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Thursday, August 1st
2024 Tax Relief Company Reviews
Optima Tax Relief
- Over $1 billion in tax debt resolved
- "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
- Winner of the BBB Torch Award for Ethics
- Licensed to operate in all 50 states
- Must have either $10,000+ in tax debt or 1+ unfiled tax returns to qualify
- $295 investigation fee
- Resolution fees average between $995 and $5,000
- Thousands of five-star reviews
- 15-day refund policy
Optima Tax Relief is a full-service provider of tax relief, tax resolution, and tax settlement. From negotiating installment agreements to getting you qualified for penalty abatement, this company offers every possible solution to getting you out of trouble with the IRS and/or state taxing authorities.
Complete transparency on timeframes
Many consumers get frustrated when they think their tax relief process is taking too long. That's why we really appreciate how clearly Optima spells it out right from the get-go. Start with a free consultation. If you decide to use them for your case, you'll proceed to the Investigation phase: it'll take 2-4 weeks for Optima's team to initiate client protection from future action, get in communication with the IRS on your behalf, and review your options once they've researched your situation in depth. Next, the Resolution stage establishes your compliance with the IRS and works through whatever is deemed necessary to resolve your tax debt. Expect that step to take anywhere from 3-9 months on average, though current IRS backlogs may make it take longer.
Personal touch
Another reassuring feature of Optima Tax Relief is being able to put names and faces with the people who are working with you. Scroll down on their main page and you'll see quotes from some of their tax attorneys and other staff members, along with their first names and photos. That personal touch is just one of the reasons why this company has been successful in resolving over $1 billion in tax debt since 2012.
You'll need either $10,000+ in debt or one unfiled return
Ready to get started? Click on the green box that reads "How much tax debt do you have?" and select the range where your total falls. You'll need either $10,000+ in unresolved tax debt or at least one unfiled return to qualify for Optima Tax Relief's services. From there, you can either fill out the form to be contacted by one of their consultants or go directly to their toll-free number: as with most providers, your initial consultation is at no cost to you.
Stays current with tax laws
You can count on Optima Tax Relief to be on top of the most current rules and regulations for getting tax relief. Check out their blogs to see the latest in the news, tips for what to do if you've missed important deadlines, and much more. You can also check out Optima's various social media channels for real-time updates in the tax relief industry.
15-day money-back guarantee
What will it cost to use Optima for tax relief? Your fees will depend on how much work is necessary to resolve your problems, so they don't come right out with a fee schedule or even an estimate. Our research leads us to believe that you can anticipate an investigation fee of $295: that lets Optima's team get started on your case and determine the specifics required to get the IRS (or state taxing authority) off your back. However, Optima is the only tax relief service we know of that offers a money-back guarantee on those investigation fees within the first 15 calendar days after you've paid. So, if you get started here and then decide you'd rather do it on your own, you've got a little over two weeks to get a refund.
Thousands of five-star reviews
No matter where you look, you'll see plenty of positive comments about Optima Tax Relief. We discovered more than 2,000 client reviews that gave this service a perfect five-star rating, citing the company's amazing customer service and effective resolution of tax issues. The Better Business Bureau agrees, granting Optima an "A+" rating and accreditation as well. We'll point out that there were more complaints filed against Optima there than we're used to seeing (over 250 in the year prior to our evaluation), but every single one had a prompt, appropriate response from the company.
Strongly recommended for tax relief
Optima Tax Relief is one of the best options out there for the average individual. Whether you're struggling with federal or state tax debt (or both), you'll get affordable, friendly service from a knowledgeable team of experts. This provider earns our highest recommendation.
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Which Tax Relief Service is Right for You?
If you're behind on your tax payments or have past years where you didn't even file a return, you probably feel the pressure mounting. Unless you've come into money recently, you're thinking there's no way you can possibly pay off your tax debt while still keeping food on your table and gas in your tank, right?
Fortunately, you've got options you might not be aware of. At the federal level, the IRS offers the Fresh Start program that lets you settle your debt for a lower amount than what you actually owe through an Offer in Compromise. The amount that the IRS will accept depends on your household expenses, current income and assets, and your payment will usually consist of a lump sum upfront and then monthly payments for 6-24 months or in full within five months.
Continue reading below
Tax Relief Company FAQ
Tax relief is a means of reducing what you owe to the IRS and state in back taxes. Your debts can be negotiated and payment plans may be established to help you pay it in a more manageable amount and timeframe.
You'll probably need to owe at least $10,000 in state and/or federal taxes to be eligible for tax relief. There usually aren't any other requirements.
You could work directly with the IRS to work out a 3-year payment plan, but that usually only applies if you've filed all of your previous years' tax returns and you owe less than $10,000 in taxes. Using a tax relief service eliminates the guesswork and walks you through the entire process from start to finish. Plus, you don't have the stress of meeting with the IRS: your representative at the tax relief company does all of that for you!
Most services offer a free initial consultation, to determine which of their plans (if any) are the right fit for your situation. Once you've chosen a tax relief strategy, the provider will probably charge up to 20% of what you saved in debt as a service fee, but that varies from one company to another.
Your representative will go to work on your behalf, using a variety of methods to work with the IRS and state taxing authority. These may include Offer in Compromise, Penalty Abatements, Tax Lien Subordination and more. Some services will assign you a dedicated representative who will keep you updated on your case's progress.
As you'd expect, it depends on the complexity of your situation. However, a general rule of thumb is between two and six months for a tax relief plan to be fully executed.
Some tax relief services offer their customers a satisfaction guarantee - but it's often a very small window of time compared with how long it takes to see a significant change in your tax debts. It's a good idea to look at the reputation of any service you're considering, to see what previous clients have said about the effectiveness, and reliability of the programs offered.
Most of them are. It's not difficult to find tax relief partners that have been helping consumers for decades. That being said, there are opportunistic scammers who would like nothing more than to convince you that they're legit and then take your money without offering any tax relief whatsoever. You should research the provider before signing on the dotted line, which includes looking up their rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Continued from above...
All this sounds great, but are you confident that you can accurately determine your eligibility, wade through the 32 pages of the IRS document explaining the program, and get it approved?
That's where tax relief services come to the rescue. These companies take the hard work out of your hands, securing power of attorney to step in and interact with the IRS on your behalf. The process typically has three stages: a free consultation to explore your specific situation, an investigation phase to determine the extent of your tax problems, and finally the resolution.
How much does it cost? You should anticipate fees ranging from $200-$500 for the investigation, and some of the top tax relief services will refund them if they determine they can't reduce the amount you owe. The resolution stage carries the largest cost, from $500 to $5,000 based on your total owed amount and the complexity of your case. It might seem like a lot to pay, but if you could reduce $100,000 in owed taxes down to just $10,000 (or less), wouldn't it be well worth the expense?
With so many companies offering tax relief services, how can you decide which one is the best fit for you? Keep these factors in mind as you look at your options:
- Minimum Debt Required. It's pretty common for tax relief providers to require you to have at least $10,000 in federal tax debt to qualify for their help. If you don't have quite that much, or if your tax problems are at both federal and state levels, your options may be more limited.
- Fees. What will you pay to get tax relief? Most companies don't come right out and tell you how much it will cost until you've had an initial (free) consultation. Make sure that the fees and payment plans they recommend will give you a good value at the end of the process.
- Refunds/Guarantees. It's pretty rare to find a guarantee or refund policy, but some tax relief services offer them. That can provide some reassurance that you're not just throwing money out the window when you pay $300-$500 for the investigation phase of your case.
- Client Feedback. This is one of the most important criteria. Can the company show you success stories? How much tax debt have they successfully resolved? How many five-star ratings have they earned from satisfied clients?
To help you get out from underneath your tax burden, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular tax relief services available today. We're confident that this information will make it possible to get the assistance you need quickly and stress-free.
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