The tax relief industry is fraught with challenges, including high fees, false promises, and scams. That makes it tough to identify the best tax relief companies. We’ve rounded up five of the most reputable tax relief companies to make the search easier.
Important Note: Don’t expect a tax relief company to make your tax debt vanish. They aren’t magicians. They will assess your situation, reduce your arrears as much as possible, and try to set up an affordable payment plan for the balance of your debt. Expect help, not miracles!
| Free consultation | Money Back Guarantee | BBB Rating | Types of Tax Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima Tax Relief | Yes | 15-day | A+ | IRS and state |
| Anthem Tax Services | Yes | No limit | A+ | IRS and state |
| Community Tax | Yes | 14-day | A+ | IRS and state |
| Precision Tax Services | Yes | 30-day | A+ | IRS |
| Tax Defense Network | Yes | 3-day | A+ | IRS and state |
Best Tax Relief Companies
We selected the companies below based on a number of criteria. We looked for companies that offer free consultations, have been in business for at least five years, and had no complaints filed with the FTC. We also looked at the types of services offered, their costs and customer satisfaction.
BEST OVERALL
Optima Tax Relief
Optima Tax Relief offers a wide range of tax services, including audit representation and state taxes. They have excellent customer reviews and a strong record of success. This is a thoroughly professional tax relief company. Learn More
BEST GUARANTEE
Anthem Tax Services
Anthem Tax Services offers a range of payment plans and the most comprehensive guarantee in the business. Reviews are solid, and the Company is accredited by the National Association of Tax Professionals and the National Association of Enrolled Agents. Learn More
BEST RANGE OF SERVICES
Community Tax
Community Tax offers a wider than usual variety of service options, including tax resolution, tax preparation, ongoing tax assurance, and general accounting. They handle tax debts as low as $7500. Learn More
BEST PAYMENT OPTIONS
Precision Tax Services
Precision Tax Services offers a strong guarantee and a choice between a lump-sum payment and zero-interest financing. It’s a strong all-around option for federal tax debt. Learn More
BEST FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS
Tax Defense Network
Tax Defense Network offers a solid range of services and is a good choice for any client. They are particularly useful for Spanish-speaking clients, as they offer fully bilingual services. Learn More
1. Optima Tax Relief
Optima Tax offers a strong all-around suite of tax relief services backed by a staff of specialist tax attorneys, CPAs, and enrolled agents. They offer a convenient app along with online services. Optima claims to have resolved over $1 billion in tax debt to date.
Optima offers a strong user experience, including a password-protected client portal that allows you to check the status of your case at any time.
Features & Benefits
Why get tax relief through Optima? Here are just a few reasons they’re one of our favorites:
- A+ BBB rating
- Handles both Federal and State tax debts
- Tax attorneys on staff
- 2 to 6 month turnaround time
- $10,000 minimum tax debt requirement
- Free consultation
- 15-Day Money Back Guarantee (for initial investigation phase)
Optima has a three-step process for completing your agreement with the IRS.
- Consultation. Optima’s staff will review your case and describe your options.
- Investigation. Optima will initiate client protection, communicate with the IRS, and review your options.
- Resolution. You will establish IRS compliance and achieve the best available resolution.
Do not expect your tax bill to vanish: this is the IRS, and they don’t go away. Optima will work to reduce your tax liabilities and set up a payment plan that you can afford.
Optima will give you a detailed explanation of your options, the resolution you can expect, and what it will cost before you pay any fees.
Customer Reviews
Optima has over 2,886 reviews on Trustpilot. Their overall rating is 4.6 out of 5 stars, and 79% of their reviews are 5-star.
They have an A+ rating with the BBB with a score of 4.41 out of 5 stars from 2,231 customer reviews.
Costs
Optima’s initial investigation fee starts at $295.00.
Once they complete their investigation, they will tell you how much the final cost will be and which route they will take to obtain your agreement with the IRS.
While actual costs aren’t disclosed, based on customer reports, you can expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,000 for the total costs.
Initial Costs: $295.00 Investigation Fee
Average Overall Costs: Between $2,000 and $5,000
Want to learn more? Read our full Optima Tax Relief review.
2. Anthem Tax Services
Anthem Tax Services handles both individual and state taxes for individuals, businesses, and corporations. They provide bookkeeping and tax preparation services as well as tax debt relief. They can help with tax liens, levies, garnishment, and unfiled taxes.
Anthem will assess your tax problem in a free consultation. They will tell you what they can do to help you and describe the best resolution target.
Anthem stands out for a money-back guarantee that has no time limit. If Anthem cannot reduce either your total debt or your monthly payment, they will refund your money.
Features & Benefits
Why get tax relief with Anthem Tax Services? Here are just a few reasons they’re our favorite:
- Low Starting Costs
- Payment plans available
- Great Customer Service
- Top guarantee
Anthem Tax Services is licensed in every state in the US.
Customer Reviews
On Trustpilot, Anthem Tax Services have an average 3.0 rating from 81 reviews. 67% of the reviews are 5 stars.
Anthem has an A+ rating with the BBB. They have 187 reviews with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
Costs
Anthem Tax Services charges an initial fee as low as $250, one of the lowest in the business. Your total fee will be based on the details of your case.
Once Anthem completes its initial evaluation, it will tell you how much the final cost will be and which route it will take to obtain your agreement with the IRS.
While actual costs aren’t published, you can expect to pay between $2,500 and $4,500 for the total process.
Initial Costs: As Low As $250.00
Average Overall Costs: Between $2,500 and $4,500
Want to learn more? Read our full Anthem Tax Services review.
3. Community Tax Relief
Community Tax Relief offers tax debt resolution, back tax relief, tax planning, tax return preparation, and bookkeeping and accounting services. They offer an ongoing tax assurance program through a mobile app, which can help you stay out of tax trouble.
Community Tax Relief is an IRS-approved continuing education provider. Their website holds an extensive range of tax education materials, which are available even to non-customers.
Features & Benefits
Why get tax relief through Community Tax? Here are just a few reasons they’re one of our top options:
- A+ BBB Rating
- Personalized Negotiations
- Tax Education Resources
- $800 Million In Tax Debt Resolved
- Tax Assurance Program
Community Tax also has a 3 step process for getting you on your way to being free of tax debt.
- Consultation. You’ll get a free review of your problems and potential resolutions.
- Investigation. Community Tax will request your records from the IRS and fully assess your case.
- Resolution. Community Tax will prepare a resolution proposal for the IRS.
Community Tax charges a single flat fee. This will be quoted after the Investigation stage.
Customer Reviews
Community Tax has 539 reviews on Trustpilot. The average rating is 4.0 out of 5 stars, and 82% of the reviews are 5-star.
The Company is accredited with the BBB with an A+ rating. There are 229 reviews on the BBB site, with an average of 4.31 out of 5 stars.
Costs
Once Community Tax completes its investigation, it will tell you how much the final cost will be and which route it will take to obtain your agreement with the IRS. While actual costs aren’t published, you can expect to pay between $2,500 and $4,500. This may vary with the size and complexity of your case.
Average Overall Costs: Between $2,500 and $4,500
Want to learn more? Read our full Community Tax relief review.
4. Precision Tax
Precision Tax Relief is an established company with an excellent reputation and a solid range of services for both individuals and businesses. They are focused on the IRS and do not handle state tax issues.
Precision charges a single flat fee. That won’t change unless new information appears that you did not present in your initial consultation. You can make a single payment or choose a zero-interest financing plan
Features & Benefits
Precision tax is a top all-around contender in the tax relief space. Here’s what they offer:
- A+ BBB Rating
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Customer service by phone, text, email, and chat
- Zero-interest payment plans available
- Exceptional range of services
- Over $58 million in tax debt settled
Precision tax does not offer tax audit representation or state tax issues.
Customer Reviews
Community Tax has 1,629 reviews on Trustpilot. The average rating is 5 of 5 stars, and 98% of the reviews are 5-star.
The Company is accredited with the BBB with an A+ rating. There are 29 reviews on the BBB site, with an average of 4.97 out of 5 stars.
5. Tax Defense Network
Tax Defense Network is an established company with a solid reputation. They serve individuals and small businesses and are noted for providing fully bilingual customer service. Their website is available in English and Spanish.
Tax Defense Networks offers a wide range of tax education materials and calculators on its site. They are available to non-customers.
The fee will be a flat rate based on the complexity of the case. Typical fees range from $2500 to $3500, on the low side for tax relief companies. The refund request window is only three days.
Features & Benefits
Tax Defense Network offers a solid and affordable package whether you speak English or Spanish. Here’s what to expect.
- A+ BBB Rating
- 3-day money back guarantee
- Tax preparation and audit defense
- Flat rate fees, minimum of $10,000 in tax debt
- Financing options
- Bilingual service
Tax Defense Network handles both state and federal taxes, including payroll taxes.
Customer Reviews
Community Tax has 244 reviews on Trustpilot. The average rating is 4.1 out of 5 stars, and 76% of the reviews are 5-star.
The Company is accredited with the BBB with an A+ rating. There are 850 reviews on the BBB site, with an average of 4.52 out of 5 stars.
How Much Does Tax Relief Cost?
For the tax relief industry, this is a pretty hard question to answer because most companies aren’t very open with their pricing structure.
This can seem very shady at first glance. However, keep in mind that most companies are wary about giving set prices because they aren’t sure exactly which techniques or processes they will need to take for your specific situation.
That said, most tax relief companies offer a free consultation and generally charge between $250 to $450 to start the initial investigation phase.
Once that process is complete, you will get your final pricing, and from what we have found, these final prices can range from $2,000 to $5,000.
How Long Does Tax Relief Take?
On average, you are going to see it take between two to six months for a tax relief firm to negotiate with the IRS, depending on the specific challenges and complexities of each case.
This seems to be the standard with most of the companies we looked into. The exact duration will depend on what type of work needs to be completed on your account.
Can The IRS Seize My Assets For Back Taxes?
The simple answer is ‘Yes.’ IRS can seize your assets for back taxes if you ignore the situation. They can make your life really hard with things like:
- garnishing your wages
- freezing your bank accounts
- taking your home
- taking your car
- closing your business
- taking other personal property
Ignoring the IRS is never a good idea. Getting on a payment plan or getting tax relief help is your best option because the alternatives really will ruin your life.
Do I Qualify for Tax Relief?
Figuring out if you qualify for tax debt relief is left up solely to the IRS.
This is why you should only deal with a company that will give you a free consultation. During this process, the company should be trying to figure out if you will meet the IRS requirements to qualify for some sort of tax relief.
Usually, if you owe more than you can afford, you can employ a tax relief firm. However, you must be 100% up to date on your yearly tax fillings.
Should I Negotiate With the IRS on My Own?
In all honesty, your first option should always be to try to negotiate on your own; however, there are situations where going at it alone could hurt you more than help you.
It’s best to do your research and weigh the pros and cons of each action.
Will it cost you more in time and money if you do it alone, or will it cost you more if you hire a firm to help you?
The IRS might seem scary, but they function like any business and would rather have you pay what you can afford than get nothing at all.
The only difference is that they can take everything you own to cover what you owe. Whatever you decide, just don’t ignore them.
Taking Action
There is no reason to only look at just one company when trying to get help with your tax debt. You should try multiple companies to see which one can offer you the lowest rate possible for the maximum amount of work. All it takes is a bit of time and a few phone calls.
A good starting point will be first to try the companies on our list since we have already narrowed down the selection for you. These are the best companies offering tax debt relief services out there at the moment.
And remember, the faster you get tax relief, the sooner you can move on with your life.
