2022, we communicated 5+ times with the client and ultimately arranged a payment plan. We agreed to continue to provide services contingent upon adherence to that plan. That payment plan was not honored.
  
  In March of 2022, we notified the client that services would be discontinued due to non-payment. The client was unresponsive to automated weekly reminders of payments due and weekly reminders of data needed to provide deadline-sensitive tax preparation work from March 2022 to August 2022.
  
  In August of 2022, the client contacted us requesting services and we advised that services could not be resumed until payment of the outstanding balance was made. We were advised by the client that payment in full could not be made, and we again agreed to accept a payment plan. Based on the default in the prior payment plan, we declined to provide any services without at least one payment in that plan.
  
  At this time, we also advised that any services included in their original contract could only be provided if they remitted all payments in their contract. The contract states under the Fee Schedule, paragraph C that "NextGen reserves the right to terminate services without 30 days' notice due to non-payment and no other work shall be undertaken unless the parties agree in writing to specific terms for the additional work". We provided those terms, advised the client that they did not remit their December 2021 payment, as well as their January, February & March 2022 payments. This means the client did not pay for a full 12 months of services to be eligible for a full year's services as outlined in their contract. The client disagreed stating that although she had not paid for 12 months of services that she wanted us to do her tax preparation at no additional cost. We thoroughly explained that payment for 5 out of 12 months, and credits for an additional 3 months would not result in receiving 12 months of services. The client would not accept this objective assessment, and we issued a formal notice of withdrawal of services. At that time, the client began sharing unfounded and untruthful personal attacks toward our leadership and issued threatening demands to our team members at the office and on their personal devices. This reaction resulted in calls to law enforcement and engagement of legal counsel.
  
  At this time, we will not provide additional services to the former client. However, it is our goal to ensure the client can be successful with a new provider. Given that, we will provide a payment of $500 to their new provider, as well as a 60-minute consult with the new provider to review any questions they have that will allow for a smooth transition.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (4200, 18, 2022/10/21) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Due to this response full of false, misleading information & the guilty $500 credit offer, I do not want Next Gen to file the 2021 tax returns or fix the P&L statements for 2020 & 2021 as I do not have faith in Cindy ******'s ability or integrity. Instead of $3310 refund, I am now seeking a 50% refund of the $33,000 paid to date as well as other damages to be determined due to the significant financial impact to my business due to this accountant's gross negligence. It is clear now that this was intentional & retaliatory because of my refusal to continue to do business based on her incompetence. I still need cash receipts from 4/20-2/22 & management documentation that was due to me 6.1.20. Due to this response coupled with Cindy's negligence & false advertising of qualifications, her services are no longer required as it is clear she nor her firm is qualified or capable of completing services as advertised & definitely aren't capable of fixing their errors. Per email dated 3.15.22 from Wagoner County Clerk, Cindy's ******'s accreditation was out of compliance, & she was not listed as a governmental auditor as she falsely represented to us when we referred her to complete a audit for the oldest surviving historic Black town of Tullahassee, OK for grants. After consulting with attorney, CPA, IRS & OK Accountancy Board, this is what led to me finally stopping payments & suspending my services along with my own complaints that are thoroughly documented for almost a year. The only resolution at this point is for $16,500 refund as I have to get 50 profit & loss statements redone from January 2020-January 2022 & 2020 taxes refiled in order to comply with court & save my businesses. She was paid $33,000 to date for documents/services that are unusable & it's clearly documented that I lost investors due to it on multiple occasions. Additionally, she provided tax advice that is illegal due to the nature of my business I have since learned. Please note that Cindy nor Next Gen ever informed me that the specific reason why they were attempting to extort me for $3310 for my 2021 taxes is because I didn't pay for January 2022-March 2022 bookkeeping services at $1650 per month. My emails to them on 8.2 & 8.3 clearly is asking for clarity that never came. There is not one communication from them conveying that if I didn't complete those months that I would be charged for my 2021 tax returns filing. In addition, my contract was not 12 months as evidenced by the signature dated 4.10.20 which lists no end date. If it was year to year, then a new contract would've been signed once that one expired 3/2021. Please also note that the contract states "Any changes will be mutually agreed upon & confirmed in writing." This never occurred regarding a new contract being entered into after 3/2021 & this never occurred when they changed their $1400 fee to $1650 in 11/2021. If I was contractually obligated to complete bookkeeping for March 2022, then Cindy would've shown on her 8.2.22 email that I also owed them $1650 for that month, per my contract. Please refer to that same email where she clearly states that I owe them for February 2022 because of my "promise to pay" & not due to the contract even though no documentation/services were completed. The information is never consistent which is typically what occurs when dealing with unethical dishonest people. I've repeatedly asked Next Gen Tax Services for receipts for the cash payments that I have made to them since April 2020 & they have refused to provide this. During the time that I was a client, they always stated that my P&L statements counted as my receipt. Since leaving them as a client, I have learned that is not correct, they should provide me with a receipt date stamped which is how I provide receipts to them for other purchases. This is concerning as I paid in cash & lesson learned as a first-time business owner. Please note the discrepancy in Next Gen Tax Services accounting practices/record keeping vs. the dates of the emails & invoices for context in order to see their own internal errors that have contributed to this breach of contract on their end as I could not continue paying for services fraught with errors without getting answers which Cindy refused or was incapable of providing. I do not know what my true balance is according to their conflicting records. They sent me 3 unpaid invoices on 10.20.22 for $1361.26 for January & February 2022 balance & an 4th invoice on 10.21.22 that was supposed to be a credit back on 11.18.21 for $1400 for September 2021 balance which contradicts the 8.2.22 email from Cindy that states my past due balance is $2100 & contradicts the excel spreadsheet that Christina Armstrong sent me on 8.4.22 which states my past due balance is $2100 which contradicts my P&L statements which states legal & professional fees were paid in full. By my records, December 2021 $1650 was paid in full, I paid all but $410 for January 2022 & February 2022 is $0 as I did not receive any bookkeeping services & completed my own paperwork that month. It is my firm belief that Cindy ****** chose to retaliate against me once I suspended my services indefinitely in March 2022 for my consistent complaints & the questions that were applying pressure on how my financials had been handled especially given the lawsuit & my concerns that her practices were unethical & illegal which I expressed in phone calls with her. She knew that I would not pay another exorbitant amount for services until I had received proof that the past services were resolved per her email offer on 11.18.21. I have never shared unfounded information about Cindy ****** or Next Gen Empire as evidenced by the plethora of documentation submitted & the plethora of documentation that hasn't been shared & that continues to come in regularly. I have not completed untruthful personal attacks towards anyone however I have spoken about my truthful personal & business experience regarding Cindy ****** specifically related to my businesses & the town of Tullahassee of which I have intimate knowledge & proof as I am a founding board member of two of its' non-profits. I have not issued threatening demands to any team members as evidenced by the lengthy phone calls where they were most sympathetic to my experience & later shared their own. My personal conversations with previous & current team members were welcomed & continue to this day as they have also come forward as witnesses to myself & others regarding the toxic work environment they are subjected to due to the mass exodus of clients due to complaints similar to mine & worse. It is even more telling about Cindy's character as she chose to weaponize the police in this current climate against a Black woman business owner for holding her accountable for her own assurances of resolution per the email dated 11.18.21 that never occurred. Not only has nothing come from filing false police reports but if Cindy was in the right, she wouldn't be offering $500 credit to a client who is sharing "unfounded and untruthful personal attacks." For the first time, Cindy has begun sponsoring Black events in a public relations campaign in an effort to combat the many victims that have begun to come forward inspired by my courage to hold her accountable publicly for preying on the Black community & its' underrepresented founders. I was sent an interview she completed on 8.10.22 by one of her team members who felt it was a slap to me, where she boasts that she hit $1.5 million in revenue in 2021 & grew client roster to 1,100 that year from 86 in 2018. I was one of the most public supporters of her business & regularly shared referrals assisting with the increase of clients which I have ceased & apologized to those I referred. One of the questions asked were: How does NextGen help minority founders? Cindy's response: "I don't say "minority founders." I like to call them "underestimated founders," because we really aim to help support them to turn into the majority of founders. It's part of our vision to create & educate the next generation of ultra-successful entrepreneurs. Underestimated founders are often overlooked. Even when they are working with a CPA firm, they often have a trust gap, because they don't feel like they have shared experience. We bring this fresh perspective, this feminine energy, & this attention to the small guys who will someday become big guys with our help." This is why she initially committed to bullying tactics & sent her in house legal counsel to send me a cease desist for my social media post about my own personal & business experiences with her on behalf of myself, my businesses & my town. This is due to my platform of cooperative economics & building a Black business ecosystem & she hoped it would prevent me from conveying my experiences, but it has not. It has only encouraged me to continue fighting the bully through proper channels legally.