CPA or Enrolled Agent - Tax Resolution, Federal & Georgia

I'm the owner-operator of a small field service business in Georgia getting ahead of a multi-year tax situation before it becomes an enforcement problem. Several years are unfiled or need adjustment Federal and State of Georgia and I'm coming into compliance voluntarily. No notices have been received. I have a bookkeeper auditing the books now, so accurate financials are 3–5 weeks out. I need a licensed professional to own this end to end: transcripts, prep, filing, and resolution. This is a proactive compliance engagement in an attempt to avoid fire drill. PROJECT SCOPE & DELIVERABLES Phase 1 - Transcripts & Assessment (can start immediately): - File POA/authorization and pull IRS wage & income and account transcripts for relevant years. I want to confirm what W2s and 1099s are on record for me before anything is filed - Assess my standing with the Georgia Department of Revenue the same way - Confirm the true filing picture: 2022, 2024, and 2025 are unfiled or needing correcting; verify all years via transcript - Assess 1099 information-return compliance (I pay 1099 subcontractors and flag any missing 1099-NEC filings and the exposure - Assess whether any payroll (941) exposure exists (likely none payroll only recently started via a payroll provider but verify) - Deliverable: a written summary of exactly where I stand with the IRS and GA DOR, what's owed or estimated, what must be filed, and your recommended resolution path with timeline Phase 2 - Return Preparation & Filing (bookkeeper delivery ~3–5 weeks): - Prepare and file all unfiled federal or amend and Georgia returns (personal 1040 with business schedules; confirm entity treatment from transcripts and records) - Business and personal are currently tangled. Rectifying and filing them correctly and guiding me how to keep them separated going forward - Clean P&Ls per year will be delivered to you from QuickBooks Online/Wave Phase 3 - Resolution: - Penalty abatement wherever eligible (first-time abatement and reasonable cause) - Installment agreement or other collection alternative if the final balance requires one - Same on the Georgia side - Deliverable: fully filed, resolution plan in place, you as my representative of record until it's closed out NOT IN SCOPE - Bookkeeping (separately hired and in progress) - Ongoing tax planning/advisory (may discuss later with the right person, but this engagement is resolution only) - Legal matters (I have counsel) DEADLINE EXPECTATIONS - Phase 1 (transcripts/assessment): start within 1–2 weeks of hire - this does not need to wait on the books - Phase 2 (prep/filing): begins when clean financials are delivered, expected 3–5 weeks from now - Note: if any unfiled year has a refund, the 3-year claim window is a live deadline - factor that urgency into your plan - After your assessment, you set the realistic timeline. I value honest timelines over optimistic ones. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS - Active CPA license or EA enrollment verified. Include your credential, state, and status in your proposal. - Direct IRS representation and resolution experience: transcript analysis, unfiled/back-year returns, penalty abatement, installment agreements. Tax prep experience alone is not sufficient. - Georgia filing and GA DOR experience - required. You must know how Georgia handles back-year filings and balances. - Self-employed / small business / contractor clientele experience (Schedule C, 1099-heavy businesses) - Comfort untangling commingled business/personal finances HOW WE'LL WORK Directly with me, the owner. I'm responsive (blockers answered within 24 hours), direct. Async-first through Upwork messaging, with scheduled calls at key points (assessment findings, pre-filing review). All work and payment stays on Upwork. BUDGET Total engagement budget: $2,000–$5,000 depending on findings, priced per phase. Propose fixed prices for: - Phase 1: transcript pull + written assessment - Phase 2: per-year return preparation (federal + GA) - Phase 3: resolution work (or hourly with a cap — your recommendation) If transcripts reveal complexity beyond this scope, we'll re-scope openly but quote what's described here. TO APPLY, ANSWER THESE IN YOUR PROPOSAL 1. Your credential (CPA or EA), state, and current status. 2. Describe a case where you brought a non-filer with multiple unfiled years into compliance: scope, what you negotiated, outcome. 3. Your specific Georgia DOR experience - back-year filings, penalty treatment, payment arrangements. 4. A self-employed client comes to you with 3 unfiled years, commingled finances, and no notices received yet - walk me through your first steps and closeout. 5. Your fixed-price quote for Phase 1, your per-year prep fee for Phase 2, and how you'd price Phase 3. Clarifying questions are welcomed. Proposals that ignore the five questions won't be considered.