Optima Tax Relief
Reviews and Complaints

I've done my own taxes for most of my life without software programs or paying an arm and a leg to some tax preparation service that could care less if they get you the best refund. At some point in the past, and for many years afterward, while doing my own returns, I checked a box that I wasn't supposed to check (due to the IRS instructions that were SO simple and straightforward... NOT.) After many years, someone at the IRS suddenly discovered that I shouldn't be checking that box. Next thing I know, they're reaching back ten years into my tax history, inspecting and recalculating my old returns. When all was said and done, the IRS determined that I owed roughly $80,000 for back taxes, penalties, and interest! My first (unrealistic) reaction was to put my head in the sand and try to hope they wouldn't ethically try to collect such an outrageous sum, especially given the simple error in completing the forms. The IRS ultimately placed negative reports in my credit file resulting in horrible credit for years. All this time, the fear of them knocking on my door was ever-present in my mind. I finally contacted Optima Tax Relief. They very calmly took over my situation with no judgment or condescension. They gathered all of my personal information and worked on my behalf with the IRS. The process took a few months, my wife always asking, "What's going on with Optima?", but I didn't care. The "hot potato" was in their lap, not MINE. However, in the end, Optima was able to negotiate with the IRS and get me a resolution that drops my debt to the IRS from $80,000 to $7,000! When my Optima contact called me that day with the news, I was almost in shock. He had to repeat himself because my head was spinning, my ears were ringing and my brain felt numb. I thought I misunderstood because what he was telling me just couldn't be true. I couldn't believe they had done such an amazing job for me. A MASSIVE load of stress had suddenly been taken off of my shoulders. A million THANK YOU's to Optima Tax Relief!

I was in a vulnerable place when I sought help from Optima Tax. I had no idea what I was doing and felt like the only way out from under this massive debt I owed the *** was to consult tax professionals. In retrospect, I see now that I was just being taken advantage of.What I hate about Tax Optima was they they made so many promises before we got started like, helping me reduce what I have to pay back. They knew from the very beginning that I owed 5 years of back taxes but not once throughout the sale process did they mention they could only help me with the first year. They knew what they were doing.So, if you're stressed and looking for someone to help you. Talk to the ***! They will help you for FREE! Don't pay these snakes $6,000 to do nothing but file paper for you. It's not worth it! That money could go towards paying your taxes off. The sneaky part is they don't actually help you until you pay the full $6,000. They put you on a 6-month payment plan while they file something with the *** that basically says "We're working on it". After you've pay Optima Tax in full, then they basically do the bare minimum. File a forgiveness for the first year and put you on a payment plan for the remaining years. No fancy reduction in what you owe. No magic to ease the burden. Just "we did what we can for your first year, good luck with paying back the rest."Optima Tax could have just told me from the very beginning that they could only help me with my first year but, no, they left that part out until the very end.To make things worse, I recently found out that they still have access to my records! That affidavit they filed so they can work on your behalf? They don't remove it! I had to call in and have it removed myself. And I only knew about this because I got a letter from the *** telling me that someone recently accessed my files.I had companies like Optima Tax! The profit on the ignorance of others at a time in their life when they need guidance the most.Do yourself a favor. Save your money and just talk to the ***. They are kind and professional people who will tell you exactly what you need to do. Leave out the greedy middle man.

Optima Tax Relief is miss leading and does not fulfill their end of the contract. I spent a total of $2,075 in an effort to resolve my tax issues and work with the IRS to reduce fees/penalties and work out a payment arrangement. The communication has been unacceptable for the amount of money I paid for their assistance. Big promises and support on the front end, terrible communication and support on the backend. I've complained to them several times and it seems almost as if this is retaliation for making complaints of the service they are providing. They did file my taxes, they did set up a payment arrangement, and when I asked what they were able to work out with the IRS for my penalties, they simply say O, the IRS said no. Earlier this year I started receiving IRS threats once they filed my taxes of liens and collection actions once my taxes were filed and their support was terrible. I had to escalate to even get someone to listen to me. I asked for documentation to support this outcome and have yet to receive a single thing. They claim they have made calls to me that they haven't. Up front they made it sound so promising they could help. I could have done all of this on my own and paid the $2075 directly to the IRS vs. to Optima who in a year has done absolutely nothing for me. I feel this is a scam. Finally today after an attempt to meet with their "Closing Rep" about the resolution my dissatisfaction her response was we can't promise the IRS do anything, but they make it sound like they can. I don't even know if they even tried or had the conversation or the request was even made because I've seen 0 documentation that it was requested and denied. Funny enough I see documentation that my taxes were filed and that a payment arrangement was made. They even do an expense spread sheet to make it appear that this information will be helpful in working with the IRS and that they have leverage. In trying to repair my financial situation from being a single mother, losing everything in a fire five years ago and then dealing with this. Just doesn't sit right with me. Their website says satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. I would like them to live up to their promises.

Life in itself has its *** and downs and even a curve ball your way upon occasion. My curve ball happened to me when my beloved mother developed Alzheimer's and was completely dependant on her children, and to top it off I went through a terrible and messy divorce while dealing with my mom's mental condition.The divorce forced me to make *** decisions and I had, at the time, small investment funds in a nationwide financial company. My agent with this company assisted in my procuring the funds needed to purchase my property to continue my life,placing all my confidence iny agent she assured me enough money was taken out to satisfy the taxes imposed by the federal government. I never thought more checking to make sure the taxes had been paid to satisfy the *** As it turns out, months later and mounting late fee charges, and interest the *** started to *** me with letters of their ghastly intents to take legal action against *** could not make the payment they were demanding , a total over $25,000 . I was in a fog of disbelief , I had no way to come up with that kind of money since I live on a fixed income.Letter after letter followed from the *** and then phone calls, I couldn't sleep and eating was an effort, I was scared and bewildered.I didn't know what to do or where to turn.But one day I was listening to a talk show host on the radio and an advertisement on his program , Optima Tax Relief , came on. I jotted the number down and called Optima Tax Relief and spoke with a very compassionate and friendly representative. They gave me hope and told me there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I was so relieved and felt someone cared . The representative gave me hope and encouraging words. Optima Tax Relief made sure the letters and threats ceased from the *** and Optima Tax Relief handled all the negotiations with *** and they came up with a pay back plan that was workable for me.Optima Tax Relief has the knowledgeable staff and experience, their team of lawyers and paralegals are the best and I was rescued from those sleepless nights and fear of the ***.Thanks Optima Tax Relief for giving me back my normal life and I will be forever grateful for all the wonderful folks at Optima Tax Relief.God BlessLeon

Absolutely Horrible experience. I owed 3 years of back taxes and needed help badly. I reached out to Optima and the first person who I spoke with was super nice, very informative, and helpful! I ended up spending about $4,500 to go through with the process because it really sounded like they could help me consolidate my debt. From there it went downhill. The whole process took a year and 1/2 to complete. They had initially said it would be about 6-8 months. It was a nightmare game of telephone and being passed around to different people at different stages of the process and each case manager knew less than the last. I would wait weeks to hear back from people. Sometimes months. I have no idea what they were doing for me. I uploaded all my information and all my documents, answered all the questions, and was forthcoming with anything they needed from me. I would call about my status from time to time and they would ask me for the same info over and over and it would get lost in their records. One time I got a new case manager and she called to introduce herself and talk about my case. She literally knew nothing about my case, my income, or my situation at all. She didn't even look at my case before calling me. She was slurring her words on the phone and apologizing every 2 minutes because she couldn't find any info about me and was so lost. She literally sounded drunk and on pharmaceuticals. I immediately hung up and called someone else to request a new case manager. The next case manager I got ghosted me repeatedly so I requested another one after that. It had been a month since I requested a new case manager and I figured at some point a new person would be calling me. The same person ended up still being on my case even after I wrote her and said that I requested someone else. The sheer lack of knowing what's going on is disturbing and that's when I knew it was a joke. In the end, they did absolutely nothing for me. I paid $4,500 to have a company file 3 years of taxes for me. I could have done it all myself. I had to be on a payment plan that is far too expensive for me, I told them I couldn't afford it but they say that you have to agree to pay the monthly amount they tell you to or they can't continue to work on your case. It was seriously awful.Do not use this company unless you want to be scammed and get the ultimate run around. A million thumbs DOWN

You might be better off going to H&R Block. While I've read many reviews on here of what a great job they've done, I can tell you from my experience, its been nothing short of a horrible. Emails are sent, and no response to the questions I ask Phone calls are made, and you sit on hold until you get automatically disconnected.. After numerous complaints to them, finally, someone calls you back, pretending as if they're understanding to your frustration, but they still don't answer the question. They don't follow up - and when they do, let me tell you how they do it, because they think they're being cute... They'll send a email; "So and so" will call you tomorrow... That's it... NOT, they make a courtesy call first to find out when its a good time to call - No, no... So when the call does come in, where does it come from? - an 800# Not "OPTIMA" and with scam callers today, how many people answer it? - Few... Do they leave a message? - Nope... So, then, maybe in a a day or two, you find that email they said they were going to call - and NOW you think, "Oh, that 800#" must have been them - So you call them back, and they mark it down, as "We tried to call you but received no response" oO See? Now check this out - After times of doing this, then, they close your case ... and it costs you another $495.00 to open it again ON TOP of the $7,000 you already paid... THEN they consider this a NEW case, wanting another $7000.00... Yes, many people may feel like they're a "savior", because they got themselves in so much trouble with the IRS - So they would be willing to pay anything... Frankly, I'm ready to sue these people... Lastly, (And as I write this as a real life example) - AFTER speaking to their "Customer Review Board" which is really some college kid who takes your complaint - I asked 6 questions - Which are PROCESS questions... Meaning, it wouldn't be fair to ask HOW the IRS would answer because they don't know - but questions referring to "What does this mean"? - and they STILL have not answered... nor do they follow up... Here's a REAL question I asked; "Being the IRS may owe me money, but I owe them money, can they take my 401K account, is it in jeopardy"? - Its been a week - Know what I've heard? - ZERO, NATA, Goose Egg... Seriously? - This is TAX PROFESSIONALS? - Sounds more like a bunch of kids doing their internship for credits - ... Hope you people fair better than I did - I would NEVER use these guys again

To bw honest, I don't always believe the advertiisements on TV about company products and services offered. But in the case of looking for some tax relief from IRS, it is a daunting task that is very stressful for most individuals. So in 2020 , with the pandemic issues afeecting my business and my family expenses, I have been looking for both financial relief for my operations including dealing with oast due IRS taxes that were due for my 2018 taxes. I moved to Florida from NYS and my accountant in Albany didn't have a ny advice for me with preparing my Federal & State taxes so , I was forced to get them signed off and then I would worry about the consequences later. Well in July the consequences hit me with a certified letter from IRS with a past due notice for 2018 taxes with added interest and penalties that I was now faced with a huge problem for me and my company. I took a leap of faith and I called Optima Tax Relief. Sara Chevere took my basic information and reviewed my tax burden after I forward my taxes online to her. Then she and another associate, Katarina Donohue , provided me with a plan. It was expensive from my point of view but it was a life line I needed to take now. I was stressing out and the corona virus disaster was also making things worse for me and my business. After I accepterd the payment plan , Optima went to work on my behalf. I was assigned a very competitent case manager, Axl Ochoa. Alex walked me thru the process he would take wirth IRS to be my advocate. I signed the representative agreement for Axl to work on my behalf with the IRS. It took sev eral months to work out a setlement and I had to provide a worksheet of my P & S statement so he could accurately negotiate my repayment plan. It finally got done in November and in December I was offered a plan for repayment to IRS that will not jeopardize me or my company that is being initiated in February . I have not received any calls from IRS or threatening letters that would stress me out further. Axl and the Optima team did live up to my expectations as my representative and achieved my goal to pay the IRS over time payments. So the cost of the Optima services were appreciated by me . Optima team and especially Axl who answered my phone calls over a weekend and put my mind at rest, when I was concerned that I didn't get the final settlement paperwork from IRS until Jan 19, 2021. Thaanks Axl and all of the Optima Team for my conclusion of my taxes and payment plan to the IRS.

I am so grateful for Optima Tax Relief. I had gone through a divorce and a forced career change that had lead to some mistakes in my earlier taxes. tragically, I also missed out on claiming some sizable deductions. Add to that a heart attack in 2008, I had failed to file from 2005 through 2014. I had a lien on my account, and very scary letters from the IRS. My credit was also in shambles because of this. I heard the ads for Optima for actually about 2 years, and wanted to call, but also felt very guilty of my stupidity, and kept putting it off. My bad credit was keeping me from getting several jobs I was highly qualified for. When I decided to fix my credit, I knew it was time to clean everything up. I talked to some local CPA's who said they could help, but this was not their area of expertise. Plus, to be honest, these were guys I knew, and it was embarrassing for me to go over all the mistakes I made form [protected]. Calling Optima would be easier, because they don't know me! :-) As soon as I called, I felt the professionalism. They were confident they could help, yet made no crazy promises. The removed the lien FAST, took a power-of attorney, represented me to the IRS, and literally ended the calls and letters. It was so comforting knowing I was in the hands of pros. The IRS also had a bill collector chasing me, and Optima stopped them too! It felt so good when I got a occasional letter or call to refer them to Optima. It was always dealt with fast. I love the web portal, I can upload documents and know it is in the proper hands. They always confirm. This process is not fast, but I think that has more to do with the IRS. I paid one fee upfront and it was a chunk for me, but in fairness, they have worked as hard as if I was paying in the end. No matter the twists and turns of my case, they have never asked for more. They always follow up. If their is any confusion, it's cleared up fast. So Far? I went from owing TENS OF THOUSANDS to about $3,000, and get this, since I lost my last job to COvid-19, they are still on the case, trying to get it down more! I am also cleared and settled on all but 3 years. With this Pandemic, the company eliminated my position. In light of all that, I am so glad I called them. Sandra handled much of my case, and I love how she stayed in touch. To all of you out there, STOP PROCRASTINATING! Call them ASAP. It's just like cancer. Ignoring it or waiting makes it worse, and more painful to fix it. The sooner you do this the better they can help. I wish I called them in 2009. By the way, while I am not done with them and with the IRS yet, I did get my credit score over the past 2 years from 480 to 790. All those liens and problems are now off my record. Thanks Optima!

Exceptionally poor performance with lying and fraud as their primary services. From the beginning we stated that we could and would pay the IRS immediately if that was the best option. The "consultant" (sales rep) who took our call convinced us that Optima could help, could, at the very least, reduce the amount we would have to pay the IRS. Instead, they actually INCREASED the amount we owed by filing invalid forms with the IRS on our behalf, which we had to correct. They had us sign multiple forms electronically. The IRS doesn't accept electronic signatures! How could a company that does NOTHING BUT work with the IRS not know that electronic signatures were not acceptable? We followed every instruction given, and when their website would not allow us to complete the assigned tasks, we called back to our "consultant" who casually told us their website SELDOM IF EVER works, and we had to take multiple additional steps to get the documents to them, including setting up an account directly with the IRS. Even after we went through all of that, the service continued to be pathetic. Missing calls, dropping calls, not returning calls, and scheduling appointments with us for their staff who were NOT EVEN WORKING the day of the appointment. When we did not get the scheduled call, we took the initiative to call them at the number listed on their website. We spent hours holding and then waiting for "Karina" to call us back, promised to us by another Optima staff member. "She's just a little delayed on another call, she'll call you back shortly." She never called. We went on line after three hours of waiting to schedule a different appointment time. Then, Karina called us on a different day, at an unscheduled time, and said she wasn't even working the day she "missed our call." Now, we are told by this "representative" Karina that their tax preparers have decided there is nothing they can do to help us and we have to pay the full amount plus the additional interest that has accrued in the 8 weeks we have been waiting for Optima to review our case. We never got to speak to a tax preparer or attorney. We never got to see the results of the review by the tax preparer . For all we know, they are working with the IRS to split the additional money they caused us to have to pay, in addition to the $3500 we paid them to make our situation WORSE. So mow MAYBE they can negotiate some settlement on our behalf, but probably not, but it will take 30 days to make that decision. Why we should give them another 30 days? More interest accruing that we will have to pay, that is all we would get out of trusting them for even one more minute. And even if they come back to us in 30 days and say "Yes, we think we can negotiate something on your behalf" there is no guarantee and MORE INTEREST ACCRUING daily. Fraud, lying, incredibly poor customer service. That's what Optima offered us!

If I can stop smiling and feeling so confident, I can do this. For over 20 + years, I have been haunted from within because I had not paid my taxes. Everyday I thought this is the day I will get a call from IRS and my life would be ruined. I excused myself from people when they talked about taxes, I would turn the channel on the TV when there was a tax related commercial, my stress level would increase on April 15 all because my taxes would not be mailed. During the year I would say to myself I got to get my taxes completed and mailed in. I feared other people would find out and expose me. I have a leadership role in the church and I sure did not want the church to know what a "dead beat" I was. Every year I would say this is my last year of freedom because next year I would be in prison for tax invasion. Can you image 20 plus years of living in fear of the IRS? Furthermore, I knew I could not apply for a passport and I feared job opportunities because of no prior years(s) tax returns. I had heard the commercials about Optima Tax and how they helped people with tax issues and there might be a chance I would qualify for the "forgiveness" program. Boy I needed forgiveness. I made that call out of wanting to feel clean and free inside. It did not matter the cost at this time. I wanted to feel I was on the right track for forgiveness. I got the courage to make that call. I was received with understanding from people who did not know me. For once in my life I did not feel like a criminal. The program that was explained to me suddenly gave me hope. I was asked to send in my last 3 years W-2. I never threw away anything related to my taxes. I could not find them! how could I misplace them. Instead of coming clean with Optima Tax, I dodged and ignored their request via email or calls asking for the W-2 for a 1 1/2 years. I became depressed and tore up my house trying to find them. I got up the courage to call and honestly tell them I could not find the W-2. I was told to not worry, I could get it online through IRS. I learned something, I had no idea I could go online to get a W-2. I had to do this, I felt it was my last chance to make this situation right. I did it and it was not hard at all. Just sending my W-2 felt like I had started the road to getting something done. The process was simple and Optima tax sent confirmation emails. Moving forward. I had talked to several Optima Tax employees; they all were courteous and gentle. I had braced myself for money needed to resolve my tax issues. Well I'm tearing up now! I was told my tax issues were resolved and I owe nothing. Can you imagine my heart pounding? I said to myself, "that can't be right". To wipe out 20 plus years of not filing and I owe NOTHING? Break it down NOTHING! NOT a THING! Free at last thank God almighty I'm free at last. I'm smiling and I have confidence. What a burden lifted off me. So go to the place that treats you right and when others say "No Way" they "Find a Way". OPTIMA TAX are "Way Makers"

MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT:The optima rep told me that they could have my taxes reduced within a year or less and it has now been almost 6 YEARS! I received call backs and follow *** during the process of me paying their $4,700 fee, but shortly after that I was not getting call backs and could not get my case manager on the phone. Over the course of 6 years they have asked me for the same documents over and over and over and never got a resolution. They claimed that they didn't receive certain documents that I clearly mailed priority and uploaded on the portal. I even started emailing the documents to the case manager in which I have had 11 of them over the course of 6 years! Optima told me not to contact the irs as they would be handling my case but since they haven't been contacting the irs, the irs has started taking action against me. I gave optima money I don't have for a case that was never resolved. Every time I call them now they direct me to someone that knows nothing about my case and the are always requesting more documents. After not hearing from optima from some time I decided to call again and I got a random representative that said the irs gave them a resolution option but optima never contacted me within those 5 months. The representative even admitted on the recorded line that I wasn't contacted after the resolution smh! Tonight, I finally got a case manager on the phone and she states that she has 500 clients and they don't call the customers, and if I needed info I need to call them. Letting Optima represent me was a BIG MISTAKE and has put me in more grief with the irs. This company is very unprofessional and misleading. They take your money and then start running you in circles only to get a resolution that you could have gotten for yourself. It's a good thing that I recorded calls and keep a paper trail because further action will be taken! They are a scam!UPDATED COMPLAINT:I received a call from an *** Specialist and she understood my frustration in the matter at hand so she sent my concerns to *** of her department. After following up, I received a refund offer of $1,000 as a "good faith gesture" to part ways, as they put it. It stated that if I accept the offer I have to take down any negative reviews about them and I'm not allowed to speak negative about the company on any 3rd party sites or public forums. I DECLINED the offer because 1.) I payed them over $5000 total to handle my case and got a complete run around over a 5 year period. 2.) The amount of monetary damage accrued over that 5 year period that they were suppose to be making contact with the *** to resolve my case, has grown immensely and $1000 is not nearly enough to satisfy time and integrity lost. So at this point, I am putting it in the hands of legal representatives to bring my case to justice. I have enough proof i.e: recorded conversations, emails, and documents to show that OPTIMA TAX RELIEF has not been even 10% of what they advertise. They are highly unprofessional once they have your money and they do not follow through with anything. They have costed me alot more money from their lack of service and I will see to it that they pay greatly for my loss. I SRONGLY urge those of you that are in need of tax relief to either contact a reputable tax agent or contact the *** yourself. Do not...I repeat, DO NOT trust OPTIMA TAX RELIEF with your tax resolutions. They are SCAMMERS!

In May I contacted Optima Tax Relief to solve my tax debt from the past years [protected] taxes. At first I was hesitant because they said it was going to cost me $5500.00 to settle n offer compromise it seemed like a lot of money but they guaranteed that the outcome would be to my benefit and I would not have to pay IRS penalties and interest and my IRS debt will be half of what i owe. So I paid the $5500.00. Within the beginning I did not hear anything for the first few weeks, but finally they started sending me request for a financial statement and all my income records. months have passed and still no info. as to want is going on with my IRS case they continued to tell me to be patient and that they are working on a resolution and my case manager will be calling me to go over the status, this was already going into late 2018 and still waiting. 2019 I sent them my info. to file my 2018 taxes which took quite a while (weeks) but finally they sent them to me in the so called portal to print sign and mail back to them so they can submit electronically to the IRS. as time passed still not resolution and I had to send again another financial statement and all my current income and debt records (paystubs, bank stmts, records of all my debts owed) I've done this process about 4 times which was very frustrating without any resolution and now its 2020. I sent my W2 for 2019 for Optima to file my taxes it took them a few months but it was done (so I thought). Late 2020 I was contacted by another case worker (by the way i had about 5 case workers I never spoke to the same person more then 5 times.) They informed my that the IRS declined the offer compromise for my tax resolution. Optima said they declined because I have $800.00 dollars monthly disposable income and that they said my medical deductions are not expansible. Now its 4 years and a few months and not a thing was done by Optima and now the IRS is sending my intention to levy my assets which the only assets i have is my working income. I ask optima if I could appeal this IRS decision. Optima stated that this is the final and no appeal can be done, that they will help me set up a payment plan to repay all my tax debt. Now because its been over 4 years I own 3 times the amount due to penalties and interest. optima said there is nothing further they can do in my case. I was very distraught with the outcome and contacted Optima and asked for a refund of my $5500.00 and that i could have pay the IRS this money and been half way paid if I did so. They said they would refund me $500.00 only because they work hard on my case and unfortunately they did not guarantee any resolution. The last time I heard from them was 1 to send my signed 2019 tax return back so they can file electronically. Today is April 2 I hired a CPA to help me with my IRS problems so my bank accounts do not get garnished or my pay check. Once looking at all the passed history from 2017 to today there is NO RECORDS of Optima Tax Relief submitting an offer compromise nor [protected] Tax returns filed. Do not get suckered in like me and all the other clients that were taken advantage of for thousands of dollars. Its bad enough that we all struggle to get by in these hard times but to have a company continue to steal from people trying to keep a float is the worst. Now it is costing 3 to 4 times what we owe. Sorry to all if I'm babbling on but this is very up setting and i simply can't afford to just give scammers money I did have in the first place. i had to leave a star rating to post this so I have one star it should be negative 50 stars.

Best decision of my life, this is an honest review from an actual client, I started my tax nightmare about 8 yrs ago, I was an independent contractor and honestly hadn't filed in 10 yrs, I was young and nieve about credit, taxes etc then I got a crash course, on my own behalf I decided one day that I would file and get all caught up, do the right thing, be honest etc however I did not know how bad it could be, I made alot of money and had very little expenses, I was honest about my tips, gifted money, everything... My CPA's face said it all when I went into to sign for all 10 yrs of back taxes, he put one folder in front of me at a time, said sign here and circled the amount I owed, I was starting feel the panic set in, I physically was having issues breathing, I was tearing up while signing, by the time the stack was signed and in front of me the total then was over a quarter million dollars, I had no idea how I was gonna pay this while getting hit constantly with interest and penalties, I gathered myself and asked my CPA what my options were and he basically he said pay them and he could get me into an installment agreement of around $3500 a month, I paid about 40k in payments but realized I still wasn't getting anywhere, I was still getting interest and penalties. I finally just gave up, i stopped paying because I didn't have anymore I could pay, at this time my life was changing, I moved from Arizona to Montana and got a regular job, regular pay, simpler life but in the back of my mind always sat this huge issue that I knew would catch up to me eventually, so this is when I made the best decision of my life, I heard an optima commercial and decided to call, by the end of the call I was prolly more panicked than ever, optima explained because I had stopped paying that I was quickly heading to the prosecution level of the IRS and my passport had been revoked by the them as well, I was in tears and the person I spoke to was amazing, she explained their fees which at the time I thought was maybe another bad choice, if I couldn't pay the IRS then how would I explain that I could pay optima however the people close to me helped and they convinced me to move forward, this was about two and half years ago, in the first year I felt hopeful, I would submit everything needed, then the IRS wouldn't reply in time and I would be asked for another 3 months be submitted(bank statements, bills, paystubs etc.) This happened multiple times but not at the fault of optima, the IRS just wasn't getting back to them which was also discouraging however the first big relief came about a year into it and I was put in a non collectable status so the IRS couldn't do any liens or levys but I was still getting penalized and the balance continued to grow so the next step was an offer in compromise, this was a very hopeful but very stressful waiting time, I was told 4 to 8 months for answer, it took 14 months but again at no fault of optima, they would update me but couldn't get a response back from the IRS, it was a crazy year with covid so I did expect a longer wait but I'm not gonna lie this weight, this pressure, this stress, took a toll, I went into a dark depression, I cried everyday, I felt trapped in my situation then a couple days ago I got the call I had been praying for, the IRS excepted the offer, I won't say what the numbers were cause everyone's situation is different but I can say I got my life back for an extremely small fraction of what I owed, I don't know how they do what they do but my advice if you are reading these reviews and have tax debt don't waste another moment, they lifted this huge weight off me, I finally can start fresh, it's a process but it's beyond worth it...

I won't give a general rating on Optima Tax Relief (OTR). I can only share our experience. I have a reasonably hefty tax liability with the *** and when faced with garnishments and property liquidation, one can feel quite desperate for help. Well, I can't help but think that OTR heard the desperation in our voice and offered to help us with a $15,000 fee -- a $5,000 retainer and the remainder to be paid monthly for nine months. First of all, why it was going to take nine months was questionable. I must give credit where credit is due. OTR was able to get the *** to defer levying while a resolution could be sought. Thank you. I had gotten that far in the process on my own a month prior. The urgency of the matter was at hand. During their investigation phase, which was collecting information from us, which was readily and spontaneously provided as requested, I don't know what was being investigated. They prepared and filed our 2020 tax return, which supposedly was processed timely; however, the *** has not acknowledged receipt after three-plus months. We signed e-filing permissions and later found out that they were filed by mail. That *** have been OK for 2019, but 2020 was definitely within the timely filing period. The resolution offered was to liquidate our pension plan of $131,000 and remit it to the *** so a payment plan of $750 could be put in place for the 2019 & 2020 tax liability. When engaging with OTR, our liability to the *** as provided directly from correspondence from the *** (no investigation necessary), was $73,000. Tax years 2019 and 2020 were not included. We prepared our own 2019 return and filed it, but we realized that we had neglected an income item and needed to be amended. OTR amended for the missing item. I don't believe the *** has received the amended return either. I don't know of any tax preparer in the country which prepares Form *** with W-2 and ***-R income for $15,000. Since the resolution was to pay whatever the *** requested, we question OTR's professional advice!We paid OTR $8,821.25 to inform us that we should liquidate pension savings to "put this tax situation behind us." There was no consideration of the impact on our tax situation in the current year. The resolution was to put the case behind us. We did not accept the recommended suggestion from OTR and chose to stop paying OTR after concluding that the solution offered was not a professionally astute recommendation. We also inquired from OTR about an itemization of the services we received for the money spent. We were advised that OTR does not keep track of billable hours but assured us a significant amount of work was done on our behalf to come to the payout resolution offered. We asked for a refund based on our opposition to the results rendered for the fee requested. Initially, we were offered $800, slightly less than 10% of our payments to date. We refused the offer and countered 50% of the amount paid. The executive we spoke with said he would come back to us after meeting with his board. After endless emails and calls, the executive returned an offer of $1,500 to release from further liability to OTR of the initial $15,000. I don't know what other service OTR can provide us above and beyond the $8,821.25 we paid for and didn't fully expend, except to collect money "just because."In our discernment of this situation, we don't trust OTR and believe they *** have overextended their abilities to negotiate with the ***. We were open and straightforward in our condition. We spoke with a "sales rep" who did a great job luring us to the table, assuring us that he would be monitoring our case. We were careful to keep him abreast of every request and response between ourselves and OTR and have received no acknowledgment from him at all. After that, supposedly, a team of people reviewed documents we spent hours compiling and uploading to their company portal. Not knowing who or how much time was spent on OTR's end. We believe $5,000 is a fair fee for the services rendered to us from OTR and are requesting a refund of the balance of $3,821.25, which is 43% of the costs paid. Oh, all this was to assist with federal taxes, as they do not work with the state we live in. We have engaged other professionals to help us here.The tax returns OTR filed on our behalf are still not recorded by the ***. Our journey with OTR began in January . We believe that OTR is not the professional firm they hold themselves out to be and have no genuine regard for the clients they serve. Not the firm to handle challenging tax resolutions.Beware"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye *** be able to stand against the *** of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:11-12 (KJV)

In 2018 I received an IRS Audit that stated that I owed taxes on a 2016 return do to unreported income on the tax return, I had missed a W2. I then called Optima Tax Relief to help me out since I was working 2 jobs and had no time to call the IRS to deal with it. The advertising sounded good it stated, "no worries and guarantees a resolution and we can handle it all for you." Even the guy over the phone told the same thing. Well, I fork up the 3179.25 to get this solved after waiting several months after the tax season was over and it being late they then did my return and missed my self-employment information I didn't realize this until it was filed then I notified them and they did an amended return. After me paying for that mess up I told them to pay me back the money sense they solved nothing and got me in the hole even more and we settle for 500 than. Now I'm going to college and the school financial aid department found missing income for 2018. I went ahead and went to HR BLock to fix it. I called up Optima Tax again to get my money back because they didn't do this return correctly and they told me since I signed for the 500 dollars that I'm not going to get my money back. Now I would agree if they had fixed the issue but they didn't. I'm stuck with over 5,000 dollars in back taxes because they didn't do their job and file this correctly. They promised peace of mind but I'm pretty sure what they do is put you in more tax debt so that they can report you to the IRS and get money from that and then you go back around and pay them more to fix the tax issue. I think this is a huge scam and it needs to stop. They promised that if I wasn't satisfied they would give me my money back but they won't. A lady over the phone named Jasmine R. told me after the conversation that they will talk it over with there board and more than likely it will get dismissed and I won't be getting anything back. I want my money back they failed to hold their end of the bargain.

Started 4 to cover tax years 2011 and [protected] with a deposit of $495 (Investigation), first payment of $3000, and 6 payments of $448.33 (resolution period); totaling $5736.65, They initially explained their obligation, responsibilities, and support to represent for me and negotiate a loss mitigation and/or tax relief through the program. It is now 11/1, and I am receiving notifications from the *** that my taxes still have not been filed. The *** has now added tax levies and Im now paying the *** $300 per month for the entire tax debt that was not minimized or negotiated at all. Although I signed release documents and sent tax files, Optima never acted on my behalf with the *** about these debts and to this day, they still have not filed the missing tax returns. The *** is still sending letters demanding me to file the unfixed taxes or they will file and penalize me for the filings. I hardly received any communication on status and progress. I have received 3 *** tax bills that are due. I finally spoke with a different person, ***. The conversation is very quick with no resolve. I then received another call from *** who tells me that Optima could not negotiate a settlement for me and that the *** would be placing liens on all tax years until I paid the debt. They also could not request an offer in compromise as the *** would review my income and see that I had plenty of means to pay the whole ***. If this is the case, then why take my case and my money at all? The best help Optima couldve provided me was to tell me that up front BEFORE they took $6k that I couldve used to pay down my *** debt on my own. This company is really taking advantage of vulnerable people and then pointing back at their documents to show legality. This company has an average of over 200 complaints each year. How can they possibly still be A+ rated with the Complaintsboard.com? This is how people keep getting pulled into this big scam. A Triple A+ rating from Complaintsboard.com. This needs to stop.

I, like most others who were roped into this scheme, was seeking to settle my taxes and file any back taxes that I owe. I suppose they rely on a lack of information on taxes, on the working individual who hardly has time to relax, who doesn't have time to do in depth research on highly rated and commercially advertised service that seem like the miracle solution to a stressful problem. My agent alleged that I owed the *** twenty one grand in total. They probed for an amount that I could afford upfront and only (vaguely) explained "investigation" and "resolution". After the first month of enrollment, I did not hear from agent again. I was not offered any updates, any further details explaining the process.. NO "SERVICE" was provided whatsoever. It wasn't until I got some down time and I spoke to a friend who is a practicing lawyer that the red flags became so apparent. This is a textbook scheme used against hard working people just trying to do the right thing. I spoke to some reps on the customer service line and got a routine series of sidesteps through their chain of command in their call center. Everyone sounds frazzled and unprepared, there are no coherent explanations for any questions asked. This time when I called I came in hot immediately, forthcoming with my reason for calling. I was put on hold several times and made an appointment with the "executive review board" for this coming Friday at 11:30. We'll see. When I demanded my next and (unfortunately) final automatic payment be canceled, the rep alleged that the next payment was canceled. I didn't receive a conformation that it was. I went to check the "Client Portal" payments section to see if that was true and discovered that you can't edit or remove your own payment method like every other reputable service that you opt into. Previously when I had called in a calmer tone, another call center rep stumbled to tell me a completely different excuse and I was never redirected. They resolved nothing.

My husband and I signed up for optima over a year ago. We first spoke with *** Dalrymple who explained the program and fees, and one of the selling points was from here on out optima will be doing our taxes and working with us so we can make sure we will not owe taxes in the future. we were also told that we would be assigned a case manager that will work closely with us and help us every step of the way. We signed up and they went to work with obtaining the documents they needed. Over the year we had multiple case managers, Thomas Smith (who I had to request to change after I spoke with him once because of his rudeness) Then ***, a few more and then lastly America Puebla. None of these case managers were responsive. We literally had to call in constantly as well as send emails via the portal and even them it was a problem. The final straw came when I spoke with America about filing our 2019 taxes and was told Optima no longer did that and we will have to find someone to file our taxes. I could not believe it no one informed us and this was one of the deciding factors as to why we signed up. She could offer no explanation after several calls and emails went unanswered I contacted the department to end my business with them a request a refund for a portion of what we paid. I got a callback and a Leslie M stated that they would return something like $200 of the over 1K that we paid (even though they no longer offered services that we signed up for. I stated that we should at least get back 40% of what we paid. After a few weeks, we get a call stating that they can do 40% we have to just signed that we accept the offer. little did we know the offer came with the stipulation that we could not hold them accountable for anything they might have done to worsen our situation intentionally or unintentionally as well as we could not comment on my experience with their company. We did not sign and believe we should be able to have our refund and our voice

I owed over $14,000 in back taxes to the *** and hired Optima Tax Relief after seeing their ads on TV that they can reduce my tax debt. I paid an initial $500 fee to get started, and then I had to pay them $3,000, which I had to get a loan just to pay for, for the actual representation of me on my behalf, to the ***. Yesterday I received an email stating that they are not going to send the *** an offer in compromise, because they know it will be rejected. Well, how do they know it will be rejected if they aren't even going to try? Part of what I was initially told I was paying them $3,000 for was for them to eventually send the *** an offer in compromise to reduce my tax debt. They informed me they are not going to, and then had the nerve to ask me for more money ($500) to continue representing me. Since I declined to give them more money, they have chosen to not represent me any longer. So I paid them $3,500 to reduce what I owe to the ***, to find out they aren't even going to try to send the *** an offer in compromise. So now I'm out $3,500, and I still owe the *** the same amount. And I am now being told the installment agreement they set up for me to the *** will be voided if I owe on any future tax returns and do not pay in full. I informed them that they are using false advertisement to take advantage of folks like me who owe lots of money to the *** and are feeling overwhelmed by it. They are profiting off of customers like myself and not reducing their tax debt in the least bit. They could have at least tried to send the *** an offer in compromise, but instead they chose to keep my money and tell me if I don't pay them another $500, that they will no longer represent me. The offer in compromise was part of the package I paid them for. This is criminal and something needs to be done about this company. I have been paying installments to the *** since November, which they told me after making a few payments the offer in compromise would be sent. Lies.

In April after seeing their ad on tv I called to get some help with my taxes. I told the gentleman that I just got off of bankruptcy and that I owed money to *** and saw their ad and decided to call. I also told them I had no idea how much I owed and that I had n ot been contacted yet by the *** but wanted to get there help to hopefully reduce the amount owed. Right off they asked for $495. then they asked for $895 for the next step. at this next step I was contacted by and agent who said she was going to contact the ***. I expected to hear back that they had come to some agreement. after awhile she came back to me with a payment plan (something I could have gone to the website and done myself.) She also said that there were papers I and to sign and send in. I read the papers and that was not what it said. I had to wait until I paid my taxes and then send it in. It was very hard to get in touch with anybody. I would go to set up an appointment and there was never a name to contact. I finally wrote on word I needed to talk to somebody that I had not heard from anybody in a while and only received a call back after over a month. Then I was told I had to pay $895 to go any further. that I would not hear from anybody for a month or so. I tried to email to get some answers and again no one called me back. after all that I was told they could not help me.. They took my money and all they did was something I could have done myself. I was told if I wanted to talk to somebody just email and still no one answered. they would set up appointment and call me a month ago saying their was an appointment and I never received an email for it. I told the last lady I spoke to that I was dissatisfied that all they did was do something I could of done and received no response. They take your money and then deliver nothing. There ads on TV are a lie. The service I received was awful. no one ever gets back to you and then all I get is sorry. I did expect all of my debt to go away but

I started working with Optima on July 1st. They were supposed to help me resolve my tax debt. I was told I would be guaranteed a resolution. No amount was guaranteed but that a resolution would be made. I have paid this company $1600 so far in the process. The total owed would be $3800. I took out an interest loan for this service which I pay every month. I've had a hard time trying to get a hold of this company to understand my options. I was told in December it would be a 2 week turn around time. I started calling in Jan/Feb to understand this resolution and was not getting call backs from anyone. I was told my case manager would call me. After so many weeks of waiting I escalated to a Manager for help. Thats when I was told my payment would be higher than what I had originally had agreed to with the *** At that time I was still not informed of the *** standard and that half of my debt would not be included. I have been speaking to an Executive review rep who has not been helpful and is only offering to refund $400 of the $1600 I have already paid and still a debt left to pay and no resolution to help with my tax debt. I believe they were delaying in contacting me so I could make as many payments as possible before they told me the truth that they couldn't help me, even though this was discussed thoroughly with the Sales person several times. Why should they be able to keep any of my money if they have not been able to help me and I have had to spend more time trying to reach them. Now I have money that has been spent for services not rendered and I still owe the *** a great deal and a broken payment arrangement that the *** will surely no longer agree too. I believe based on the poor service, no assistance and lack of proper follow up I am entitled to a full refund and no more payments to Optima. This is fraud. Delaying the process to get paid is unacceptable clearing knowing they couldn't make my situation better. I should have been notified immediately.

I entered an agreement with Optima to represent me in a matter with the *** on 29 Jul 22 for a $295.00 retainer fee. The rep I spoke with told me I would be dealing with him personally and he would assist me throughout the process. His name was *** and I haven't heard from him since. I have called on numerous occasions to check on my case to no avail. I entered a portal from them and saw that things were still in the investigative stage. It stated I had submitted all necessary documents and I was initially told that the *** was understaffed and nothing would happen quickly. I signed electronically as well as my spouse on 29 Jul 22. I called a month later and was told my spouse had to complete form *** for them to continue with my case. I complained that I hadn't received anything from ***, no contact info as he had stated. I was asked if I wanted to register a complaint and I said yes. The rep offered but no info was taken for my complaint. I was told they would pass this info to *** but still nothing. One of their reps emailed me a link for my wife to sign form ***, but she was unable to sign it, it wouldn't accept her signature. I called and spoke with *** who emailed me a copy of the form but I couldn't print it, I called and informed *** of this fact and she said she would mail me a copy of the form on 22Sep 22. I have yet to receive anything by mail. On numerous when I asked to speak to *** he couldn't be found, I spoke with *** on 6 Oct 22 and she stated *** would call me before close of business on the 6th, I have yet to receive a call. I just want to receive the services I paid for, I was told the steps were investigate, representation and resolution. I have received nothing but the run around, I entered this agreement understanding it wouldn't be a quickie. I have received none of what I told in the beginning not even an individual I can contact, the elusive *** who promised me I would satisfied with the results. Please help!

I was charged a fee of $5000 to receive legal tax aid from Optima Tax Relief. We started out with the company in January to get our tax issue resolved and settled with the *** They claimed to insure that they would help us to get compliant with the *** and settle our tax debt with the *** for less than was owed. It has been 2years and they have made countless mistakes with our case. One mistake they made was filing our taxes with the incorrect number of dependents. This not only caused a huge and stressful delay in getting our family financially compliant with the *** and therefore closer to tax relief, but it caused us to receive a filed tax return result from the *** saying that we owed money instead of what it should have resulted in which was a tax refund! The delay resulted in a second or amended tax return being necessary, which again dragged out the time line for us to receive a tax resolution and payment plan established with the *** Then once the taxes became amended by the *** on May 20, 2022 Optima Tax continued to tell me on multiple phone correspondences that they were still waiting for the *** to finish amending my taxes. This was clearly misinformation as I just stated that my irs.gov account showed the evidence e that it was already completed and it was Optima Tax that had been wasting my valuable time by sitting on their hands instead of working g hard for their valued customer. It took me argueing with *** Tax on the phone last week July 22, 2022 and insisting that our amended taxes were in fact already filed, before one of the managers finally agreed to contact the *** and arrange a payment arrangement. Today August 1,2022 I called back to see if they reached out to the *** and though they finally did reach out, I was informed that they didn't have time to call the *** today and accept the payment agreement on our behalf. And that they might get around to accepting on our behalf in the next 3 weeks. I have waited almost 3 years.

Dear Optima Tax I was a previous client..please note my full name ***. I had paid optima Tax over *** the very limited time of dealing with *** next to nothing was done or accomplished on my case. Due to the inactivity and complete delays in corresponding with the *** or VA *** of taxation the situation became much more dire and urgent and I was forced to file bankruptcy and employ very expensive bk attorneys to halt garnishments and agressive collection efforts. I have been dealing with the stress of this bankruptcy and getting a resolution and payment plan in place and as a result had not had an opportunity to agressively pursue a refund of all the fees I paid yo Optima tax I would like a full refund at a minimum to these fees immediately as Optima did nothing but make the situation worse for me as they let me believe they were in correspondence with the *** all the while no communication with the taxing authorities was taking place and making the situation much worse and urgent. Can you please forward my request urgently to the mngt to process a refund of all fees paid. I do not want to pursue this with the attorney General but unfortunately that will need to be my next step if I cannot get a suitable resolution with the company. I have paid in excess of *** additionally to bk attorneys to urgently file back in *** as well as to represent me in obtaining an agreement with irs and VA *** of taxation. as this is a current approved bl case I want optima tax to have absolutely no contact with taxing authorities on my behalf. I solely want my money refunded so I can proceed to pay my bk plan and attorneys. I reached out with urgent requests to optima when taking authorities were sending very threatening letters. absolutely no response from.optima. no ability to get to a seasoned tax professional to get confirmation of discussions or efforts on my behalf with taxing authorities Thanks so much.*** .

I hired OPTIMA TAX RELIEF in early Aug for help with managing IRS debt. I was corresponding with one of their *** who claimed that a tax agent would be assigned to my case and would start the investigation process which should take 2- 3 weeks. After that period, I would provided with a resolution which I can accept and pay an additional fee or amount. To start the investigation process, I paid $495 on 8/9. I was told by *** that another tax agent would be in touch within a week. That never happened. I was sent emails requesting info etc which I provided to help w/ the investigation process. That tax agent was actually Ms. who I did not directly hear from until a month later after I made repeated calls to check on the status of the investigation. ON 9/9 I received an email stating that a resolution has been established and that the tax agent will be in touch to schedule a call to review the resolution. The appointment was initially set for 9/13. The day prior to the appointment I received an automated text stating that my appt needs to be rescheduled for 9/15.,, without notifying me directly or asking if I was available. I had to re-arrange my clients to make that happen. Then again I received a text alert and email stating that my appt needs to be rescheduled for 9/22 which was rescheduled *** for 9/24. All this was done indirectly via *** I called *** & requested to cancel services & a refund on 9/25. She said she would pass my info to the *** would get in touch with me. They NEVER DID. I had to repeatedly call the company & finally got a hold of someone in early Oct. I explained my issue & the rep seemed to understand & reported she would present my issue to their "review *** get a total or partial refund. It's almost NOV & only received inconsistent emails and voicemails regarding the status of the review. I've been trying to contact them for over a week with no avail.

This company is an absolute farce, modern day thieves at best! They STOLE money from a very trusting and desperate client and NEVER contacted INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES as contractually agreed. Your money will be taken and zero services will be rendered. My client paid the full contract in 2017 ($11,495), with hopes of OTR settling a $60,000 alleged debt to IRS. After he hired my firm in September , and due to the client's dire situation, I reached out to IRS, and spoke with a manager who informed us that NO ONE from OTR, has EVER contacted them in 2 years to discuss this client nor his account. Unfortunately due to penalties, interest, and OTR's failure to meet a ratified contractual agreement, the alleged debt has nearly tripled to $160K. As well, the client signed OTR's Authorization for me to speak on his behalf. I contacted their main office to discuss a full refund for my client and a phone meeting was scheduled for the next day with the EBR (Exc. Board Member, Ana Maria. I spoke with Ana Maria who was extremely rude and violently accusatory. She paInstakingly admitted that no one from her office had reached out to IRS because the client didn't send in current pay stubs, this too was erroneous. I was given access to the client's portal and the portal stated that the client had fulfilled all document requests. Are you kidding me, over 2 years and $11,495 later, not even one call from OTR, and you blame him? OTR reps called the customer to discuss monthly payments on 2 occasions, then OTR's folks contacted the client with an IRS UNAPPROVED, FIVE TIMES HIGHER than the originally agreed proposed installment agreement. Being left to believe only the obvious, they were going to pocket MORE OF HIS MONEY! Ana Maria admitted to their zero contact to IRS and contractual breach and offered the poor customer an insulting refund of $2600 SERIOUSLY, after ADMITTING WRONGDOING! Give the Poor customer ALL OF HIS MONEY BACK CHARLATANS! Return to him $11,495 to avoid a public plea to all others who were wronged to begin a class action!

Upon a recommendation from a friend of mine, I hired H3134313*323035303035H to help me with my tax debt, paid the $500 to get the process started and after their initial analysis was told that they could help me reduce my tax burden at a cost of $18,000. The whole process took around 10 months with my first contact on 1/14 of 2021 and finalizing in November. Communication with them was little. To get any information I had to email and/or call multiple times. When I did speak with someone, they just said that they are still working on it and basically placated me as I continued to make $1,800/mo payments. I received notices from the *** that they were putting liens on my home, and uploaded them to the portal which finally caused them to respond to me with my "resolution"... There was no reduction of what was owed to the government with exception to approximately $2,500 abatement of the latest year due. I paid H343737383*36323*36H Tax $18,500 for a $2,500 reduction in my H333*32303*3337333836H. This is absolutely unacceptable. When I H3432363*313637313533Hed my dissatisfaction with the person that provided my "resolution" she said she would pass my concerns along to the client care team who would reach out to me. I attempted to schedule a call to discuss but they would call me randomly, not at an agreed upon time, and when I was working and not able to discuss personal financial information. I emailed Sofia times requesting a response and have received no response and no call. This company is deceptive and misleading with their promises. I could have had H&R block do my H333*32303*3337333836H for about a total of $800 for 4 years and "negotiated" with the *** myself, which to reach the same level of service I received with H343737383*36323*36H is basically just to set up a payment plan. I do NOT recommend H343737383*36323*36H Tax. I still need a copy of my *** the portal and have requested it with no response. I plan to be very public about my experience with this company. This is a scam.

Optima tax relief representative informed me on a recorded line that my case Was reviewed and Optima could significantly reduce by tax bill or nearly Eliminate all tax debt. This promise wasn't delivered. Company Will NOT Deliver. After paying nearly $500 initially for a preliminary review of my tax case. I was mislead by the representative on a recorded line that Optima tax could and will successfuly reduce or completely eliminate my tax bill. I was hesitant to agree to pay nearly $4,000 for something that wasn't guaranteed. I was again assured that my case was reviewed by a tax expert that assured him that my case was solid and I could proceed with my case versus dealing with the IRS directly and setting up a payment plan by myself. I would later find that this wasn't truthful and throughout my case and several departments that have your xase processing with didn't know my tax case or specifics. After five months of sending documents and payments I received an email stating my case was complete...please fill out a survey all before any one from Optima tax contacted or spoke with me... Even better news! Optima tax relief client portal doesn't have information on your case, status, what they are doing or details on correspondence they have with the IRS during the entire process. Each time that I called for a status on my I was transferred to another department that supposedly will be handling your case. I requested a refund and to have a Manager call me. I was told that it would take 1-2 buainees days for a return call. Manager never called after 3 days. I sent a direct email request for a refund and call back from a Manager and 7 days later still no return call or refund for breach of contract and promise that they or a customer service member promised. You can't find help pr someone to talk to about your concerns or issues, but Optima will definitely find or contact you when it's time for your monthly installment payment. Bottom line I would highly recommend dealing with the IRS directly and save thousands of dollars or if you must deal with a tax professional please do so with a tax professional in your community. This way if there's any issues you can see them face to face. I'm unsure why several media platforms advertise Optima business products. I will be contacting Sirius satellite radio and canceling my Sirius radio service for their involvement with advertising with such a dishonest company. Bottom line up front. I still owe the IRS the same exact amount plus interest and penalties that accrued over the 5 months while Optima tax relief did whatever they were doing. Trust me...you can do this yourself. I did 17 years ago and negotiated a payment plan and had some of the penalties reduced and saved thousands. Respectfully

On November 18, I spoke with you when I called your office and shared my complaint to you in reference to my displeasure with the handling of my 1st payment and my case by Optima Tax Relief. A representative from Optima, ***, explained the cost for services would be $500.00 to be represented, then I would owe the balance of $2960.00. This is a total of $3,49600 to handle my tax case with the *** I paid $250.00 bi-weekly until I paid off the fee for their representation. That amounted to $3,496.00 for Optima Tax Relief to handle my tax case with the *** for my 2018 *** winning ticket of $5,000.00. Background history When the clerk at the *** in downtown ***, gave me an envelope with a check for $5000.00 for my winnings from the Georgia Lottery in 2018. The Clerk never once advised me to make sure that I read the information in reference to the *** taxes for winning that amount. So, I never read the paper work inside the envelope and thus my problem started with the *** Late in 2020, I got a notice from the *** regarding the income received but not reported in 2018. I began to try to correct my errors and seek help. I had never won that amount of money playing lottery and was totally unaware of the process with the *** I still feel I should have been advised by the *** Office clerk to check the information inside the envelope to report my winnings of $5000.00.So the next phase, I heard this TV Commercial about Optima Tax Relief that stated they would help people with *** Tax issues without a consultation fee. Just give them a call, well I did and the first thing the rep. from Optima asked for was a fee of $500.00 up front to begin addressing my tax issue back in March . My issues with Optima Tax have gone south since then. Now that I have paid them their fee and given them what I have been asked to get my problem resolved I have had a series of Optima staff members handling my case. When I call their office the first time the representative that was handling my case was ***. I later tried to reach him and was advised that he had moved on. I later found out by him when I called another phone number that he had given me, that he had not moved on but a lady was handling my case. Her name is ***, *** this was on September 30. When I call her about my case, she has been a monster: she is offensive when I attempt to find out about my case. She has asked me to send in to her information and once I send it, she states that she has not received it. So, I started to send to her signature postage, when I get the return, she refuses to sign her name, only thing I get is a number or what it looks like a number. It's incredible with the issues I am having with the Optima Tax Relief organization. I first contacted them around March. I was told that I would get a Resolution around June . It's now Nov of 2021. I need *** complaintsboard.com to look into getting my payments back of $3,460.00. They now refuse to answer my calls, I need your assistance to close this business down so no one else has to suffer the indignity of this operation called Optima Tax Relief. There address is:Optima Tax Relief *** I am a retired Washington *** officer where I served for 21years. I am also a retired *** Deputy *** where I served for 25 years here in *** and Washington DC. I also served as a combat Infantry soldier in ***.I don't like to see people get used and abused by bullies and I have tried my best to stop this behavior and bring justice up front. I pray for your assistance. Your Truly