There’s a moment that changes everything for someone drowning in tax debt. It usually happens at 2 a.m., staring at an IRS notice that might as well be written in ancient Sanskrit. The numbers blur together—$50,000, $1,000,000, maybe much more—and the weight of it feels like trying to breathe underwater. Most people in this situation make a desperate call to one of those firms advertising on late-night television, only to discover they’ve reached a call center where their “case manager” is really just a salesperson reading from a script.
Mike Habib does things differently.
When you call Mike Habib, EA, you actually speak with Mike Habib. Not a junior associate. Not an intake coordinator. Not someone whose primary qualification is the ability to upsell you on services you don’t need. You get the man himself—an IRS-licensed Enrolled Agent with more than two decades of experience who has made it his life’s work to stand between hardworking Americans and the full might of the Internal Revenue Service.
Corporate Roots, Small Business Focus
Before launching his own practice, Mike built an impressive career in corporate finance. He served as Controller for Xerox Corporation and Director of Finance for AEG, roles that immersed him in sophisticated accounting systems, complex regulatory compliance, and the kind of strategic financial planning that drives major business decisions.
But here’s what matters: Mike didn’t stay in the corporate world. He recognized that small and medium-sized businesses—the restaurants, contractors, medical practices, and family-owned companies that form the backbone of the American economy—desperately needed access to the same caliber of financial expertise that large corporations take for granted.
That corporate background now works for you. When a small business owner brings Mike a complicated situation involving multiple entities, payroll tax obligations, and looming IRS deadlines, they’re working with someone who managed these exact issues at scale. The same analytical frameworks that guided multimillion-dollar corporate decisions now help local business owners structure their operations for tax efficiency. The same meticulous attention to compliance that satisfied Fortune 500 stakeholders now protects entrepreneurs from costly mistakes.
Most tax professionals serving small businesses have never seen the inside of a corporate finance department. Mike spent years there—and brought that expertise back to the businesses that need it most.
The Credentials That Command Respect
The letters “EA” after Mike Habib’s name carry more weight than most people realize. An Enrolled Agent holds the highest credential the IRS awards to tax professionals. It’s a federal license that grants unlimited practice rights before all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service—something that separates EAs from the vast majority of accountants, bookkeepers, and tax preparers who lack the authority to truly advocate for their clients when stakes are highest.
Mike is also an NTPI Fellow, having completed the rigorous curriculum of the National Tax Practice Institute. This advanced training focuses specifically on representation practice—the art and science of defending taxpayers in disputes with federal and state tax authorities.
From 2012 to 2019, Mike earned recognition as an Endorsed Local Provider through Dave Ramsey’s network—a distinction reserved for professionals who meet stringent standards of integrity, competence, and client service. His A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, maintained across decades of practice, reflects the kind of consistent excellence that’s genuinely rare in the tax relief industry.
Combined with his corporate finance background, these credentials create something exceptional: a practitioner who brings both the strategic perspective of a senior executive and the technical mastery of a specialized tax authority.
Tax Preparation for Complex Returns
Not all tax returns are created equal. While millions of Americans can file simple returns with basic software, others face situations that demand genuine expertise. Mike Habib’s tax preparation services cater specifically to those whose financial lives have grown beyond off-the-shelf solutions.
Business owners face tax preparation challenges that extend far beyond personal returns. S-corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and C-corporations each carry distinct filing requirements, and the interplay between business and personal taxes can create opportunities or pitfalls depending on how returns are prepared. Mike prepares returns across all entity types—Form 1120 for corporations, Form 1065 for partnerships, and the associated K-1 schedules that flow through to individual owners.
High-income individuals with multiple income streams, investment portfolios, and rental properties require preparation that captures every legitimate deduction while maintaining bulletproof compliance. Mike understands how different income sources interact, how timing decisions affect tax liability, and how to document positions that might attract IRS scrutiny.
Real estate investors navigate depreciation schedules, passive activity rules, 1031 exchanges, and complex calculations surrounding rental income. A single error can trigger years of amended returns or an audit that questions an entire investment strategy.
Expatriates and international taxpayers face perhaps the most complex filing situations. U.S. citizens living abroad must still file American returns while potentially owing taxes to foreign jurisdictions. The interplay of foreign tax credits, treaty provisions, FBAR requirements, and FATCA compliance creates a minefield that claims unwary taxpayers every year.
The common thread is complexity. Mike focuses on situations where expertise genuinely matters—where the difference between competent preparation and amateur effort might be measured in thousands of dollars.
Strategic and Tactical Tax Planning
If tax preparation reports what happened last year, tax planning shapes what happens next year and beyond. This forward-looking discipline separates reactive taxpayers—who discover their liability after it’s too late—from proactive clients who structure their affairs to minimize taxes legally and strategically.
Strategic tax planning addresses big-picture questions. Should your business operate as an S-corp or remain a sole proprietorship? How should you structure the sale of a business to minimize capital gains exposure? What’s the optimal approach to retirement account distributions given your expected income in future years? These questions require modeling multiple scenarios and projecting outcomes across timeframes that may span decades.
Tactical tax planning focuses on near-term opportunities within the current tax year—timing income recognition and deductions, maximizing retirement contributions, harvesting investment losses, and leveraging credits that might otherwise go unclaimed.
Strategic IRA distribution planning represents a particular specialty. The decisions surrounding retirement account withdrawals carry enormous long-term consequences. A misstep can result in unnecessary taxation, premature depletion of assets, or missed opportunities for tax-free growth. Mike develops distribution strategies that align with retirement goals while minimizing lifetime tax burden.
For business owners, tax planning extends into entity structuring, compensation strategies, benefit plans, and succession planning. The choices made in these areas determine whether a successful business generates lasting wealth or gets consumed by avoidable taxation.
Bookkeeping Services: The Foundation of Financial Clarity
Clean books aren’t just an accounting nicety—they’re the foundation upon which everything else rests. Accurate financial records enable informed decisions, support loan applications, satisfy potential investors, and ensure tax returns reflect reality rather than guesswork.
Mike’s bookkeeping services provide small businesses and nonprofits with professional financial infrastructure: transaction recording and categorization, bank and credit card reconciliation, accounts receivable and payable management, and financial statement preparation that translates raw data into meaningful reports.
His corporate controller background elevates these services beyond data entry. Mike understands that bookkeeping creates information systems supporting better decisions. The reports he produces aren’t just compliance documents—they’re management tools that help business owners understand their operations more deeply.
When the IRS Comes Calling
The IRS isn’t just a government agency—it’s arguably the most powerful collection entity on Earth. It can garnish wages without a court order, seize bank accounts, and place liens on property that follow you for decades.
For the average person, receiving an IRS notice triggers primal fear. The language is deliberately intimidating. The deadlines feel impossible. The penalties compound until the original debt becomes a mountain.
This is where Mike Habib’s combination of credentials and experience proves decisive.
Consider what happened to one small business owner—a mechanic who weathered a brutal economic downturn. When business slowed, tax obligations got pushed aside. By the time the IRS came calling, he faced an $80,000 lien. A large national firm quoted $10,000 just to start, with no guarantees.
Mike took a different approach. He reviewed years of returns, analyzed the client’s financial situation, and identified eligibility for an Offer in Compromise. That $80,000 liability was settled for $8,000—paid through a manageable monthly plan.
Another client faced a staggering $250,000 liability. Mike first negotiated a pause on aggressive collection and secured a minimal monthly payment. Then he submitted an Offer in Compromise that settled the entire debt for just $5,000. “No more sleepless nights,” the client reported.
One client owed approximately $75,000 in back taxes across several years. Despite others saying it couldn’t be done, Mike assembled an Offer in Compromise that the IRS accepted for 10% of that amount.
These aren’t isolated successes. They represent consistent outcomes flowing from deep expertise, strategic thinking, and personal attention.
The Complete Tax Resolution Arsenal
Mike’s practice addresses virtually every tax problem individuals and businesses encounter:
Offers in Compromise allow qualifying taxpayers to settle debt for less than owed—sometimes dramatically less. The IRS rejects most OIC applications because taxpayers attempt them without proper guidance. Mike’s familiarity with IRS procedures gives clients genuine advantage.
Installment Agreements provide lifelines for taxpayers who can’t pay immediately but can manage structured monthly payments. Mike negotiates arrangements based on what clients can actually afford—not what the IRS initially demands.
Currently Not Collectible Status offers breathing room during genuine financial hardship, temporarily suspending collection activity while circumstances improve.
Penalty Abatement targets punishing interest and penalties that often constitute the bulk of outstanding liability. When taxpayers have reasonable cause for past noncompliance, Mike builds cases for reducing these charges.
Audit Representation puts a seasoned professional between taxpayers and IRS scrutiny. Mike handles document requests, challenges questionable adjustments, and protects client rights throughout examinations.
Payroll Tax Resolution addresses the most serious problems businesses face. The IRS treats employment tax violations with particular severity. Mike specializes in protecting clients from the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty and its devastating personal liability consequences.
Tax Lien and Levy Release focuses on stopping aggressive collection actions. Bank levies can empty accounts without warning. Wage garnishments can leave families unable to pay rent. Mike intervenes to negotiate alternatives allowing financial stability while resolving obligations.
Beyond the IRS: State Tax Expertise
California taxpayers face a complex web of state agencies: the Franchise Tax Board for income taxes, Employment Development Department for payroll matters, and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for sales tax. Each has its own procedures, deadlines, and enforcement mechanisms.
Mike’s practice extends across all jurisdictions. A business owner facing an EDD audit gets the same caliber of representation as someone negotiating with the IRS. Taxpayers facing both federal and state collection actions get coordinated defense addressing all fronts simultaneously.
While Mike’s office sits in Whittier, California, his federal EA credential means he represents taxpayers in all 50 states. Modern communication makes geographic distance irrelevant—what matters is expertise, responsiveness, and results.
The Personal Touch That Produces Results
The tax resolution industry has earned its troubled reputation. Many large firms operate like mills, processing cases through volume-based systems where clients become file numbers. Salespeople make promises practitioners can’t keep. “Case managers” change constantly.
Mike Habib built his practice as a deliberate counterpoint.
When you engage Mike’s services, you work with Mike. He reviews your documentation personally, develops strategy based on his own assessment, and handles communications with tax agencies himself. When you have questions—even at 6 p.m. on a Friday—you can actually reach him.
This personal involvement produces better outcomes. Mike catches opportunities that assembly-line processing would miss. He develops comprehensive understanding of each client’s situation that enables truly strategic advocacy.
Evening and weekend appointments accommodate clients who can’t meet during regular business hours. Tax problems don’t respect schedules, and neither should tax relief.
Competitive Pricing That Respects Your Reality
People facing tax problems typically aren’t flush with cash. Mike’s fee structure reflects commitment to making quality representation accessible.
Most engagements are quoted at flat rates, established upfront during a free initial consultation. You know what you’re paying from the beginning, with no anxiety about accumulating hourly fees.
The free initial consultation demonstrates Mike’s approach. Before any money changes hands, he takes time to understand your situation, explain options, and provide realistic assessment. Additional consultations are available at a reduced rate of $100 for up to twenty minutes.
A Mission Rooted in Results
Tax problems are never just about numbers. They’re about stress that wakes people at 3 a.m., strain on marriages and families, shame that people feel for situations they never anticipated, and dreams deferred while unresolved debt hangs overhead.
Mike Habib’s mission is restoring peace of mind. Taking burdens off shoulders. Giving clients back mental space and emotional energy that tax problems consume.
“IRS problems do not go away unless you take some action,” Mike tells prospective clients. Time doesn’t heal tax debt—it compounds it. Interest accrues. Penalties accumulate. Collection authority expands. The earlier you address problems, the more options remain available.
But it’s never too late to start. Whatever your situation—years behind on filing, facing imminent levy, struggling with complex tax matters, or seeking proactive planning—Mike can help find a path forward.
The expertise that once served corporate boardrooms now serves your small business. The strategic thinking that guided major corporate decisions now focuses on your particular situation. The meticulous attention to detail that satisfied demanding stakeholders now applies to your returns, your records, and your representation.
The first step is simple: pick up the phone and talk to someone who knows what they’re doing. In Mike Habib’s case, that someone will actually be Mike Habib—former corporate finance executive, IRS-licensed Enrolled Agent, NTPI Fellow, and the professional who will personally handle your case from first consultation to final resolution.
That makes all the difference.
Mike Habib, EA, NTPI Fellow, can be reached for a free initial consultation at 877-788-2937. His firm serves individuals and businesses nationwide from offices in Whittier, California. Mike Habib, EA highly-rated professional that is prominent to Los Angeles, CA, nationwide, and international US Expats