McDonnell Coates, LLP

When my wife and I moved to Texas two+ years ago, we didn't have a clue where to go for our tax/legal needs. We searched online and were very happy to find a firm that handles both. As small business owners, they have provided us with proper guidance to ensure we are always on the right track, and their customer service is exceptional. When we go into Simplified we are treated better than family; everyone stops in and asks how we are doing. Couldn’t be happier we found this group for both our personal and business needs – highly recommend!

Speaking for the Legal side of the house (Estate/Will), 5 ????? were earned for the following points as follows: 1. Strong clear Communication 2. Fair pricing 3. Professional environment 4. Sensitive Customer Service during my loss 5. Timely turnaround on setting court date and filing. They made this process as seamless as possible during a dark valley in my life. From the receptionist, to Lori the paralegal (a gem), and to both Attorneys, they "simplified the business of death" (I grant permission to use that), and for that, I sincerely thank you! P.S. In addition, thanks to the young ladies who offered me tissue water, and listened to my love story, small details matter. Bless you all in 2025.

We have been coming here for 5+ years now. Everyone is so welcoming and professional. Our returns have been greater than anywhere else we’ve gone to in the past.

My rating reflects my experience with the Tax and Accounting side of this business. I cannot speak to the legal side of the house, but after my experience with the Tax and Accounting side. However, I will pursue other firms to address my business legal matters based on this experience. When using this Simplified Business Solutions I had two issues: 1) Communication and 2) Level of Service. I had four years of tax returns that I needed to file for business and personal which was clearly express in my intake process with the firm. I initially gave my information to the firm in August. I did not get the finished product ready to be sent off until January 2024 (5 months later). The office overall didn’t communicate or follow-up well. I was told several times that the tax preparer would only contact me if they need something even though at the time there was nobody assigned. Documents like W-2s were missing and I was never contacted despite attempts to follow-up. Lack of communication between the tax preparer, Carey Stringer and I regarding needed documentation caused delays and four revisions of the tax returns. It was only in face-to-face meetings with the firm to review the returns were appropriate questions asked and given answers. I asked for follow-up calls and only got emailed responses. Eventually, I had to take matters into my own hands and prepare a summary of all the financials into a table format the tax preparer was willing to accept because they were unwilling to go through all of the documentation I provided and develop it themselves. I was just savvy enough that we were able to reduce my tax liability from 10s of thousand to only a few thousand. Ultimately, I ended up having six in-person meetings with the firm and four revisions to my tax returns before being able to reduce my tax liability. In my fifth meeting I arrived to find that the office was closed for the day due to inclement weather, but nobody from the firm ever contacted me to reschedule our meeting. I personally had to put in a lot more work than expected. I can only imagine the outcomes for those who did not have my financial background, skill set, and willingness to do whatever it took to get the best outcome for myself. Due to the effort I had to put into the process, I believed I was justified in negotiating the overall fee. I was given a very hard time when trying to negotiate the fee on 8 tax returns because they stated they had already loss money with the amount of time it had taken to complete the returns. Kevin McDonnell took a very hardline approach with me in our discussions several times. We eventually reached a settlement, but I will not be using the firm again.

Excellent tax and litigation law firm. Kevin is a hoot to work with as are the entire staff. As for the troll that left a one star review, why would you go to a law firm that deals in tax litigation for a traffic citation ? It makes no sense. Also, because of the COVID-19 issue, the office staff is having to work from home along with the fact that the courts are closed. Adjudication of a traffic citation needs to be dealt with by taking the online traffic school. It costs less. If on the other hand, your issue is drug or alcohol related then that option is off the table.