Optima Tax Relief

• Positive Reviews
• Core Competencies
• 3-Step Tax Relief Process
• Minimum IRS Debt Requirement
• Money-Back Guarantee
• Negotiating Installment Agreements
• Additional Advantages

Positive Reviews

Optima Tax Relief has mostly glowing comments, with over 1,000 verified reviews on our site that give the company either 4 or 5 stars. Customers say the company has saved them thousands of dollars, provides great customer service, and is comprehensive in its explanation of the tax relief process. Many clients say working with a tax professional at Optima was one of the smartest decisions they ever made.

Plus, these reviews come from customers all across the United States, so you can rest assured that Optima Tax Relief can help you resolve your tax debt, wherever you may be in the country.

Core Competencies

Optima Tax Relief offers many different tax services to help you handle the IRS. It can help with several different kinds of tax problems, like audits and penalties such as a wage garnishment, levy, or lien. If you owe back taxes or a large tax bill, Optima Tax Relief provides tax debt relief services. The company specializes in the following tax resolution services and problems:

• Tax negotiation and settlement
• IRS audit defense
• Tax levies and liens
• Wage garnishment
• Back taxes
• Tax audits
• End penalties and interest
• Innocent spouse relief
• Installment plans
• Offers in compromise
• Unfiled tax returns

Tax levies are when the IRS takes the funds in your bank account to pay your unpaid taxes. Tax liens allow the IRS first priority on the money from a property's sale before anyone else. The IRS can also take a current year's tax return money to pay tax debt liability from previous years.

Optima Tax Relief also helps people reduce IRS tax debt by closely examining the past tax years’ returns. Looking at previous tax returns helps taxpayers understand their tax liability, or what they owe the government in taxes.

Optima offers tax solutions for a broad range of possible IRS/tax needs. All of Optima Tax's enrolled agents and attorneys are showcased on the company website, giving a real personal connection to potential customers.

The only negotiation service not advertised by Optima Tax Relief is asset seizure.

Additionally, the professionals — whether it be a tax attorney or an enrolled agent — at Optima are trained to review any unfiled tax returns for each taxable year you might have. Unfiled tax returns can hurt your chances with the IRS because it can indicate a failure to meet tax obligations, so Optima will work with you to get ahead.

The tax law professionals can help you deal effectively with the IRS and find a good tax debt resolution.
The company may also provide tax help by helping you apply for the IRS Fresh Start Program, which is a great option for those struggling to pay off that federal income tax burden due to financial hardship.

Optima Tax Relief also helps with penalty abatement, which removes IRS penalties, like a wage garnishment, lien, or levy on property or a bank account. To qualify for penalty abatement, taxpayers must demonstrate financial hardship. 

3-Step Tax Relief Process

Optima Tax Relief breaks down what is often a complicated process (resolving your tax debt with the IRS) into three simple steps.

The first step is the investigation. After an initial, free consultation with the company, you will have Optima’s help in establishing a channel of communication with the IRS and Optima will initiate its client protection program and become a buffer between you and the IRS. This process takes about two to four weeks.

The second step is resolution. Optima will establish IRS compliance with the best determined resolution it can offer, and then work to achieve that resolution. This is the longest step of the process and can take anywhere from three to nine months.

The final step is the best step — freedom. Your case is closed and your tax debt has been resolved. No more letters from the IRS about your tax bill or unpaid taxes.

Minimum IRS Debt Requirement

According to an Optima Tax Relief representative, there is a minimum debt requirement of $10,000 to use the company's tax reduction services. Thus, individuals with $10,000 in debt (or more) qualify for Optima Tax Relief's services.

Those seeking a tax relief program that helps with a lower amount of tax debt will need to consider another company with a lower minimum debt requirement.

However, Optima Tax Relief does offer a free tax consultation where you can meet with a tax professional about your unique financial situation. If you haven’t filed your tax return for previous years, you may still qualify for this consultation, even if you owe less than $10,000 in tax debt.

During this consultation, you could ask questions about tax relief or tax penalties that you are facing and determine what the best course of action for you would be, all with the help of a qualified tax professional.

Money-Back Guarantee

Optima Tax offers a 15-day money-back guarantee for all of its IRS/tax services. Though this is not a very long time limit for a refund (some lesser-known tax relief firms have time limits as high as 180 days), it is actually better than many of the top companies on the market.

This guarantee can give you some peace of mind if you are a little wary about the effectiveness of tax relief companies. While 15 days might not be enough time to see your tax debt reduced, it should give you a sense of how committed Optima is to your case and whether or not you want to continue working with the company.

Negotiating Installment Agreements

In addition to penalty abatement, Optima Tax Relief negotiates installment agreements and settlements with the IRS. The company's website describes the two options of IRS installment agreements: informal agreements and formal agreements. With an informal installment agreement, the taxpayer agrees to pay monthly and pay off his or her balance within two years.

A formal installment plan is a written agreement (payment plan) between the IRS and the taxpayer for a specified amount of monthly payments. Optima Tax Relief's tax professionals understand how to successfully negotiate an installment agreement with the IRS and can often help taxpayers set up an affordable monthly payment and improve financial well-being.

Alternatively, Optima Tax can help clients lower their total tax debt owed through an offer in compromise (OIC) program. The company can negotiate an offer in compromise with the IRS. An OIC is when the taxpayer and the IRS agree on a lower, more affordable tax debt.

Whether you need a taxpayer advocate to help set up an affordable monthly payment or to settle your debt with the IRS, Optima Tax Relief can help.

Additional Advantages

Optima is a standout tax debt relief company, and thus, we’ve compiled a list of other additional advantages of using its services:

• Free consultation with senior tax associates
• A+ rated Better Business Bureau-accredited company
• Many professional accreditations
• Options in filing for non-collectible status
• Income tax preparation
• Licensed tax attorneys and enrolled agents on staff
• No office visit required
• Great refund policy
• Winner of the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics

• Unpublished Costs
• Limited Industry Experience

Unpublished Costs

The fee for tax relief services depends on the extent of the client's tax issue. Like most other tax relief companies, Optima Tax does not publish pricing online because it offers so many different services with different pricing structures — that's why Optima Tax Relief’s cost can be difficult to measure.

But how much does Optima Tax Relief cost to use? What we do know is that if you are five years behind on payment and owe $35,000 in back taxes, Optima Tax charges anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 to resolve the IRS tax debt, which means the company charges about 5-15 percent of your tax debt to use its services.

The company has an initial investigation fee to begin researching the customer's tax issues. Once the investigation is complete, Optima Tax Relief charges an additional fee for its services.

While it can be unsettling to set up a consultation before knowing how much you'll be paying for services, it's important for potential clients to take advantage of free consultations, like the one offered by Optima, because a client's case is reviewed and clear information regarding fees and payments are explained during these meetings.

Then, you have the power to decide whether or not you want to become a paying customer of the tax relief service.

Limited Industry Experience

We should note that this is one of the newer tax relief companies we have reviewed; the company opened its doors for business in 2010. This is fairly young compared to other tax relief companies that have more years of experience.

While some people may not care about the age of a company, others may want a company with more IRS experience under its belt to ensure competent resolution of tax issues.

It should be noted, however, that while the company was established in 2010, some of the company employees and tax professionals working for Optima have over 25 years of industry experience. Thus, this can be a comfort to anyone skeptical of the newness of the company in the tax relief space.