As if preparing your taxes isn’t time-consuming and hectic enough, the recent news of IRS budget cuts that could result in slower tax refunds, worse customer service and less identity-theft protection is probably adding more stress for taxpayers this season.
But attorneys Kris Ruben and Myrna Goldberg, founders of their Northbrook law firm, Ruben & Goldberg, say they’re on top of the change and they plan to make sure their tax clients have the least chance of being affected.
“Filing an accurate return is more important than ever to ensure minimal interaction with the IRS,” said Goldberg, a University of Michigan law school graduate who has been practicing law for 27 years. “We’re really good about looking at our clients prior returns to ensure the most accurate return possible.”
“We are also telling our clients to file early because later in the season, as they get busier, it will take the IRS longer to get the refund checks out,” said Ruben, who is a graduate of ITT Chicago Kent Law School and has been an attorney since 1991.
Ruben also explained that the earlier people file their returns, the less chance they have of being victims of someone else filing falsely for them.
Income tax preparation is only one of Ruben & Goldberg’s areas of expertise. The firm also handles estate planning, real estate, and corporate law.
“Over the years we’ve developed somewhat of a niche in helping people with transitions in life,” said Goldberg, who lives in Northbrook with her husband, Cary, and their two children and who met Ruben several years ago through their children’s school. “We handle clients whose spouse has passed away or who have a parent with dementia, or who are going through a divorce. It’s a lot of handholding.”
Ruben, who is divorced, said she knows firsthand how it feels, and therefore has a good perspective and a lot of empathy for clients in that situation.
“I feel like I can get them started on the right path with financial issues, estate planning, real estate taxes— everything except being their divorce attorney,” she said. “Many clients come to see us and they have never filed a tax return, they don’t know what assets they have, they might want to sell their home and don’t know how, and they don’t understand wills and trusts.”
Ralph and Holly Love of Glenview have been clients of the firm for 10 years and have worked with both Ruben and Goldberg on tax preparation and real estate transactions.
“They’re so easy to work with and they don’t treat you like you’re on the clock,” said Ralph Love. “They’re willing to really sit down and talk with you and explain things.”
Love said he recently worked with Goldberg on the closing of his daughter’s condo.
“The state had changed a law and the seller didn’t realize it, but Myrna made sure it got done correctly,” he said. “Everything was lined up.”
“They work like I do,” said Dawn Miller, a realtor at Koenig Rubloff in Glenview, who has referred several clients to Ruben & Goldberg. “If I have a thought at 11 o’clock at night, I e-mail them and they respond immediately. If my client has a question, Myrna and Kris are ahead of me. They’ve thought of everything. They work through all the scenarios and I never have to worry.”
When asked how they managed to reach the milestone of 10 years in business, Goldberg had this to say: “We’re approachable and people feel comfortable with us. We’re not uptight, and we really have a passion to help people.”
“They’re just nice people,” Love said. “And they’re smart.”
Ruben & Goldberg
3000 Dundee Road
(847) 790-7625
rglegal.biz