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Best Tax Relief Companies
Being burdened with a tax debt can be stressful and very difficult to resolve in a favorable manner. Many situations call for specialized knowledge and lots of time, which most people do not have. Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. A tax relief firm can do all of the leg work for you.
Written by:Thomas Brock
Tax debt is a significant liability for many U.S. citizens. According to the IRS Statistics of Income, individual taxpayers owed over $133 billion in federal tax obligations as of December 31, 2021. This equates to nearly $13,000 per filer, which is a hefty sum, considering median family income is estimated to be $90,000 per year (per a recent release from the U. S.Department of Housing and Urban Development). Many people simply can’t pay their obligations, and mounting penalties and interest are burying them, financially.
Some taxpayers attempt to resolve these debts directly with taxing authorities, but most find the process to be extremely cumbersome and time-consuming. Fortunately, tax relief companies can help. For a fee, they will negotiate with taxing authorities on your behalf.
Editor’s Note:
Reputable companies can help you achieve economical outcomes in a transparent manner. Unfortunately, the tax relief industry has its share of bad players. As a result, it’s critical to be comfortable with a tax relief firm and the services it offers, before proceeding with an engagement. To help you make sense of things, our experts have developed this guide. It highlights eight companies that are worthy of your trust.
Top Picks Best Tax Relief Companies
- Optima Tax Relief – Best Overall
- Precision Tax Relief – Best for Longevity
- Anthem Tax Services – Best Moneyback Guarantee
- J. David Tax Law – Best for Spanish Speakers
- Community Tax – Best for Mobile Technology
Best Tax Relief Companies - Full Overview
Optima Tax Relief – Best Overall
Founded in 2011, Optima Tax Relief firm has managed over $1 billion of tax debt to date and helped thousands of Americans resolve their IRS and state tax issues. Optima is based in California, but its experienced team of professionals maintains a national footprint and is positioned to help with almost any individual tax issue. With regard to small businesses, the offering is limited to tax preparation.
Pros
Cons
Optima Tax Relief is a juggernaut in the tax relief space. It has a diverse line of services, a broad geographic reach, a fairly standard minimum debt requirement and a reputation of delivering best-in-class customer service.
The firm markets its services as a two-phase process, investigation and resolution, which follows a complimentary, commitment-free consultation. Optima complements its well-defined process with a transparent fee structure. For each customer, Optima quotes a contingent flat fee that leaves some room for unexpected tax resolution efforts. It does not levy any other charges, and it offers a very lenient moneyback guarantee.
Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Optima is approaching its 12-year anniversary, which is far above average |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Optima Tax Relief services clients nationwide |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Optima quotes a contingent flat fee and offers a stellar 15-day moneyback guarantee |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Over $1 billion |
The Bottom Line
Optima Tax Relief is a solid option for anyone seeking assistance in resolving a complex tax collection issue. The firm has a 12-year track record, a nationwide footprint and tons of experience in managing tax debt. It maintains a clearly defined process and a client-focused mode of operation. All of this underpins its renowned reputation of professionalism and transparency.
Try Optima Tax Relief
Read the full Optima Tax Relief review for more details.
Precision Tax Relief – Best for Longevity
Founded in 1967, Precision Tax Relief maintains a highly transparent fee structure, which consists of an all-inclusive flat fee and an extremely lenient 30-day moneyback guarantee. Its trustworthiness and stability are evidenced by the fact it’s managed over $58 million of tax debt inception-to-date and is an active member of three industry-leading associations.
Pros
Cons
Precision has been in the tax relief business longer than any its competitors. It has a fairly diverse line of services (IRS focused matters), a broad geographic reach, and it’s actively involved in all of the industry’s key associations. Moreover, its tax relief process is clear and easy-to-understand. From the client perspective, it entails the following steps (assuming a formal engagement is pursued):
- A complimentary, no-obligation consultation that culminates with a proposal and an all-inclusive flat rate quote
- Proposal acceptance and hands-off involvement
- Freedom from IRS tax debt upon successful resolution
All of this is backed by a stellar 30-day moneyback guarantee. Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Precision is approaching its 55-year anniversary, an industry-leading mark |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Precision has a broad geographic reach, but it’s unclear whether it services the entire U.S. |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Precision quotes an all-inclusive flat fee and offers a top-tier 30-day moneyback guarantee |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Over $58 million |
The Bottom Line
With over 55 years of experience in managing over $58 million of tax-related debt, Precision Tax Relief is clearly a trustworthy and reliable tax relief firm. Everything it does is professional and completely transparent, but for customers that have reservations (which is normal), Precision provides a 100% free consultation and a 30-day moneyback guarantee.
Try Precision
Read the full Precision Tax Relief review for more details.
Anthem Tax Services – Best Moneyback Guarantee
Founded in 2010, Anthem Tax Services is in a league of its own when it comes to the moneyback guarantee. It offers an unlimited guarantee for its tax relief services. Essentially, if Anthem doesn’t save you money or rework your payments, it will return your money. No other tax relief firm maintains a comparable refund policy; the next most competitive firm offers a moneyback guarantee of 30 days.
Pros
Cons
Anthem maintains a fairly standard offering of solutions and minimum debt requirement. No unrealistic or misleading marketing information appears on its site, which is good. A very broad geographic reach is even more encouraging. Unfortunately, Anthem does not offer any information regarding its baseline fee structure and the potential for other charges on its website.
This is disappointing, but the firm makes up for it with its, virtually, unlimited moneyback guarantee. This, coupled with a 100% free consultation, affords potential and existing customers a high degree of flexibility. The trustworthiness and stability of the firm is bolstered by its long business history and active participation in two industry-leading associations.
Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Anthem is approaching its 12-year anniversary, which is far above average |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Anthem has a nationwide footprint |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Anthem offers a best-in-class, virtually, unlimited moneyback guarantee |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
The Bottom Line
Anthem is a good option for anyone looking for help preparing a tax return, negotiating a tax liability or getting relief from a cumbersome wage garnishment, levy or lien. It isn’t the largest player in the debt relief space, but it maintains a nationwide footprint and active memberships in two industry-leading associations. Additionally, it backs up its offering with an unparalleled moneyback guarantee.
Try Anthem
Read the full Anthem Tax Services review for more details.
J. David Tax Law – Best for Spanish Speakers
Founded in 2014, J. David Tax Law is a proven player in the tax relief space. It has a very diverse offering of services, a nationwide footprint and a highly transparent fee structure. The firm has achieved thousands of successful outcomes for its clients, and it’s renowned for tenaciously negotiating with taxation authorities. Its commitment to professionalism in underscored by active membership in two industry-leading associations.
In addition to the core strengths above, J. David Tax Law’s website offers a unique feature to users. It allows them to view all content in either English or Spanish, an impressive feature that makes the firm accessible to a broader pool of potential clients.
Pros
Cons
J. David Tax Law is deeply experienced in federal and state tax laws. It has a robust line of solutions for individuals and small businesses, a broad geographic reach, a fairly standard minimum debt requirement and a sound reputation for being transparent, responsive and Spanish-friendly. One notable drawback for the firm is a lack of information regarding whether it offers a moneyback guarantee. Fortunately, a free consultation can shed light on this and other areas of interest that relate to your situation.
Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | J. David is approaching its 9-year anniversary |
Extent of Geographic Presence | J. David services clients nationwide |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | J. David quotes a contingent flat fee; information regarding its moneyback guarantee is not available |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
The Bottom Line
J. David Tax Law is a sound option for both individuals and small businesses. Its deeply experienced team of tax attorneys are equipped to handle the most complex IRS and state-specific tax issues. According to a myriad of independent user reviews, they do so in a highly responsive and empathetic matter. This goes for both English-speaking clients and Spanish speakers.
Try J. David Tax Law
Read the full J. David Tax Law review for more details.
Community Tax – Best for Mobile Technology
Community Tax was founded in 2010 with the mission of making quality tax help affordable and accessible to everyday people. Since then, it has serviced over 100,000 clients and managed over $800 million of tax debt. The firm is based in Florida, but it maintains a national footprint.
Recently, the Community Tax has augmented its impressive service offering by introducing a comprehensive, fee-based Tax Assurance Program (TAP). It’s marketed as an all-in-one tax service solution, and it’s designed to stop tax problems before they start. Some features of the program can be conveniently accessed via a smart phone application. This is a big differentiator for Community in the tax relief industry, as mobile technology adoption has been slow.
Pros
Cons
Community Tax maintains a diverse offering of IRS-focused solutions and a nationwide footprint, and it does not communicate any unrealistic or misleading information on its website. However, its fee structure is very opaque. The firm’s website offers no information regarding Community’s fee structure, potential add-on charges and its moneyback guarantee. This frustrating for consumers, but potential clients can take comfort in Community’s long business history and extensive tax debt management experience.
Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Community has been in business over 12 years – far more than the average |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Community Tax has a nationwide footprint |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Information is not available |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
The Bottom Line
Community Tax is a good option for anyone that needs help negotiating a tax liability, filing a tax return or streamlining a small business’ accounting processes. The firm is especially well-suited for people that value deep experience and transparent processes. Very few firms can compete with Community on these fronts.
Try Community TaxRead the full Community Tax review for more details.
Larson Tax Relief – Best for Large Tax Debt
Founded in 2005, Larson Tax Relief differentiates itself with a diverse service offering and a long track record of operating in a trustworthy and client-centric manner. The firm is based in Colorado, but its experienced team of enrolled agents maintains a national footprint and are positioned to help with any IRS or state-specific tax issue. This goes for individuals as well as businesses. That said, Larson is not a viable option for small tax debts. It maintains a minimum debt requirement of $25,000.
Pros
Cons
Larson meets or exceeds most of the tax relief performance standards established by finimpact.com. Its service offering and geographic reach are as expansive as they come, and its long track record and exceptionally strong user reviews are evidence of its trustworthiness. These fundamental features are complemented by an extensive website that is free of any unrealistic or misleading marketing information.
One notable drawback for the firm is a lack of information regarding its baseline fee structure and the potential for other charges. Fortunately, the firm offers a 100% free consultation and stands behind its services with an above-average moneyback guarantee. Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Larson has over 17 years of experience, an impressive track record |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Larson services clients nationwide |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Information on Larson’s fee structure is limited; it does offer a stellar 15-day moneyback guarantee |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Over 18,000 |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
The Bottom Line
For large tax debts, Larson offers the most comprehensive line of services in the market. This is a clear selling point, especially, for small business owners that find themselves in a tough spot. Judging from Larson’s near perfect user reviews rating (4.9 out of 5.0), its team does not disappoint.
Try Larson Tax ReliefRead the full Larson Tax Relief review for more details.
Tax Hardship Center – Best for Tax Preparation
Tax Hardship Center is a solid tax relief provider, and it differentiates itself with a robust tax preparation service. Founded in 2012, this California based firm caters broadly to both individuals and businesses – with best-in-class solutions, a nationwide presence and a customer-focused orientation. On the latter point, the firm strives to always exhibit a high degree transparency, while being as educational and empathetic as possible for each of its clients.
Pros
Cons
With over a decade of experience, Tax Hardship Center can help resolve the most complex tax problems and has lots of experience achieving the following outcomes:
- Filing extensions and appeals
- Assisting with tax audits
- Stopping wage garnishments, levies and liens
- Securing innocent spouse, disaster and pandemic relief
- Establishing installment plans
- Reducing tax debts, penalties and interest
As noted previously, it differentiates these core tax relief services with an unparalleled tax preparation service for individuals and businesses. It also offers a comprehensive bookkeeping service that enables small businesses to outsource this, oftentimes, cumbersome function. Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Tax Hardship has over 12 years of experience |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Tax Hardship services clients nationwide |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Information on Tax Hardship’s fee structure is limited; it does offer a solid 14-day moneyback guarantee |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
The Bottom Line
Tax Hardship Center is a good option for anyone that needs tax relief assistance. The firm may be an even stronger option for people seeking tax preparation and small business bookkeeping services. On these fronts, the firm has a distinctly competitive advantage.
Try Tax Hardship
Read the full Tax Hardship review for more details.
Fortress Tax Relief – Best for User Reviews
Founded in 2003, Fortress Tax Relief has been servicing its nationwide book of clients for nearly two decades. It offers a fairly standard line of services, with a focus on IRS matters. Unlike many tax relief firms, it quotes its services on an hourly basis. This can be good for relatively straightforward and/or large-debt cases, but it can prove costly for extended resolutions. Nevertheless, based on Fortress’ best-in-class user reviews rating, the pricing model is highly appreciated by customers.
Pros
Cons
Fortress Tax Relief maintains a fairly standard offering of solutions and minimum debt requirement. This baseline is bolstered by a broad geographic reach and realistic marketing on its website.
Its hourly pricing model is transparent, but it deviates from most of the best firms in the industry, which offer flat fee quotes. This can be good or bad, depending on your specific case and the amount of time needed to resolve it. Fortunately, Fortress offers a 100% free consultation that allows potential customers the ability to comfortably size things up.
Key attributes are summarized below.
Summary Table
Years in Business | Fortress Tax has over 19 years of experience, an impressive track record |
Extent of Geographic Presence | Fortress services clients nationwide |
Fee Structure and Moneyback Guarantee | Fortress maintains a hybrid pricing model (flat fee and hourly); information on its moneyback guarantee is not available |
Customers Serviced Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
Tax Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Information is not available |
The Bottom Line
Based on hundreds of reviews from Best Company and ConsumerAffairs, Fortress Tax Relief Precision is impeccably rated by its users (aggregate rating of 5.0 out of 5.0). This is unheard of in the tax relief space and a testament to the firm’s knowledgeable and empathetic staff, high degree of responsiveness and knack for resolving complex, stressful matters in a transparent and organized fashion.
Try Fortress Tax
Read the full Fortress Tax Relief review for more details.
How We Rate Tax Relief Companies
Finimpact.com’s rating methodology is designed to provide timely, transparent, and relevant information on the various tax relief companies in the marketplace. To this end, we maintain a comprehensive, five-point scoring system (5=Excellent, 4=Good, 3=Average, 2=Subpar, and 1=Poor) to quantitatively assess companies across five key parameters. Details on each parameter are outlined below.
- Services and Solutions: This parameter considers service offering breadth, geographic reach, and minimum debt level requirements.
- Costs and Fees: This parameter considers core program fee structure, other charges, and moneyback guarantee/refund policy.
- Customer Experience: This parameter considers the robustness of a company’s website, accessibility to a live customer service representative during extended hours, the degree of multi-channel support, the availability of supplemental information and tools, and mobile technology.
- Trustworthiness and Stability: This parameter considers the length of business history, the number of customers serviced, the amount of debt managed, and the extent of membership in industry-leading associations.
- User Reviews: This parameter aggregates the scores achieved from independent user review sites, including Trustpilot, Best Company, and ConsumerAffairs.
Best Tax Relief Companies - Main Features
| Company Name | Years in Business | Debt Managed Inception-to-date | Fee Structure | Moneyback Guarantee Policy |
| Optima Tax Relief | Nearly 12 | Over $1 billion | Optima quotes a contingent flat fee; it’s reasonable and highly competitive | Optima offers a stellar 15-day moneyback guarantee |
| Precision Tax Relief | Nearly 55 | Over $58 million | Precision quotes an all-inclusive flat fee, the most transparent in the market | Precision offers a top-tier 30-day moneyback guarantee |
| Anthem Tax Services | Nearly 12 | Information is not available | Information is not available | Anthem offers a best-in-class, virtually, unlimited moneyback guarantee |
| J. David Tax Law | Nearly 9 | Information is not available | J. David quotes a contingent flat fee; it’s reasonable and highly competitive | Information is not available |
| Community Tax | Over 12 | Over $800 million | Information is not available | Information is not available |
| Larson Tax Relief | Over 17 | Information is not available | Information is not available | Larson offers a stellar 15-day moneyback guarantee |
| Tax Hardship Center | Over 10 | Information is not available | Information is not available | Tax Hardship Center offers a solid 14-day moneyback guarantee |
| Tax Fortress Relief | Over 19 | Information is not available | Tax Fortress maintains a hybrid pricing model (flat fee and hourly), depending on the service | Information is not available |
What Is a Tax Relief Company?
A tax relief company, which is also referred to as a tax settlement company, is a profit-oriented firm that negotiates with the IRS and other taxing authorities on behalf of its clients. Beyond this core offering, many tax relief companies provide complementary services to attract clients.
How Do Tax Relief Companies Work?
Tax relief companies negotiate with the IRS and other taxing authorities on behalf of their clients. They draw on their taxation and legal expertise to reduce tax debts and/or achieve other types of relief. The process entails consulting with you, establishing a holistic understanding of your situation and strategically communicating with taxing authorities to achieve optimal outcomes.
Any tax relief company that accentuates “average time for relief” and/or “average relief amount” on its website warrants skepticism. Averages do not provide a meaningful indication of what you can expect, given the highly personalized nature of tax relief. Moreover, a tax relief firm cannot influence these metrics, beyond legal allowances. Exaggerated claims are misleading, at best, and illegal, at worst.
Types of Services Offered by Tax Relief Companies
Tax relief companies offer their clients a variety of services designed to alleviate tax burdens and/or achieve some degree of reprieve from onerous regulatory impositions. The largest firms broadly address both IRS and state tax matters. Smaller firms usually focus on IRS matters and maintain a limited geographic reach. Core services are outlined below.
- Filing extensions and appeals
- Assisting with tax audits
- Stopping wage garnishments, levies and liens
- Securing innocent spouse, disaster and pandemic relief
- Establishing installment plans
- Reducing tax debts, penalties and interest
Complementary services may include tax preparation and compliance for individuals and small businesses. Some firms offer additional business solutions, including strategic planning, bookkeeping, payroll and sales tax administration and assistance with corporate dissolutions.
How Much Does a Tax Relief Company Charge?
It’s difficult to estimate the cost you can expect for tax relief, largely due to the highly personalized nature of the service. At a high level, tax relief engagements can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars, depending on the size of your debt. When assessing the fee structure of a company, the most important things to focus on are transparency and the presence of a lenient moneyback guarantee policy. Additionally, you should only entertain companies that offer free consultations.
Alternatives to Tax Relief Companies
There are basically two alternatives to utilizing a tax relief company.
- Do it yourself. Technically, everything a tax relief company does can be handled directly by its clients. However, unless you have a very straightforward issue, handling tax debt issues on your own may not be sensible. Many issues require familiarity with our increasingly complex federal and state tax codes and significant devotion of time.
- Hire a tax relief attorney. If you don’t want to go it alone and you’re opposed to working with a tax relief company, you could work with an independent tax relief attorney. These lawyers offer the same or greater level of expertise as a tax relief company, but they work for themselves.
Conclusion
Considering the complex and time-consuming nature of tax debt obligations, tax relief companies can make a lot of sense. That said, it’s essential to make sure you deal with a reputable company, with a long history of delivering favorable outcomes for its clients. This is paramount, especially when considering the tax relief industry has its share of bad players. Hopefully, this guide has given you a heightened level of awareness and some confidence in the top players in the industry.
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Thomas Brock
Accounting, Corporate Finance, Debt, Economics, Financial Planning, General Business, Insurance, Life Insurance
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