Best Tax Relief Companies

Tax Relief Collection Notices Resume in 2024

While the IRS has provided penalty relief in recent years due to the pandemic, that will not be the case this year. Back this year — the restart of collection notices. Be prepared with these top six vetted and legit tax relief companies in your back pocket.

If you’ve already filed, or find yourself with tax issues, we’ve evaluated and compiled a list of six top tax relief companies poised to help relieve your tax burden no matter your age.

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Compare Tax Debt Relief Services

Company	Fees	Debt Minimum	Reputation	Money Back Guarantee
Fortress Tax Relief	Starting at $1,500	$19,999	A+ with BBB	No
Tax Defense Network	Starting at $99	$7,500	A+ with BBB	No
BC Tax	Not disclosed	$10,000	A+ with BBB	Yes
Victory Tax Lawyers	Not disclosed	$15,000	A+ with BBB	No
Anthem Tax Services	Not disclosed	$8,000	A+ with BBB	Yes
Tax Hardship Center	Not disclosed	Not disclosed	A+ with BBB	Yes

Tax Relief Company Reviews

After our evaluation, we chose the best tax relief companies. Each of these companies stood out from the competition: Fortress Tax Relief, Tax Defense Network, Anthem Tax Services, Victory Tax Lawyers, and BC Tax.

Fortress Tax Relief Review | Good for personalized service

• Minimum debt required: $19,999
• Fees: Starting at $1,500
• BBB rating: A+

Fortress Tax Relief stands out in several ways. Fortress provides licensed attorneys for each case. These attorneys come from top-tier law schools and undergo over 500 hours of one-on-one training with leading tax resolution attorneys and experts. You can receive representation in business and individual tax relief cases. Individual tax relief cases include Offer in Compromise, Currently Not Collectible, Innocent Spouse, back tax, abatement, and more. Business tax relief includes business tax debt, business tax liability, payroll tax deposits, tax settlements, and more.

Fortress Tax Relief is based in Oregon but offers services in every state. It charges a flat fee starting at $1,500; depending on your issue is complexity, it can cost beyond $15,000. You start with a free consultation to ensure you’re a good fit for their services.

The company has been in business for over 20 years and has a positive reputation. The company receives an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and customers say the team is helpful, knowledgeable, and professional. One reviewer noted that they were quick to respond and were a calming force during a highly stressful time.

To determine if Fortress Tax Relief can help you, contact them today.

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Tax Defense Network Review | Good for small business tax relief

• Minimum debt required: $7,500
• Fees: Starting at $99
• BBB rating: A+

Since 2007, Tax Defense Network has helped its customers resolve over $12 billion in tax debt. Relying on their team of licensed tax professionals, including CPAs, attorneys, and other tax specialists, you start with a free consultation and case review. Once determined, you can choose either a flat fee plan or one of their financing options (starting at $99). Most cases that Tax Defense Network takes on are resolved in six to 12 months. Tax Defense Network is licensed in all 50 states and provides bilingual assistance in both English and Spanish. 

Tax Defense Network helps individuals and small business owners with unfiled tax returns, back taxes, tax audits, and other IRS and state tax issues. Additional services are also available, including small business tax audit representation, tax preparation, payroll tax, bookkeeping, tax planning, and self-employment tax.

TaxSafe^TM is another service that, for an additional cost, is like an insurance policy on your tax debt resolution. For 24 months following your resolution, you get extended tax and credit monitoring, and depending on your plan, it even includes ID theft.

The company receives mostly positive reviews from customers who find that the professionals at Tax Defense Network are compassionate, truly want to help, and are non-judgmental, no matter your situation. Most report positive outcomes quickly and efficiently.

To determine if Tax Defense Network can help you, contact them today.

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BC Tax Review | Dedicated team of experts

• Minimum debt required: $10,000
• Fees: Not disclosed
• BBB rating: A+

BC Tax uses a team of experts to help you relieve your individual and business tax issues. Gathering CPAs, enrolled agents (approved by the IRS), and tax experts, your case will be studied and resolved. BC Tax is so confident in its service and approach that if you aren’t fully satisfied with the service, it offers a 15-day money-back guarantee.

The process is simple: start with a free consultation with a senior tax consultant who will review your case and determine the next best steps. Communication is crucial, and your team will be available and accessible to you on a flexible basis no matter where in the U.S. you’re located. 

While the goal is to reduce back taxes and work to correct the tax issues before aggressive action is taken against you, other services are also offered. These include Offers in Compromise, payment plan negotiations, wage garnishments, asset seizures, appeals, audit representation, penalty abatement, lien discharges, and more.

Working with BC Tax, be assured that they have numerous accreditations and an A+ rating with the BBB, and customers there call them professional and diligent. Reviewers at Trustpilot report that BC Tax is clear and concise and calms the nerves, clearing up ongoing issues quickly. Overall, reviewers find that they are open, honest professionals who offer you as many options as possible with realistic and accurate information.

To determine if BC Tax can help you, contact them today.

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Victory Tax Lawyers Review | Good for large debts

• Minimum debt required: $15,000
• Fees: Not disclosed
• BBB rating: A+

Victory Tax Lawyers, LLP distinguishes itself as lawyers that specialize in tax relief services. What does that mean for you? Victory Tax Lawyers is a law firm regulated by the IRS and the California State Bar. Your case will be handled by an attorney with ten years of tax relief experience.

Working with both individuals and corporations, Victory tax services include tax resolution, IRS forgiveness, Fresh Start program, CRED, payment plans, back taxes, penalty abatement, audit representation, IRS notice review, installment agreements, levy, hardship, lien, FBAR, payroll tax, and tax preparation. With Victory Tax Lawyers, your case will never just be a number. It is dedicated to providing personalized service that meets your unique needs.

At Victory Tax Lawyers, you won’t encounter pushy salespeople. You’ll start the service with a free consultation directly with the attorney handling your case. Throughout the process, communication is key, and you will get responses to your questions within hours, not days. While the company doesn’t have a ton of reviews, the reviews they do have are all very positive, stating that they are honest and trustworthy and will work tirelessly on your case to get you a positive outcome.

To determine if Victory Tax Lawyers can help you, contact them today.

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Anthem Tax Services Review | Many accreditations

• Minimum debt required: $8,000
• Fees: Not disclosed
• BBB rating: A+

Anthem Tax Services is a mid-sized tax relief company servicing clients in all 50 states. Tax services include tax debt relief such as Currently Not Collectible, IRS Fresh Start, installment agreement, penalty abatement, Offers in Compromise, and truck drivers’ back taxes. Under tax help, Anthem provides IRS levy, IRS wage garnishments, and unfiled tax returns. It also provides tax assistance to small businesses, including S Corps, LLC, partnerships, and sole proprietor tax preparation and returns. Furthermore, Anthem Tax Services provides information specifically for those in their golden years — age 65 and older, regarding tax credits and deductions. 

Anthem guarantees to save you money or rework your payments or get your money back, guaranteed (excludes tax preparation and bookkeeping services). The team consists of tax-licensed professionals with a combined 100 years of experience helping individuals and businesses. 

The company has many accreditations, including a BBB A+ rating, where reviewers report many positive outcomes working with Anthem Tax Services. Users say the service is personalized, professional, attentive, and helpful.

To determine if Anthem Tax Services can help you, contact them today.

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Tax Hardship Center Review | Good for quick representation

• Minimum debt required: Not disclosed
• Fees: Not disclosed
• BBB rating: A+

Tax Hardship Center has a reputation for moving fast on your case. They promise to move cases through phase one within seven to ten days and offer a money-back guarantee within 14 days if you don’t think they are the right solution to your issue.

Digitally based, Tax Hardship Center employs top tax experts who provide free evaluations, aggressive and fast case movement, and transparent and fair pricing. While aggressively representing you, they also educate you on the process, your case, and the IRS workings while providing you with as many options as possible to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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Additional Companies We Considered

Larson Tax Relief can negotiate with the IRS or state tax authority to reduce your debt or devise a reasonable payment plan to relieve the stress of owing back taxes.

Community Tax has a large staff of seasoned CPAs, tax attorneys, and enrolled agents who assist with tax resolution, income tax return preparation, and back tax debt relief.

J David Tax Law is a tax firm but not a tax relief company.

Instant Tax Solutions offers a free consultation to analyze your financial situation and determine if you are a good fit for tax resolution services.

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Methodology

We evaluated data on 18 well-known tax relief companies and narrowed our list to our top six picks. To determine which companies offered the best tax relief services, our research team scored the companies using the following categories:

• Eligibility: For each company, we considered the state licensure and availability.
• Cost: We reviewed the fees for settling past debts, money-back guarantees, consultation fees, and the minimum debt required to obtain services.
• Process: We compared the time it takes to resolve debts, the ongoing services, and whether professionals are available to customers throughout the process. 
• Transparency: We determined whether the company posted its fees on its website, as well as its ratings with the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot.
• Customer service: We noted how customers can contact the company, e.g., live chat, email and phone support.
• Expertise: We noted each company’s length of time in business and its associations with organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Tax Preparers
• Additional benefits: We considered other services available to consumers

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How Do Tax Debt Relief Services Work?

You have tax debt, now what? Once you have tax debt, the IRS can garnish your wages or seize your property and assets to cover the income taxes you owe. While frustrating, tax debt is sometimes out of your control and occurs for several reasons, including:

• Underreporting taxes
• Underpaying taxes
• Earning more income compared to the previous year
• Tax code changes
• Unplanned financial issues
• Failure to file tax returns

Tax relief services can help alleviate some of the emotional and financial burden. If you receive a letter from the IRS (never a phone call or email), you can deal with it yourself or turn to a tax relief service.

A tax relief company represents your interests and negotiates with the IRS on your behalf – for a fee. They determine what programs you qualify for to reduce back taxes and penalties and which tax relief laws apply to your situation. The result is that they work to reduce your tax burden with a settlement you can afford to pay off. These companies also clear up IRS errors resulting in excess taxes or penalties and remove tax liens from property and assets.

Finally, the best tax relief companies also help clients manage future finances to prevent going into debt with the IRS again.

Tax Relief Options

If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot pay your tax obligation, the IRS offers a few payment options:

• Short-term payment plan: If you owe less than $100,000, you can apply for payments spread out over 180 days.
• Long-term payment plan: If you owe less than $50,000, you can apply for a payment plan spread out for longer than 180 days and pay monthly payments. These agreements are granted on a case-by-case basis.
• Offers in compromise: If you qualify, you can settle your debt for less than what you owe. This is up to the discretion of the IRS, and they will consider your unique circumstances when making a decision. Offers in compromise used to be called Fresh Start. 
• Currently not collectible (CNC). You can request a currently not collectible status from the IRS, meaning they will not attempt to collect from you or your assets, but they will still assess interest and penalty charges. The IRS must agree that you cannot pay your taxes and basic living expenses to get CNC status.
• Penalty abatement. Where the IRS waives the penalty for failing to file a tax return. 

Tax relief services can provide as little or as much service as you need. For example, they can provide limited services like setting up payment plans on your behalf or full coverage like filing returns, managing appeals, and negotiating settlements. The key is understanding needs and finding a company that aligns with those.

Hiring a Tax Relief Company: What to Expect

If you’re looking to hire a tax relief company, the process is quite simple. Dane Janas, Enrolled Agent and founder of Financial Umbrella LLC breaks down the process into a few steps: 

1. Consultation
2. Retainer
3. Research
4. Presentation of options
5. Approval and implementation

In more detail, you’ll start by identifying several tax relief companies that meet your needs. We’ve gotten you started with this in-depth guide. Then, you’ll reach out to the company of your choosing either via phone or form on their website. Most offer a free initial consultation during which you can share your tax issue. 

Following the initial consultation, should you choose to proceed, the company will gather necessary information from you and may obtain a Power of Attorney or Declaration of Representative, enabling the company to represent you before the IRS. They will work with you to formulate a plan of action based on your consultation — it’s up to you to approve it and enter into a payment plan or make a fixed payment.

Once approved, the tax relief company will operate on your behalf to resolve your issue with the IRS while keeping you informed of the progress on your case. 

How Much Do Tax Relief Companies Charge?

Tax relief companies don’t usually publish fees online since each case requires different resources depending on the client’s tax issue. However, during our research, we found that the cost of professional tax relief services starts around $1,500 like those at Fortress Tax. There are several ways to manage these fees. Many services offer financing options like Tax Defense Network, which starts at $99. You can also choose to pay a flat fee. We recommend avoiding an hourly rate because it can quickly creep up in cost. 

Regardless of your payment option, be sure the company you work with is confident it can save you more in tax relief than you pay for its service. Additionally, ensure you obtain a price quote upfront and in written form. Any reputable tax relief company should be willing to provide this for you.

Other Tax Debt Resources

As mentioned above, the IRS has several tax relief options, but if you don’t qualify for any of those options, you can consider the following: 

• Personal loan. Another option is to take out a personal loan to pay your tax debt. Just ensure it’s a lower interest rate than the interest rate you would have with a short-term or long-term payment plan through the IRS. 
• Borrow. Instead of taking out a personal loan, maybe you know a family member or friend willing to pay off your tax debt for you. This can be useful if it’s a short-term solution while you wait for a payment or income to come in.
• File bankruptcy. If you qualify, filing bankruptcy is an option to clear tax debt — particularly Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. However, it’s important to note that this is a last resort option and involves the assistance of an attorney and other professionals to ensure you make a wise financial decision. 

Read more: If You Can’t Pay Your Taxes, You Have Options

Beware of Tax Relief Scams

Unfortunately, you must be aware of scammers representing themselves as legitimate tax relief companies. These criminals prey on the taxpayer’s fear and emphasize how the IRS can put a lien on wages, property, or other assets if you’re unable to pay income taxes. An example of a tax relief company scam is American Tax Relief, which cheated consumers out of $100 million. This scam was so widespread the Federal Trade Commission filed and won a case against American Tax Relief to get taxpayers’ money returned.

Every year, the IRS releases a Dirty Dozen list of the most recent tax and identity theft scams. Unfortunately, most victims of tax relief scams don’t get their money back.

Keep these tips in mind to avoid the expense of a tax relief scam:

• Be wary of companies that guarantee to reduce your debt to “pennies on the dollar” or “next to nothing” while charging very high nonrefundable fees upfront.
• Stay away from companies that guarantee tax relief without communication with the IRS or doing a comprehensive analysis of your finances.
• Never sign on with a company that doesn’t go over tax relief options, their fee structure, and refund policy in clear language.
• Ask if the tax relief company has a default billing rate, which is a flat rate applied to work completed by an employee, whether or not they are a tax professional. A default billing rate can wipe out the refund you would receive if you cancel the service.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Tax Relief

How long does it take for a tax relief company to resolve my case with the IRS?

Each tax issue is different, and the exact time frame for resolving it will vary based on the type of relief sought. Short-term and long-term payment plans can be set up swiftly online through IRS.gov, with potential responses almost instantly. Penalty abatement may only require a phone call to an IRS helpline in some cases. However, more complex types such as Offers in Compromise and Currently-not-Collectible status, require extensive information gathering by the tax relief company and a manual review by IRS agents, typically taking 30 to 90 days.

Do I qualify for tax forgiveness?

The term tax forgiveness falls under Offer in Compromise. To qualify, you must apply. To be eligible even to apply, you must have filed all tax returns (or have a valid extension), made all estimated payments, and not be involved in a bankruptcy case.

You can see if you are pre-qualified through the pre-qualifier tool on the IRS website. If eligible, you may fill out and submit your application. The IRS states that they typically approve an Offer in Compromise if the amount offered represents the most they can expect to collect in a reasonable time. A fully vetted and trusted tax professional or tax relief service like our top picks can help you apply.  

Keep in mind that even if you don’t qualify for an Offer in Compromise, you may qualify for other types of tax relief, like a payment plan or Penalty Abatement.

Can I negotiate with the IRS myself?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is it’s wise to let a tax professional or tax relief service negotiate on your behalf. Dealing with a tax issue is scary and complex, but it needs to be addressed quickly and correctly. Working with a professional experienced with the IRS will do that on your behalf and because they know the ins and outs of tax relief can increase your odds of reaching an acceptable settlement or payment plan without a hitch. In dealing with the IRS yourself, you might also find yourself doing more work than needed, as tax relief professionals typically understand precisely what information must be submitted to the IRS for a favorable resolution

Does tax relief affect my credit score?

Working with a tax relief company will not hurt your credit score. That said, taking out a loan or paying your taxes with a credit card can affect your credit score.  

What tax help is available to seniors?

As a senior citizen, taxes change. You can start receiving social security if you’re over 65 years old. You might be on a fixed income or eligible for certain tax deductions, credits, and exemptions. Or, perhaps you have questions unique to your age group regarding your pension and retirement-related issues. To help you prepare and file your taxes, the IRS offers a program called Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) that can help if you’re eligible. To learn more, check it out here.

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Bottom Line

Reputable tax relief companies help you find your way out of tax-related debt and take on the stress of dealing with the IRS, so you don’t have to. Our top recommended firms find the best tax relief solutions for reducing back taxes and penalties and resolving income tax errors.

	Tax Relief Company	Best For
1	Fortress Tax Relief	Personalized service
2	Tax Defense Network	Small business tax relief
3	BC Tax	Dedicated team of experts
4	Victory Tax Lawyers	Large debts
5	Anthem Tax Services	Professional accreditations
6	Tax Hardship Center	Quick representation