Step 4 — Show your work
How we rank
Every firm starts at zero and earns points against five weighted criteria. We call each one as an ordinary prospective client owing $38,000, using the same script, and record what we are told about fees before any contract exists.
What we won’t do
Positions 1 and 2 on our rankings are sponsored placements, held by firms that pay us. We say so in the advertiser disclosure at the top of every ranking, and the drawbacks we list for them are the same drawbacks we would list for anyone else — read the first two cards and you will find what each firm does not publish.
Everything below position 2 is ordered on what we can verify: published pricing, guarantee terms and the credential mix. No firm can buy a score, and no firm can buy a "best for" label. We do not publish a ranking in any category where fewer than three firms clear the credential floor, and when a firm's regulatory record changes we re-score it within 30 days.
Enrolled agents, CPAs and attorneys actually employed — verified against licensing boards, not counted off an About page.
Whether a real number is quoted on the first call, whether it is flat or staged, and what triggers extra billing.
Read against the contract. A refund tied to "improved payment terms" scores lower than one tied to outcome.
Response times, whether you keep one case manager, and complaint patterns across BBB, Trustpilot and CFPB filings.
State AG actions, FTC enforcement and license suspensions in the last seven years. Any open action is disqualifying.