Terms & conditions

Effective date: 1 January 2025

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of this website and the services provided by SLS Solutions LLC DBA Universal Tax Filer (“we,” “us,” or “our”). By using this website, submitting a form, opting into our SMS service, or engaging us, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the website or engage us.

1. Nature of our services — advisory only

Our services are advisory and preparatory in nature. We prepare tax returns and provide tax advice based solely on information and documentation you supply, and on our understanding of tax law as it stands at the time.

• The Internal Revenue Service and applicable state and local taxing authorities are the final authority on the interpretation and application of tax law, on the acceptance of any return, and on any assessment, adjustment or refund
• Tax law, regulations, IRS guidance and judicial interpretation change, sometimes retroactively; positions that are reasonable when taken may later be treated differently
• Where the law is unclear, we may take a position supported by a reasonable basis or substantial authority; a taxing authority may disagree with any such position
• We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice; nothing on this website or in our communications creates an attorney-client relationship
• We do not provide investment, securities, insurance or financial-planning advice, and nothing we provide should be relied upon as such
• Information on this website is general in nature, is not tailored to your circumstances, and must not be relied upon as advice for your situation

2. No guarantee of outcome

We make no guarantee, warranty or representation as to the outcome of any engagement. Without limiting that:

• We do not guarantee any particular refund amount, tax liability, credit, deduction or other result
• We do not guarantee that a return will be accepted as filed, or that it will not be selected for examination, audit, review or adjustment
• We do not guarantee the outcome of any audit, notice, appeal, penalty abatement request or collection matter
• We do not guarantee that any penalty or interest will be reduced, abated or avoided
• Selection for examination is substantially outside our control and may occur for statistical or random reasons unrelated to how a return was prepared
• Any timeframe we give — for preparation, filing, response or refund — is a good-faith estimate only and is not a guarantee; processing times are controlled by the taxing authority, not by us

Any statement by us about a likely outcome is an opinion based on the facts then known, not a promise or a warranty of result.

3. Your responsibilities

The accuracy of a return depends on the accuracy of what you give us. You agree that:

• You will provide complete, accurate and timely information and documentation, including all sources of income, foreign accounts and assets, and all items affecting your return
• You are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of your return, and for the substantiation of every position claimed on it
• You will review the completed return carefully before authorising it to be filed, and will tell us of anything that appears incorrect or incomplete
• You will retain the records and documentation supporting your return for as long as required by law
• You will notify us promptly of any notice or correspondence you receive from a taxing authority
• You are responsible for meeting filing and payment deadlines, including estimated tax payments, whether or not we remind you

We are entitled to rely on the information you provide without independent verification or audit. We are not engaged to detect fraud, error, defalcation or misrepresentation, and our services cannot be relied upon to do so. Any tax, penalty or interest arising from information that was incomplete, inaccurate or withheld is your responsibility.

4. Engagement, scope and fees

• Each engagement is governed by the engagement letter or written scope for that matter, which prevails over these Terms in the event of any conflict
• Fees are quoted in writing before work begins. The quoted fee reflects the scope described at the time it was given
• If the scope changes — additional forms, states, entities, years, accounts or complexity discovered during the work — we will inform you and re-quote before continuing
• Fees are for professional services rendered and are not contingent on any outcome, refund amount or tax result
• Fees are non-refundable once services have been performed, save where a refund is required by applicable law
• Invoices are payable on the terms stated. We may suspend work or decline to file where fees remain unpaid

We may decline to accept an engagement, or withdraw from one, including where we are asked to take a position we consider unsupportable, where information is withheld, or where continuing would conflict with our professional obligations.

5. Penalties, interest and additional tax

You remain responsible for all tax, penalties and interest properly assessed against you. We are not responsible for penalties or interest arising from information not provided to us, provided late, or provided inaccurately; from your failure to pay a liability when due; from your decision to take or decline a position; or from delay, error or change of position by a taxing authority.

6. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:

• Our aggregate liability arising out of or relating to any engagement, whether in contract, tort, negligence, statute or otherwise, shall not exceed the total professional fees actually paid by you to us for the specific engagement giving rise to the claim
• We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost opportunity, lost data, or loss of goodwill, even if advised of the possibility
• We shall not be liable for any tax, penalty or interest that you would have owed in any event had the return been prepared correctly
• We shall not be liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including acts of a taxing authority, changes in law, outages of IRS or state systems, third-party software or service failure, or force majeure

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for fraud or for wilful misconduct. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions or limitations, in which case the limitation applies to the greatest extent permitted.

Any claim must be brought within one (1) year of the date you knew or reasonably should have known of the facts giving rise to it, or the earliest date permitted by applicable law if that period is longer.

7. Website content and disclaimer of warranties

This website, including all guides, checklists, calculators, deadline listings and articles, is provided for general information only. It is not advice, it may not reflect current law, and it must not be acted upon without professional advice addressing your circumstances. The website and our services are provided “as is” and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SLS Solutions LLC DBA Universal Tax Filer, its members, officers, employees and contractors from any claim, liability, penalty, interest, cost or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from information you provided that was incomplete, inaccurate or misleading, from your failure to meet your obligations under these Terms, or from any position you directed us to take.

9. Confidentiality and privacy

We handle your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and with Internal Revenue Code §7216. Email and text message are not encrypted end to end; the client portal is the recommended route for anything carrying a Social Security Number, and sending documents sets out the alternatives and the precautions for each.

10. Records

We retain records as described in our Privacy Policy. Our retention is for our own purposes and is not a substitute for your records. Working papers and internal files remain our property.

11. Third parties

We use third-party tax preparation, e-file transmission, payment and storage providers, and this site links to third-party services. We are not responsible for the acts, omissions, availability or content of any third party.

12. Governing law and dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. The exclusive venue for any dispute shall be the state or federal courts located in Fort Bend County, Texas, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. Each party waives any right to a trial by jury and to participate in any class or representative action, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

13. General

• If any provision is held unenforceable, it shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary or severed, and the remainder shall continue in full force
• Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it
• These Terms, with the engagement letter and Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between us on their subject matter
• You may not assign your rights or obligations without our written consent
• We may amend these Terms at any time by posting the amended version here with a revised effective date; continued use constitutes acceptance

14. SMS terms & conditions

By opting into our SMS service, you agree to the following, which apply to all SMS messages sent or received as part of our service.

14.1 Message types

By opting into our SMS service, you consent to receive text messages related to the following topics:

• Appointment reminders
• Order alerts
• Account notifications
• Promotional messages
• Other updates specific to your account or interactions with SLS Solutions LLC DBA Universal Tax Filer

14.2 Messaging frequency

The number of messages you receive may vary based on your interactions with us. You may receive messages on an ongoing or one-time basis, depending on the nature of your subscription. Messaging frequency may vary.

14.3 Fees and charges

Message and data rates may apply. Standard text messaging and data rates charged by your carrier will apply. Please contact your mobile service provider for details. We are not responsible for any messaging or data charges incurred by you.

14.4 Opt-out

You may opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time. To opt out at any time, text STOP. After opting out, you may receive one final confirmation message stating you have been unsubscribed.

14.5 Assistance

If you need help, reply HELP to any message you receive. Alternatively, you can visit our contact page or contact our support team directly. For assistance, text HELP or visit universaltaxfiler.com/contact.

14.6 Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. For more details on how we handle your information, please review our Privacy Policy.

14.7 Additional terms

By subscribing, you represent that you are the owner or authorised user of the mobile device you use to receive messages and that you are authorised to approve charges. These SMS Terms & Conditions are subject to change at any time. Updated terms will be available at universaltaxfiler.com/terms-conditions. Use of our SMS service constitutes your agreement to these terms.

15. Contact us

If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us:

SLS Solutions LLC DBA Universal Tax Filer
tax@universaltaxfiler.com
+1 949 431 2999 Ext 101
4603 FM 1463, Katy, TX 77494