A taxing proposition.

• Author: Schwab, Robert
• Position: Attitude at Altitude - Tax Recovery Group

THEY DON'T THINK THEY'LL HAVE TO give away the money, but a Colorado Springs tax firm has challenged its own industry to produce empirical evidence that its fellow tax preparers generally are an accurate bunch.

Considering that many small businesses and individuals are preparing their 2003 tax returns right now, it's a timely challenge.

The Tax Recovery Group, a 40-employee company started in 1995 on the premise that it can recover thousands of dollars in overpaid taxes for small and medium-sized businesses, is offering a $1,000 prize for the data.

Carol Arnold, a company spokesman, said last month that no one had yet offered up evidence to claim the prize after TRG's gauntlet had been thrown publicly for about a week. The company had, however, already received some "How dare you!" comments e-mailed to it once the challenge was put forth. Some tax preparers are "a little insulted," said Arnold.

But TRG has made a business of showing small businessmen that their tax returns are often wrong--and not in their favor.

The company says its clients receive an average return of $8,000 after TRG files amended returns following what is usually a three-year review of past filings. TRG takes half of the client's return as a fee...