Best Tax Relief Companies

Even if you cannot afford to pay your taxes, you still need to file each year to prevent penalties. For individuals who owe more than $10,000 in tax debt, a tax relief company can make dealing with the IRS less stressful.

Fortress Tax Relief is a firm that has helped individuals, small businesses and large businesses with tax troubles since 2003. Although based in Oregon, it can help any taxpayer from across the nation. Every case is personally handled by a licensed attorney who exclusively handles the resolution of back taxes.

Fortress can help in a variety of ways, including Offers in Compromise (OICs), abatement of penalties, IRS installment agreements and trust fund recovery penalties. For indebted small businesses, it can help with all state and federal tax issues.

Customer satisfaction is a high priority for Fortress, and it does not accept a case until one of its attorneys has interviewed the prospective client and approved the case. Initial consultations are free. It doesn’t have a minimum debt requirement, but the company advises clients that a tax debt of less than $10,000 doesn't usually procure savings that outweigh the cost of Fortress’ services.

Fortress usually charges its clients a flat fee, though some relatively rare circumstances may require an hourly fee of between $280 and $340 or so. Total costs can range from $1,000 to $15,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the case. The attorneys at Fortress handle no more than 100 clients at a time to give each case the focus it needs.

Fortress notes on its website that it offers some kind of a money-back guarantee, stating, “If you do not wish to continue for any reason after the initial attorney consultation, just follow the simple instructions in our intake paperwork and we guarantee that 100% of any fees paid will be promptly refunded.” But it’s unclear if this money-back guarantee has any value, given that the initial consultation is supposed to be free.

Established in 2010, Community Tax is a full-service tax company available in all 50 states. The team of tax practitioners and certified public accountants (CPAs) has helped more than 100,000 clients resolve over $800 million in tax liabilities.

The process with Community Tax starts with professionals hearing your case and then providing you with a free tax analysis. Once you agree to work with Community Tax, it will get your documents from the IRS (or relevant state tax authority) and launch a full investigation. Next, you will be presented with the findings and start moving into the resolution phase to fix your current tax issues and prevent future delinquencies from occurring.

Community Tax offers many tax solutions, including OICs, installment agreements, stair-step agreements, penalty abatements and more. It also offers a Tax Assurance Program for $39 per month that can help clients stay compliant and in good standing with the IRS.

Community Tax offers a free consultation and a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you pay for a service and Community Tax can't offer the service it anticipated providing, you’ll be refunded. Community Tax charges flat fees, but it does not publish its fees on its website.

Anthem Tax Services offers tax litigation and preparation help in all 50 states. It is accredited by the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and the California Tax Education Council (CTEC).

Anthem Tax Services helps taxpayers with OICs, installment agreements, the Fresh Start program, wage garnishment, IRS tax levies and penalty abatements. Anthem Tax Services is also available for tax preparation services to keep you out of trouble with the IRS; these services include bookkeeping and corporate tax preparation.

For truck drivers, Anthem Tax Services has dedicated tax preparation and relief services. It specializes in helping owners, operators and drivers in the trucking industry. Anthem Tax Services works to negotiate a lower tax debt with the IRS for truck drivers who owe a lot in back taxes.

What is impressive about Anthem Tax Services is its money-back guarantee that does not have a time deadline. If it does not save you money or rework your payments, it will give you your money back. This guarantee does not apply to bookkeeping, tax preparation services or the minimum deposit paid by clients.

Victory Tax Lawyers is a law firm specializing in tax controversy, resolution and litigation in all 50 states. It has helped both individuals and businesses resolve tax issues and has saved its clients over $21 million. The debt amount minimum is $25,000. After a free consultation, the firm will only work with cases that need help. It tries to work in the most economical and efficient way for each customer.

The small team of Victory Tax Lawyers consists of two licensed tax attorneys, two law clerks, a paralegal, a billing manager and an executive assistant. There are no salespeople at VTL, meaning you have a direct consultation with the attorneys. The attorneys know exactly which cases can be resolved, so clients are not overpromised services.

VTL provides help with OICs, tax liens, tax levies, penalty abatements, IRS hardship, payroll tax and more. It charges on a flat-fee basis; costs vary depending on the severity of the case. It will offer clear pricing after your case is reviewed. You may have to pay higher fees than you would with other tax relief services because you are working directly with attorneys.

Larson Tax Relief was established in 2005 and specializes in emergency and long-term tax relief. This family-owned business can represent clients in all 50 states. The company president, Jack Larson, is accredited with the NAEA and NATP.

There is a minimum fee of $2,500 to work with the Larson Tax Relief team. The team usually advises debtors to use its services only if they have $15,000 or more in tax debt. Anyone can request a free consultation to find out approximately how much it would cost to get help with tax issues.

Larson Tax Relief is so confident you will want to work with it that it offers a 15-day money-back guarantee. This allows clients to meet the team before making a financial commitment. Customer support is easy to connect to, with an online chat that gives an average response time before you start talking.

Not only does the company post client testimonials, but it also posts redacted results of its interventions with tax authorities, so you can see the real resolution paperwork sent by the IRS to Larson Tax Relief’s customers.

It can help with OICs, levy releases, penalty abatements, installment agreements and more.

J. David Tax Law is a tax firm. This means only an experienced tax attorney will handle your case. In most cases, the firm can get IRS or state wage garnishments removed within 48 hours. J. David Tax can represent clients in every state.

Working one-on-one with a tax attorney can cost more than going with a tax relief company. To make the fee worthwhile, this is best for clients with $20,000 or more of debt. The firm offers a flexible fee payment plan so that representation is affordable for all customers; however, the pricing or fee structure is not posted on the website.

J. David Tax can offer help with tax levies, wage garnishments and federal and state tax liens. It also offers help with OICs, penalty and interest abatements, innocent spouse relief, payroll tax, sales tax and more.

Not only can you request a free consultation, but you can also see if you qualify for the services within one minute. The firm is accredited by the NATP and the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS). The website language can be switched to Spanish, which leaves the impression that the firm helps Spanish-speaking clients.

Optima’s founders met in business school at the University of Pennsylvania, and they founded Optima in order to provide solutions for individuals with unmanageable tax liabilities. Optima offers a full range of tax relief solutions, including tax negotiation and settlement, IRS audit defense, and assistance with tax levies, liens, wage garnishments and back taxes.

While each tax case is unique, Optima estimates that it can help resolve many tax issues in two to six months. For individuals with a tax debt of $5,000 or more, you can request a free consultation with Optima and see if you qualify for help. Optima does not post clear pricing on its website.

Alongside tax relief services, clients can enroll in one of Optima’s protection plans. These plans help you prepare and file taxes and stay protected from the IRS. There are three tiers offered, ranging in price from $29.99 per month to $69.99 per month.

Optima has a 15-day money-back guarantee for anyone who does not like the service within the first two weeks. Clients can cancel during this time without any penalties or obligations.

Tax relief is any reduction or removal of liability in taxes owed by an individual taxpayer or business entity. Tax relief companies employ tax experts, including tax attorneys, certified public accountants and enrolled agents, who serve as intermediaries between their clients and the IRS. These tax experts work with the IRS to find ways for clients to resolve their tax debt.

People who owe a tax debt often seek tax relief to reduce the amount they owe to the IRS or state tax agencies. Those who didn’t file a tax return, misfiled their return or were unable to pay taxes may end up owing a tax debt that accrues penalties and interest. Many people facing this tax burden do not have enough liquid assets to pay the full amount at once and require assistance.

When you work with a tax relief company, its professionals negotiate a tax relief program for you. Some IRS tax relief programs, like innocent spouse relief, remove improper tax liabilities. Others, like the release of wage garnishments, stop the IRS from seizing your wages or assets to pay back taxes.

The IRS offers several tax debt relief programs. Taxpayers can apply for tax relief from the IRS directly or hire a tax relief company to help negotiate on their behalf. If you owe a tax debt of more than $10,000, it may be smart to hire a tax relief professional who has experience negotiating with the IRS.

Tax relief companies use different types of contracts. Some tax relief companies require clients to sign a contract, while others don't require signatures on any paperwork and let clients start and stop work at their discretion. Any contract you sign with a legitimate tax relief company should clearly define the scope of the work, the payment schedule and how you’re billed.

Here are some of the common programs that a tax relief company or attorney can offer:

To select our picks for the top tax relief companies, we first looked at customer reviews and ratings. To narrow down the 21 companies considered for this guide, we excluded those without at least 10 verified reviews on our site over the last year and with an overall satisfaction rating below 3 stars, leaving 16 companies.

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team then considered multiple factors, including cost, pricing structure, tax debt minimums and maximums, availability, tax solution offerings, accreditations, and customer reviews. The companies below are highly recommended by existing customers and meet our criteria for availability and customer experience.

Take a look at our additional tax resources:

• Current standard deductions
• How to fill out a W-4 form in 2023
• 2022-2023 tax brackets
• What is excise tax?
• About capital gains taxes in 2023
• How to file back taxes
• How to file your taxes for free