About Fortress Tax Relief
Fortress resolves tax debts nationwide for businesses and individuals, including pennies-on-the-dollar settlements, affordable payment plans, and the elimination of penalties. We are the only significant national tax resolution firm where every case is handled personally by a licensed attorney. This ensures that our clients repay the least amount of money possible to the government, and that they receive the maximum level of protection against enforced collections, including bank levies, wage garnishments, accounts receivable levies, personal assessments, and unreasonable deadlines or demands. Call us today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation, and be sure to ask about our money back guarantee.
Overall Satisfaction Rating
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Pros
- Cases handled by tax attorneys
- Positive reputation
- Negotiates tax burdens and settlements
Cons
- Must have $15,000+ in tax debt
Bottom Line
Fortress Tax Relief solves tax issues for individuals and businesses with $15,000 or more in tax debt. The process may be lengthy, but that's typical with the IRS and Fortress staffs experts in the field while maintaining a positive reputation.
Top Fortress Tax Relief Reviews
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I interviewed several tax resolution services. Fortress provided references. My experience with Fortress matched up with the references. [Their attorney] guided me through what wa...
Read full reviewFortress did exactly what I wanted them to do for a reasonable price. Sayward was the best person I could have had to navigate me through one of the most stressful periods in my l...
Read full reviewWhat is Fortress Tax Relief?
Fortress Tax Relief is a medium-sized tax relief firm helping individuals and businesses resolve tax enforcement issues and liabilities. The company is based in Oregon but operates nationwide with several out-of-state clients. Their licensed attorneys undergo more than 500 hours of training, allowing them to handle each case with the mastery expected from a seasoned professional.
Accreditations: Fortress Tax Relief is a member of the National Association of Tax Resolution Companies.”
Fortress Tax Relief
Fortress Tax Relief offers a number of tax resolution services for the American taxpayer, including tax appeals, innocent spouse tax relief and review of tax transcripts. For complex cases, Fortress Tax Relief offers Creative Tax Relief Solutions for a more personalized approach.
Services and results they provide include:
- Offers in Compromise
- For taxpayers who have difficulty paying the full amount of what they owe or have doubts as to the amount demanded, Fortress Tax Relief helps with Offers in Compromise. Offers in Compromise allow taxpayers to settle liabilities for less than the full amount owed. There are three reasons why an American taxpayer may request Offers in Compromise, and Fortress can help you identify the right course of action for your situation.
- Doubts as to collectibility: The taxpayer must prove they’re incapable of repaying the full tax debt
- Doubt as to liability: The taxpayer demonstrates they’re not responsible for the total amount owed
- Effective tax administration: Due to hardship, the taxpayer and IRS come to a final settlement
- Penalty Abatement
- A Penalty Abatement reduces the amount you owe. Before the IRS can grant a Penalty Abatement, there needs to be “reasonable cause,” and Fortress Tax Relief can help. With reasonable cause, it’s essential to state the facts as clearly as possible, using the law accurately and providing sound legal arguments.
- Installment Agreements
- With Installment Agreements, taxpayers agree to repay their tax debt in installments. Fortress Tax Relief work with taxpayers to negotiate terms that are fair and financially reasonable. Installment Agreements are great for taxpayers who desire to avoid or are on the verge of default. Bank levies, wage levies, accounts receivable levies and, in serious cases, seizure of assets often follow a default.
- Innocent Spouse Tax Relief
- When filing joint taxes, there are times when one spouse may be found innocent of tax liabilities. In these cases, Fortress Tax Relief can help spouses who meet the criteria with Innocent Spouse Tax Relief services. To be relieved of liability, individuals must prove they were unaware of the tax discretion. Those who don’t qualify for the Innocent Spouse Tax Relief may be eligible for “Equitable Relief,” wherein the IRS finds holding one of the spouses liable is unfair.
- Tax Appeals
- Fortress Tax Relief help clients identify the best method for a Tax Appeal. The two main ways are through the Collection Appeals Program (CAP) and a Request for a Collection Due Process Hearing (CDP). If a taxpayer misses the deadline for a Collection Due Process Hearing (CDP), Fortress Tax Relief helps them identify their eligibility for an “Equivalent Hearing.” Tax Appeals are effective for:
- Reversing government actions that negatively affect financial stability, such as wage or bank levy
- Prevention of IRS enforcement
- Coming to a favorable tax liability resolution
- Negotiating with the IRS for more favorable terms
- Presenting and disputing the amount owed
- Reviewing the actions and findings of the IRS
- Creative Tax Relief Solutions
- Fortress Tax Relief offers Creative Tax Relief Solutions for taxpayers whose cases do not fit into one of these conventional tax strategies. Fortress Tax Relief will work with you personally to identify the best plan. This might mean combining a number of different approaches to protect your assets and resolve tax liabilities.
- Business tax relief
- Fortress Tax Relief also offers Trust Fund Recovery Penalties. Trust Fund Recovery Penalties are geared towards shareholders, officers, and employees who can be held liable for a company (corporation, LLC, or business entity) that fail to pay specific payroll taxes. These services help protect the assets, wages, and bank accounts of American taxpayers.
In addition to the major services listed above, Fortress Tax Relief further personalize services based on an individual’s case. These include:
- Lien Withdrawal/Lien Avoidance
- Sale of Asset Subject to Tax Lien/Certificate of Discharge
- Subordination of Tax Lien
- Tax Account Review/Review of Tax Transcript
- Adjustment of Tax Liability/Correction of IRS Error
- Currently Not Collectable Status (CNC)
How does Fortress Tax Relief work?
When working with Fortress Tax Relief, a licensed attorney specialized in back tax negotiations personally handles your case. The company prides itself on a high level of customer service; for example, as part of their customer service, clients can expect to hear back from employees within two business days. All of their representatives are available by phone, and the company does not use case managers. Any issues with the Fortress Tax Relief team should be directed to their president, Stephen K. Galgoczy. If a client experiences the problem more than once after contacting Mr. Galgoczy, the company offers $100 in credit for future services.
Their mission is to help clients protect their assets – including (but not limited to) bank accounts, business assets, wages from garnishments and seizure. They also identify ways for taxpayers to save on their repayments and assist in finding settlements that are less than the required amount.
When dealing with the IRS, the licensed professionals at Fortress Tax Relief use their extensive knowledge to help protect American taxpayers and persuade government officials to agree to new terms and liability settlements.
Fortress Tax Relief cost and fees
Fortress Tax Relief offers a free confidential consultation to discuss tax relief solutions and the assistance they provide. Service agreement starting cost varies and there may be additional fees throughout the process. They offer a full money-back guarantee within 24 hours of the initial attorney consultation.
Do we recommend Fortress Tax Relief?
Fortress Tax Relief provides American taxpayers with professional and licensed help regarding their tax relief resolutions. The company has a team of highly experienced and knowledgeable specialists, and your case will be handled by a seasoned tax attorney. Although Fortress has a track record of providing clients with favorable results, their fees and service agreements are, at times, unclear to some customers. For anyone dealing with more than $15,000 in tax debt or liabilities and is inexperienced in negotiating with the IRS, Fortress Tax Relief can provide personalized and comprehensive tax solutions.
Fortress Tax Relief Reviews
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I have used Fortress Tax Relief for 2 very difficult negotiations with the IRS. After years of negotiating with the IRS, Peter successfully resolved my issue and the case was finally closed in our favor. Peter never gave up and communicated clearly with us his strategy to win. Truly grateful to Peter and everyone at Fortress for taking care of us and our case. If you have any issues with the IRS, I urge you to call Fortress Tax Relief and let them help you get you back to living your life without the fear of the IRS. Success is their business.
Our formula for success is to hire ONLY high-caliber attorneys to represent our clients (no other significant U.S. tax relief firm does this), to train them thoroughly and then train them more, to treat them well so there is virtually no turnover (nearly all our attorneys have been with us for 15 years plus), to require an unwavering commitment to doing what is best for our clients and providing outstanding customer service, and to instill a never-say-die company culture. It takes every component of that formula to succeed with a difficult a case like yours. You've been a great client, and we're so glad you found us. Thank you for your business and your review!
I was contacted by Tax Fortress about 5 years ago with an issue I had. I thought I could handle it. I was wrong. Thank goodness at the time that Joe ** called, I was smart enough to recognize a high-quality person from a professional business. I kept Tax Fortress' contact information, and when the issue resurfaced, as they always do, I called Joe. He remembered me. How about that. He handed me to their attorney, David **, who also is a Tax Attorney. Great combination for what he does. He listened to my story. How refreshing to be heard and not brushed off. David said he wanted to do some research and would call me back. Then, he called me back in a couple of days.
Shea ** was on this call. Shea is the glue that keeps all the pieces of your case together. He and David asked me more questions. David commented to Shea that they would want to do such and such. This is something that I really respected - their transparency. David then told me to send Shea some documents, which I subsequently did. David and Shea thanked me for my time and we ended the call. Shea became the designated communicator with me. He always contacted me when he said he would, be it phone or email. Shea was thorough with what he had to relay to me and in answering my questions. Shea was professional and patient. Whenever I had a question about something, I'd call or email and within hours Shea responded, every time!
The team there of David and Shea were ready to go to battle for me. That was clear as we discussed my case. It turns out the resolution for my case was straightforward. Still, Tax Fortress handled my case thoroughly and professionally. The reason I went with them was because I needed to know that once my case was resolved, it would not resurface, ever. I got what I wanted with Tax Fortress - professionalism and humanism. Did you ever think you would get that with a Tax Resolution company? You can get it with Tax Fortress. I highly recommend the folks at Tax Fortress.
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What an awesome experience and a gigantic burden lifted from my back. I have work with Art and Joan *(The dream team) at Fortress twice and they honestly took the time to listen to what was happening, understood all of the facts from my side, and came up with an amazing game plan to fix a major issue I carried for years alone. I am so appreciate to the prompt responses I always received and the guidance when needed. I was skeptical at first because you hear of so many scams out in the world but they quickly put my mind at ease and truly delivered in the end.
In house we refer to our entire team of tax relief attorneys and assistants the All-stars, so your assessment of Art & Joan being a dream team hits close to home. We're so glad to hear that your experience was "awesome." Having a large tax liability is no one's idea of a good time, but you aren't the first to report getting rid of gigantic the burden feels fantastic. Thank you for your business and your thoughtful review!
Unfortunately I had serious tax issues. A CFO had left me in a bad spot with the IRS. I had no idea what to do. Fortress and David ** was truly awesome to work with. I worked with him for over 10 years until my tax situations for my business and personal taxes were resolved. I had interviewed a few companies before selecting Fortress. Fortress didn't promise me gimmicks or do things that would get me in more trouble. They were professional and at times worked with my accountant. They were able to get a significant amount of my penalties removed as well. I can't say enough about them. I hope you never find yourself with tax problems but if you do you can't be in better hands.
First, it is extremely unusual for us to have a client for 10 years or even 1/3 that amount of time, so your tax situation was definitely quite complicated and likely included a number of new and significant challenges that came up during the course of representation. Your case is a great example of how our A-team of tax relief attorneys won't shy away, won't give up, always continue to fight on behalf of our clients, and can eventually turn a seemingly impossible situation into a beautiful success story. There is a good chance that an average tax relief professional (the kind our competitors favor because they are cheaper to employ) would have failed. Thank you for putting your trust in us and thank you for the kind review!
I owed alot to the IRS after some financial mistakes and was stressed out beyond belief. There was no way I would be able to pay the IRS the full amount. I was worried I would lose my house. Any other assets I had. Luckily I found Fortress Tax Relief- after 1 phone call I could breathe again! They worked with the IRS to get me on a simple and very affordable payment plan. I'm no longer worried at all because of the trust I have with this firm. They do great work- highly recommend giving them a call!
Thank you so much for your business and review! There is a strong correlation between tax debts and stress levels, and you are one of many clients to report that simply having Fortress in your corner immediately reduced your stress. We are so glad that you gave us the opportunity touch your life in such a meaningful way. Getting an affordable monthly payment can be a lot more difficult than one would think, and we're pleased to hear that you are happy with the results. Thank you.
A JOB WELL DONE! There's no better way to describe how happy I am with the services provided by Fortress. Working with David ** and Sayward **, a more responsive team is hard to imagine as they spoke or emailed answers to ALL my questions in more than a timely fashion, delivered a more successful outcome and settlement than I had hoped for. All decisions were made by me after explanation and advice and there was never a written or spoken promise as to what they would deliver. Fortress's experienced staff of lawyers, accountants and paralegals always reinforced my choice of representation. Receiving a letter from the V.P of Fortress stating his availability if needed was comforting but the team I got to work with never needed the help. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THOMAS and ROSEMARY
We are so glad to hear that our staff hit the marks on all of the things we strive to deliver to every single client: exceptional customer service, honesty, reliability, responsiveness, and an outstanding result. We are truly fortunate to have such a great staff as well as great clients like you. Thank you!
They cut what we owed the state in back taxes by over half. Always available to talk with us and explain everything and walk us through what we needed to do on our end. Shea was always very nice and helpful.
We're quite happy with your results, and we're glad to hear that you are too. Thank you for your review!
From our initial contact to the solution Fortress has been a tremendous blessing to us! They were not only very knowledgeable but more importantly they were very concerned with helping us. They were able to help resolve our situation in a very good way. Each conversation helped ease our stress and offered us hope. We completely recommend Fortress to any and all!
Thank you so much for your recommendation! We're glad to hear that we eased your stress and that you're happy with the terms our staff negotiated on your behalf.
I contacted Fortress after being referred I and booked them right after interview. They were great. Made sure I understood all my options and were picking the right decision. They helped me fix my tax debt within a year with a better outcome with what I could have expected, they were very fast and great a communication. I definitely would recommend them 100% to everyone.
We love exceeding our clients' expectations, and we're delighted to hear that we exceeded yours! Thank you for being a great client and for sharing about your experience working with our staff.
I found myself and my wife owing a significant amount of money in back taxes to the IRS. I worked with David **, and he exceeded expectations. I am so blessed that we made the choice to use Fortress and for his work and professionalism I will forever be grateful. Thank you so much for all.
We're grateful to have had you as a client!
The reviews that my cousin gave were great and that's what motivated me to call Fortress. They were extremely professional and they provided me with all the answers that I needed to know - what I was going to go through step by step and the outcome. I was very satisfied with them. They gave a callback and didn't keep me in the dark. Also, I was extremely comfortable with the company and I didn't have to worry about anything. The papers were in order where I had to sign and everything came on time. It was just the mail that held up everything but that was it. This was ridiculously easy. I've been giving out their name to everybody that I know that’s been having tax problems.
Having a serious tax liability is no one's idea of a good time. We strive to make the process as easy pleasant as possible for each of our valued clients. We're glad to hear we hit that mark with your case. Thank you!
Fortress Tax Relief author review by Ashley Eneriz
Fortress Tax Relief offers tax resolution solutions to protect your assets. It helps consumers identify a solution that requires the lowest repayment or settlement amount.
Services: Fortress Tax Relief helps with offers in compromise, penalty abatements, installment agreements, innocent spouse relief and IRS appeals.
Accreditations: A licensed tax attorney oversees all cases with Fortress Tax Relief.
Enrolled agents: Fortress Tax Relief does not employ enrolled agents.
Minimum debt required: $15,000
Ashley Eneriz has been a staff writer with ConsumerAffairs since 2022. She has been a personal finance writer for over a decade specializing in mortgages, loans, credit cards and budgeting. She has worked for top financial institutions, including Discover, The Hartford, ScotiaBank, Chime, Synchrony and more. Her work has been featured on Forbes, MSN, Yahoo, Reader’s Digest and Time.
Fortress Tax Relief Company Information
- Company Name:
- Fortress Tax Relief
- Formerly Named:
- Fortress Financial Services, Inc.
- Address:
- 1011 SW Emkay Drive, Suite 201
- City:
- Bend
- State/Province:
- OR
- Postal Code:
- 97702
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- taxfortress.com