Optima Tax Relief LLC

SUMMARY -
justify; -ms-text-autospace:; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">Optima Tax's management has made multiple attempts to contact
the client with no success. 
 
RESPONSE
-
Optima Tax’s management has attempted to contact the client to
discuss his claims as outlined in the complaint, however, the client has been unresponsive
unfortunately. Optima Tax had actually attempted to address his concerns back
in August but the client was also unresponsive then as well.
 
In hopes
of addressing the client’s concerns, we would like to state that contrary to
his claim that Optima Tax had closed his case without a resolution in place, Optima
Tax had provided its representation as outlined in the Client Services
Agreement. In doing so, we were able to release a levy that was in place,
protected his assets and set up an affordable payment plan to pay off the
balance without any further action taken by the IRS. As such, there were no
false promises given as we were very transparent with our clients and the
services Optima was providing. The IRS does have certain programs that will allow
a tax payer to reduce their debt. Based on our financial analyses, however, the
client was in a position to pay his liability in full, therefore, he did not
qualify for such programs.
 
At Optima Tax we strive to uphold the philosophy that
"clients come first" and all of our representatives go through rigorous training to assure we abide by that
philosophy. We take all complaints very seriously, and we do our best to turn
them around when possible. Optima Tax
believes it took the necessary steps to address the clients concerns and
considers the matter closed. Please do not hesitate to contact Optima Tax with
any questions. Thank you.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I was contacted by Optima but there has been no resolution of my complaint. I contacted a third party CPA to review my complaint and they have informed me that Optima has incorrectly filed my taxes. Until this is resolved I do not accept Optima's opinion. My initial debt to the IRS was $19K and it is now over $20K. Simple math shows that this is worse not better as I stated and in contradiction to Optima's statement.
Regards,
[redacted]

Well I was worried at first but Mr. [redacted] put me at ease, he assured me that optima had the best tax Attorneys for the job. Also each phase I went through was a good Experience each attorney was very helpful and easy to understand.

SUMMARY -
Optima...

Tax's management contacted the client to address his concerns and was able to reach a satisfactory outcome with the client.  
 
RESPONSE -
Optima Tax’s management has made contact with the client to address his concerns as outlined in the complaint. Prior to receiving the complaint, one of Optima Tax’s Quality Assurance representatives made multiple attempts to contact the client regarding potential frustrations but unfortunately the client did not respond to our attempts before filing the complaint. Once we received the client’s complaint he was more responsive to allow Optima Tax to address his concerns. The client unjustifiably labeled our firm as a “rip off” based on the fact that we simply posed the question that, “if Optima Tax was able to do a price match, would he allow Optima Tax to finish the job that we started.” Unfortunately, the client misinterpreted the offer to mean that the initial quoted price for resolution services did not relate to the complexity of the client’s tax issues and that we were simply trying to get the highest price possible. After discussing the proposed price match option, which would have required Management’s approval, as well as the details of client’s case, the client understood that our suggested offer was in an attempt to help accommodate the client. Further, he acknowledged that Optima Tax was not a “rip off.” We ultimately parted ways on good terms and more importantly, the client understands that Optima Tax is a legitimate company that cares about its clients.
 
At Optima Tax we strive to uphold the philosophy that "clients come first" and all of our representatives go through rigorous training to assure we abide by that philosophy. We take all complaints very seriously, and we do our best to turn them around when possible. Optima Tax believes it has addressed the client's concerns appropriately and considers the matter closed. Please do not hesitate to contact Optima Tax with any questions. Thank you.

Optima Tax was fantastic solving my IRS issues. They had an entire team assigned to my case and I could have never asked for more professional team. They did what they said they would do and more. From the time I made the first call, they made me feel at ease, and assured me they would be able to help. I would recommend Optima Tax Relief to anyone who has to face the IRS.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
In short, I was completely misled by Optima Tax Relief to believe they were capable of handling my tax situation which they later admitted was not true. When I contacted Optima Tax Relief I explained my current situation as well as how I got there. I told them that while I was still operating as a business, my computers were repossessed and, as such, I was not able to produce records of payments, employees, and other documents normally required to file taxes. They told me that was common and they specialized in situations like mine. I had an active wage garnishment at the time and they assured me they could terminate it as soon as they were “Officially” representing me. Neither of these statements were true. As such I paid them over $12,000 while I continued to pay the garnishment making it impossible for me to pay my bills. I had to borrow the money from my parents to pay them. They kept telling me they were “working on my case” and to be patient while they continued to accept nearly $1000 per month with no improvement in my case. They claim that I was unresponsive but at every turn, they called at times other than the ones we had scheduled or they could not provide me an answer to why the garnishment continued. They lied and manipulated me. The garnishment finally stopped when I was terminated from my employer but they continued to take their monthly payment of nearly $1000 while my only income was $240 per week from unemployment. Still they did not finish my case. Eventually, my parents credit card expired and they were no longer able to take their payment and they finally wanted to speak with me about resolution. They have never given the impression that they cared about me or my tax issues. Their motivation was purely financial. Alas, they did wish to discuss my situation but it was only because I wouldn’t pay them any more money until I saw progress. At this time they finally admitted that without the documents I told them I could not produce they could not help me. They went from passive and elusive to combative and aggressive. Unfortunately, I could have used the time and money from this debacle to pay down the IRS on my own. From the outset, I told them did not have the documents to file my taxes and that if I did have them I would not need the services of Optima Tax Relief. They emphatically assured me that they are “the professionals” and they have “experience with cases like mine” and that they would provide the best outcome. Again, those statements are patently false. They did nothing to earn the money I paid them and I am no closer to resolution than when I started. I assure you I received no “relief” from Optima Tax Relief.  I am seeking a full refund of the money I paid for services I was promised yet did not receive.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Optima Tax states in their response on paragraph 1 that they negotiated a favorable installment agreement. This is false the installment agreement they were suppose to negotiate was to include the tax years 2010,2011,2012.2013, & 2014.  The installment agreement they submitted to the IRS only included 2010, 2011, 2013. The did not submit 2012 & 2014.  On their response on paragraph 2, Optima states that once they finalize a resolution for a client the IRS will no longer initiate any enforcement action. Again, this is false or better yet they did not do their job right because I have received multiple notices in which the IRS is seeking to enforce action by putting a lien on my property in I don't pay my taxes owed for 2012 & 2014. Tax years that should have been included in the  resolution.  Furthermore, effective 2/3/16 the IRS will be withdrawing the installment agreement because of the taxes owed for 2012 & 2014, again tax years that should have been included in the installment agreement.  Optima is also stating in this same paragraph that I am not making my monthly payments as agreed and that this is the reason why I have received theses notice.  This is not true. If Optima has proof that my payments have not been made as agreed then please present you evidence because unlike Optima I have copies of every single payment check that has cleared my bank paid to the IRS since my first initial payment of 9/28/15.  Contrary to Optima's statement of IRS practices to put a lien to protect their interest, the real reason the IRS is threatening to put a LIEN on my property us once again for taxes owed for 2012 & 2014 which were not included in the installment agreement.  With regards to Optima's statement in paragraph 3, I disagree.  All balances with a liability were not included in the payment plan.  Optima claims that the 2012 tax year had no outstanding balance but I cannot understand how they are making this statement.  First of all Optima requested from the IRS my history for the past 10 years.  This history would have included my 2012.  Secondly, Optima was preparing to file my 2012 tax returns when I informed them that my 2012 tax returns had already been prepared there was no need for them to do it.  I emailed them a copy of my 2012 tax returns and unless they are blinded, my tax returns clearly state how much I owed the IRS.  Even the copy of the 2012  taxes they were preparing indicated I would owe taxes for 2012 (I have copies of this as well & the emails). So for them to sit here and state there was not liability balance for the tax year 2012 clearly indicates they do not know what they are doing.   For these very reasons stated above I do not accept their response and  I am seeking the refund amount I have indicated.  Optima did not provide the service they were contracted to do.  As I have stated, I do not have the confidence to work with Optima any longer to resolve these additional problems that have arise due to their mistakes.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The complaint I have has not been resolved.  Optima Tax did contact me and offered a refund of $1495.  I paid $6990 for their services in which they did absolutely nothing.  They told me not to contact the IRS and let them handle it, when if I were to just reply  to the letters I received from the IRS they could have just set me up on a payment plan much sooner instead of having the interest and penalties accrue putting me in more debt.  I believe they didn’t want me to contact the IRS so they can say they worked on my case.  By “working” on my case all they did was set me up on a payment plan which I could have done myself if they did not tell me to reply to the IRS.  They also stated that they would hold off any levies which were put in place because I did not reply to any of the letters the IRS sent.  I forwarded those letters to Optima Tax and they did nothing.  In Optima’s response they stated that the levy was released but I fact there were two levies in which one was released and the other was taken out of my account.  I believe there services are very misleading and that they are out to take advantage of vulnerable people.  I paid $995 for the initial investigation phase which I am willing to let go.  All I am asking for is a reasonable solution and I don’t believe that $1495 is reasonable considering they did absolutely nothing to help me with my situation.
Regards,
[redacted]

We have been in contact with the client regarding her complaint. We have addressed the client' concerns directly and educated them on how to maximize their savings. After breaking down the file the client's have a clear understanding to the services provided and confirmed that they are satisfied with the outcome.

The work done by optima is amazing. They take the time to explain what makes absolutely no sense. They also make it easy to get a hold of them if any questions should randomly pop up which of course they do. I filled out my survey online and within minutes I had a rep respond and call me. With all the stress involved with dealing with I.R.S. problems they made me feel like I was in good hands.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
When I signed up for Optima to handle my irs issues it was 995. Then I was told it would be another 995.00 this is when I got mad.. they assured and guaranteed me if I went with there program that they could and would save me much more then the total of the 2000. So at that point of the conversation I did agree.  now that there unable to save me anything I feel like they did a BAIT AND SWITCH on me promising me a service and not being able to deliver.  NOW IM OUT 5000. Cash that I have paid out  ON a DEBT OF 10,000 SO  THIS WILL END UP COSTING ME OVER 15,000.
Regards,
[redacted]

SUMMARY -
Optima...

Tax's management contacted the client to discuss the allegations
outlined in his complaint and we hope to reach a mutually acceptable agreement
soon.
 
RESPONSE
-
Optima Tax’s management contacted the client to address his
concerns as outlined in the complaint. In his complaint, the client claims that
he was not informed about Optima Tax’s
secondary retainer upon completion of our Investigation Phase. Per the signed
agreement and a voice recorded Verification Call, the client agreed to all terms
and disclosures, including his understanding that there would be a secondary
retainer. Optima Tax offered to provide
the client with a copy of his agreement, in addition to a copy of the
Verification Call for his review but he has yet to respond. In light of such,
we took the initiative and emailed him a copy for his review. This information
can also be provided to the Revdex.com upon request.  
 
The
client also takes issues with the ways in which Optima
Tax had submitted an Offer in Compromise (“OIC”) to the
IRS.  An OIC was offered as an option
with a mutual understanding that it is the IRS that makes the ultimate decision
whether to accept or deny.  Although the
OIC was denied in this case, what is more important is that Optima Tax nevertheless produced a positive result
for the client - the assigned team of tax professionals diligently worked on his
case and successfully obtained a Non-Collectable status (despite the difficulty
relating to client’s financial status, which may have prevented him to obtain a
Non-Collectable status in the first place). In light of such, we have offered
what we feel is more than a reasonable resolution and we are waiting for his
response. We advised him that all lines of communication are still open so we
may resolve this matter mutually and amicably.
 
At Optima Tax we strive to uphold the philosophy that
"clients come first" and all of our representatives go through rigorous training to assure we abide by that
philosophy. We take all complaints very seriously, and we do our best to turn
them around when possible. Optima Tax
believes it has addressed the client's concerns appropriately and considers the
matter closed. Please do not hesitate to contact Optima
Tax with any questions. Thank you.

SUMMARY -
Optima...

Tax immediately reached out to the client upon receiving
the Revdex.com complaint.
 
RESPONSE -
Optima Tax’s management has made attempts to contact the client
to discuss his concerns as outlined in the complaint. Unfortunately we have not
been able to touch base but, will continue to reach out until the matter is
resolved.
 
It’s
truly unfortunate that the client feels as if he was misled by Optima Tax. Our primary focus is making sure we service
every file as outlined in the Client Services Agreement to ensure our client’s
satisfaction. Although we have had success in negotiating a stay of collections
for our clients in the past, ultimately the IRS has the authority to decide
whether to begin collection activity and therefore we do not guarantee future
success. We make every client aware of this possible action prior to enrollment
through numerous written and verbal
disclosures. The assigned team of tax professionals had made multiple attempts
to contact the assigned IRS Revenue Officer, who has proved to be nonresponsive.
The team went as far as reaching out to the General Manager, again, with no
success. Our tax professional took preventative measures and faxed the
requested documents to the Revenue Officer in an effort to engage the Revenue
Officer in negotiations. After numerous voicemails, the IRS agent finally returned
our calls to confirm that she did receive the documents. Unfortunately the
Revenue Officer did not discuss further options at that time. The tax
professional continued to leave messages requesting a call back so we can
resolve the client’s case, but our efforts continued to be unsuccessful with the
Revenue Officer. We can provide our phone records to show our ongoing efforts
to reach the assigned Revenue Officer. Moreover, based off our review it
appears that there were certain IRS stipulations that the client failed to
comply with. In turn, we believe that this is the primary reason why he was
issued with a bank levy.
 
The
client had mentioned that with one phone call the Revenue Officer picked up and
discussed his case. This is not surprising, considering he is the tax payer,
because the IRS would rather deal with someone who is not represented by a
professional. In some cases, a Revenue Officer will use certain tactics
claiming that Optima Tax failed on our
end. Fact of the matter is, the Revenue Officer never provided us with any
specific time to call her. If she had, we can assure you that a call would have
been made. Regardless, the assigned tax professional still made significant
effort to resolve the client’s case. We are hopeful that we’ll make contact
with the client soon and more importantly, resolve this unfortunate matter
amicably.

It's was a very competitive experience the one I had with Optima Tax they was always there for me when I needed or when I have a question ,they realy brought me back my tranquility of be free of the fear I was living ,thanks to them I can sleep at night now and the result was the best I can imagine .

SUMMARY - Optima Tax's management has been in...

contact with the client prior to receiving the complaint and we are confident an amicable resolution can be had.    RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management has been in communication with the client to address their concerns as outlined in the complaint. Although there were various possible resolution options explored with the client, it was made clear to them through our Client Services Agreement, program addendums, and multiple verification calls with the client that no specific outcome can be promised or guaranteed.      To further ensure our clients have a clear understanding of the services Optima Tax is to provide, each client will go through a voice recorded Verification Call that covers all terms of the client's enrollment and all disclosures. After each disclosure is given the client must respond with a Yes answer acknowledging they fully understand the disclosure before we can continue moving forward. During the Verification Process we did inform the client that although a reduction may be possible, ultimately only the Tax Authority may accept or approve any resolution request. After reviewing the client’s file it is evident they were adequately informed of this information and based on their responses it is clear they fully understood and acknowledged all disclosures prior to choosing to enroll with Optima Tax.  As such, Optima Tax firmly believes the client was properly informed of all the terms and services encompassed in their Optima Tax program and that all services were provided in full.   At Optima Tax we strive to uphold the philosophy that "clients come first" and all of our representatives go through rigorous training to assure we abide by that philosophy. We take all complaints very seriously, and we do our best to turn them around when possible. Optima Tax believes it has addressed the client's concerns appropriately and will continue to reach out to the client until we come to a final resolve. Please do not hesitate to contact Optima Tax with any questions. Thank you.

We are happy that we came to a mutual resolve and more importantly, we will continue to provide our services to the client

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted]
I fill to resolve my situation I should not have to pay another 995.00 dollar. I was I not sent a certified letter to that effect? I am a veteran trying to make it.

SUMMARY -
Optima...

Tax's management has attempted multiple times to make
contact with the client prior to the filing of this complaint in order to
discuss his concerns. Unfortunately however, the client has been extremely unresponsive.
We do our best to treat each complaint with the utmost sense of urgency and
strive to resolve all of our clients’ issues to their full satisfaction,
however this can only be achieved with the client’s full cooperation.  
RESPONSE
-
Optima Tax’s management has attempted to address the client’s
concerns on more then one occasion. Unfortunately, the client has yet to
respond to any voice messages or email correspondence, which hinders our
ability to address their claim directly and efficiently. As the client stated,
they have been a client of Optima Tax
for a little over a year. Although we’re extremely successful in resolving any
case we take on, we explain to each of our clients that there are a number of
unique factors which dictate the time it may take for their case to be resolved.
Given the
complexity of this client’s case, the IRS required an abundance of documents
and updated information. The documents the client initially provided were outdated
and subsequently a request was made upon the client to send in the most updated
documents. For example, the client provided May, June and July’s financial
statements but the IRS in turn requested August, September and October’s
financial statements. This is a common occurrence when resolving a tax
liability and one of the factors which may cause a delay in the resolution of a
client’s file. In this particular case, Optima Tax
was negotiating an Offer in Compromise which requires as much documentation as
possible to assure it is accepted by the IRS. The client had been informed regarding
the importance of this process on more than one occasion.
As their
representative, it is our job to build our client’s case to ensure we can
achieve the best possible outcome; this is why we stress to our clients the
importance of providing full and up-to-date documentation to us in a timely
fashion. After all documents were received from the client we then submitted
all the necessary documents for an Offer review to the IRS in early February. As
explained to the client on multiple occasions, we now had to wait for the Offer
Specialist to review the information and determine if they are a candidate for
an Offer. This review process can take the IRS anywhere between 6-12 months to
review and either approve or deny the request. Again, the client was informed regarding
this process.
On May
29, 2015 the assigned Optima Tax Professional received a call from the Offer
Specialist requesting the client’s updated financial information with a
deadline for submission of June 5, 2015. The assigned Optima team immediately
reached out to the client and stressed urgency in getting the updated documents
into Optima Tax. Unfortunately,
certain financial statements were not provided in a timely manner by the client
and we have yet to receive those documents requested. On July 10, 2015 an
Optima representative provided the client with a thorough breakdown as to why
we could not submit for another Offer as it was based on their inability to
substantiate certain expenses. The Client was very understanding and was
advised that we would include all outstanding balances back into a
Non-Collectable status. Thereafter, communication was sporadic and eventually
the client was unresponsive to our attempts.
At Optima Tax we strive to uphold the philosophy that
"clients come first" and all of our representatives go through rigorous training to assure we abide by that
philosophy. We take all complaints very seriously, and we do our best to resolve
any and all complaints to our clients’ full satisfaction. Optima Tax will continue their efforts in attempting
to contact the client and fully resolve this unfortunate dispute, however this
can only be achieved with the client’s full cooperation.  Thank you.

My experience with Optoma tax relief is very positive. Everyone was knowledgeable and easy to talk to . They solved all of my problems. I would recommend them to everyone.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will consider this complaint resolved. Please remove and close this complaint
Regards,
[redacted]