AIDS Project L.A.

‘Tax therapist’ helps those in crisis face IRS

Dealing with the Internal Revenue Service can be nerve-racking.

You can imagine or maybe have even experienced compounding these feelings by being afflicted with cancer or AIDS, or while trying to overcome a bout with alcoholism, drugs or some other personal crisis. The obstacles seem overwhelming, and the feelings of helplessness and panic tend to envelop those who deal with this on a daily basis.

But it does not have to be this way.

There is a “guiding light” in this storm of uncertainty. Dr. Joyce Rebhun is a crusader who regularly deals with individuals who find themselves in tax dilemmas.

Rebhun, whose efforts have been spotlighted in recent years by a host of media including the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and Money magazine, has carved a niche for herself as a self-proclaimed “tax therapist” and has helped thousands of clients to confront their “fear of filing.”

“I get a certain satisfaction from helping others,” she says. “It constantly energizes me to see them return to the mainstream.”

A native of Pittsburgh, Rebhun has worn many hats in her lifetime. After amassing five degrees, including a J.D., M.B.A. and a doctorate of finance, she worked for the IRS for five years in the early 1970s as a tax fraud examiner, later going on to serve as a corporate tax attorney for several “Fortune 200″ companies.

In addition to being a licensed certified public accountant and tax attorney, Rebhun has also published articles on the tax process. In the mid 1980s, she incorporated to provide tax consultation in private practice, gradually becoming sensitized to the human aspect behind those filing tax returns.

A majority of the 7,000 clients she has served in her career are people in crisis, often dealing with foreclosure, bankruptcy, liens and garnishments. They may also be victims of personal trauma, running the gamut from cancer, rape, depression, child abuse, divorce or death of a spouse or child. Most recently, recovering alcoholics, drug addicts and those testing HIV-positive have sought solace from Dr. Joyce.

“The normal CPA, the normal attorney will not nurture you,” she says. “Often people in trouble need to be nurtured, at least to get the process started.”

She constantly reminds her clients that “there is hope … don’t give up hope.”

Every week, a florist arrives at her Ladera Heights condominium bearing an arrangement from one of her “special friends”: a client who, without anywhere else to turn, came to Rebhun with his plight. He has tested HIV positive, and his lover left him, not an uncommon tale for Rebhun to hear.

Becoming despondent, the man had failed to pay his taxes for the past few years, and now due to his tax delinquency, was beginning to have difficulty receiving medical benefits.

“I see this kind of thing on a regular basis,” says AIDS Project Los Angeles Public Benefits Specialist Jennifer Weck, referring to APLA clients who run into trouble receiving benefits. “Many of those who have tested positive work under the table, and don’t realize that they haven’t paid enough in taxes to receive benefits.”

“You cannot become immune to their tragedies … you can see the sadness in their eyes,” Rebhun says softly, her eyes misting over. “They have to know there is someone who can help, and I feel I have an insight into their needs.”

Weck advises, “If there is a way to contribute even a little (in taxes), then they should make the effort, or it will knock them out later, especially in trying to get Medicare benefits. It’s very frustrating.”

When you need Rebhun, the first thing that strikes you is her intensity and conviction. She possesses a quiet demeanor that takes the form of genuine concern for those who struggle against the odds. Rebhun takes time with her clients, gently coaxing out their plights, and working with them to deliver affidavits for the IRS to explain their delinquency.

“They are people, too,” she says, speaking of IRS employees. “They do care because they are human beings like any one of us. They must be made to understand.”

Almost one-third of Joyce’s clients are recovering from substance abuse, and finding their way back into the system that can be fraught with obstacles. Aside from the back taxes that are due, there are also penalties and fees attached that can make repayment a severe hardship.

This is when it becomes crucial for Joyce to show the traumas her clients have endured. She claims that 90 percent of her clients are relieved of penalty abatements, which can amount to as much as 40 percent of the balance due.

But they have to take control. Some are reluctant to relinquish control of their affairs, seeing it as a final step toward dependence on others.

“They become petrified of `opening their box’ of records and receipts,” Rebhun says. “There has to be that final step.”

(Rebhun offers a free consultation as assistance to persons with AIDS. For information on consultation and fees, call (310) 216-5988 – Editor)

By GEOFFREY-MARTIN CYR
APLA UPDATE

-EDITOR