Optima Tax Relief LLC

Contacting Optima Tax Relief was one of the smartest moves I've made in my fifty five years on this planet. I had not filed taxes in six years due to my alcoholism , and had been sober for the last three years. I had repaired my business and personal life and the only issue left was to fix all my tax issues, of which I was dreading and avoiding. I took the final step after hearing about Optima on the radio. From my first initial consoltation through the entire process , Optima kept me informed weekly, mentally helped me with kindness and facts of what they were doing. They got me a tax number due and worked my case through to the end. I slept well every night instead of stressing all night.

Please be advised, the resolution that Optima Tax proposed was strictly out of courtesy for the client. Optima Tax has fulfilled their contractual obligations and resolved the client’s case per the Client Services Addendum as stated in our previous response. Optima Tax was only aware of one levy and as stated in our initial response, the assigned Tax Pro was successful in releasing most of the funds back to the client.   Although we thoroughly educated the client as to the process of his case, he does not want to accept the facts of the case as a whole. The Audit Review is time consuming and requires a high level of attention to detail. The client failed to inform us that he signed off on the Audit Report prior to hiring Optima Tax. This is valuable information that Optima Tax was not aware of until we completed our Audit Review. Once the review had been finalized, the assigned team finalized his case and set the client up on an affordable payment plan as outlined in the Client Services Addendum. Regardless of when the payment plan was implemented, the client will continue to accrue penalties and interest until the balance is paid in full.   It’s unfortunate that the client feels that Optima Tax takes advantage of vulnerable people. Nothing can be further from the truth. The client reached out to Optima Tax and we provided the client our formulated strategy to help resolve his case and he decided to hire us for representation. His desired resolution is unrealistic in comparison to the work performed by his assigned team and the representation Optima Tax provided. Per our initial conversation with the client on April 19, 2016 the client made it clear he was under the impression that Optima Tax would reduce his debt. However, after he was educated and proper expectations were set by the Optima Tax, the client confirmed that his dedicated Optima Tax representative did not promise, guarantee or insinuate that the client would receive a reduction.

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]

Optima Tax Relief did just what their name implies. After messing around with other firms and sticking my head in the sand for the past ten years it was Optima that finally resolved my sticky tax situation.
Their perseverance, professionalism and knowledge combined with a caring attitude has allowed me to come to an agreeable solution where I can now get on with my life and have control over my finances.
I unreservedly recommend this company.

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.
We sought representation because we firmly believed Optima is honest,honorable and willing to help.
 
It is impossible to totally resolve IRS audit but to somehow ease the suffering and pain how IRS deal with clients like us.
 
Now Optima is firing back the disclosure requiring  a “yes” before moving forward. Yes, after the last
installment payment was collected, for clients like us this is just a point of no return and hoping for the best.
 
Somehow in the process of reviewing  our case and after few documents submitted, they knew by then  they could not help us. Optima should have advised us of this, instead of continuing with our case, prolonging the process which took a year and therefore ended up adding to the penalties and interests.They set up a payment plan for us which we could have done ourselves with the form 433D. Just like our inquiry for our Franchise tax Board, Optima refused to take our case because they know there is no money for them with this one.We took their advise and save $1000 fee.
 
I disagree with the statement that they negotiated  a favorable payment plan claiming it is lower than we declared on the complaint. Again, I remember my words in this matter. "Hey are you on my side of the case this is much higher than the IRS auditor request?"
 
There was a desperate move in our case to avoid lien to our house and penalties as part of the resolutions.  We even forced ourselves to raise money as to renegotiate with IRS and hoped that they could help us. Optima refused and advised us to put the money to our down payment as part of our payment plan.
 
 
Optima’s statement indicated that they spent a lot of time and energy in this case, unfortunately  , the IRS unwilling to adjust audit determination.  This result comes out after 12months of waiting just to increase my debt and fees by 26% (Optima fees+interests+penalties) on top of the audit amount by the IRS. Instead  it added  to our frustrations.
 
 
We believed we were strongly represented through Optima's CPAs and Tax Lawyers but we never heard from any of them. The times Optima communicated with us was with a generic message left on our phone machine. Needless to say we did our part calling which most of the time unable to talk with the contact person.
 
At this point we stand firm on our request for a refund.
Regards,
[redacted]

SUMMARY -
Optima Tax's management had made
contact with the client upon receiving their Revdex.com...

complaint.
Optima Tax educated the client as to what our strategy was regarding their 2011
tax returns and he confirmed that he is satisfied with the outcome.
 
RESPONSE -
Optima Tax’s management reached out
to the client to address their concerns as outlined in the complaint. When
filing a tax return there are many factors that Optima Tax’s tax preparation
team takes into consideration when it comes to what it believes as certain
allowable write-offs. Optima Tax’s strategy and the reason why the client’s
returns were filed without including his business expenses were with the
intention to hopefully prevent any potential audits in the future for the
client. Although the client should have the final say, Optima Tax deemed it to
be in the best interest of the client’s to not include his business expenses
based on the Company’s interpretation of the IRS tax laws. Once we educated the
client on our strategy we came to a final conclusion regarding his refund
request and the client is satisfied with the end result.
 
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's management has been in contact with the client prior to receiving the complaint and we are working towards a mutual resolve.   RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management has been in communication with the client to address his concerns as outlined in the complaint. As the client...

stated, he hired Optima Tax to represent him on behalf of the IRS. The client did have an Installment Agreement in place prior to contacting Optima Tax however, the agreement would soon become null and void.   The Installment Agreement previously in place for the client prior to client seeking assistance from Optima Tax went into default status and was no longer valid. Thereafter, Optima Tax was able to establish a new Installment Agreement for the client. The newly acquired agreement Optima Tax negotiated was slightly lower then the original payment and ensured the client was back in compliance with taking care of his outstanding tax liability. Furthermore, Optima Tax was able to prevent the IRS from taking any enforcement action against the client by renegotiating another agreement on behalf of the client and representing the client in their matters with the IRS.   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.

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 wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

As stated in our initial response, Optima Tax does not lie, mislead, provide false expectations, nor use scare tactics to obtain business from our potential clients. It is our job to fully inform the client of his situation and provide the client with the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether to move forward with our services. Although the client may not agree, Optima Tax performed a thorough Investigation as outlined in the Client Services Agreement and presented the client with our formulated strategy to help resolve the case. Unfortunately the client has decided not to move forward with our service but, we are pleased to be parting ways on good terms. The client now has the ability to take the information Optima provided to him and utilize it to his advantage while attempting to resolve his debt.

My dealings with all the people with Optima Tax Relief was extremely pleasant and helpful. I have nothing but good things to say about everyone that was involved in my case.
I could not have done it without them.

We contracted with Optima Tax Relief on 10/07/2014 and completed the process this September 2015. We were behind 3 years on filing our taxes. They helped us also with filing our 2014 year and completed the forms for our state returns which we were responsible for mailing. After accounting for the fees Optima charged for their services and the penalties the IRS charged for 3 years late filing we still ended up at $1,420 in the black for the Federal returns and after penalties and interest for late filing with the State returns we ended up with $2,100 in the black. Through the whole ordeal the main positive was communication.They were very responsive with phone calls and email. They were also very patient with us in getting the information to them which they requested. We are very pleased with the results.

Optima Tax Relief saved my financial life in a really big way! After accruing over $30000 in tax liability from several years of being self employed / 1099, and not being able to keep up with the increase in my annual returns from the added self employment tax, I had no idea how to dig myself out of the hole. I started receiving collection letters from the IRS, and had a tax lien filed against me. I finally decided to call Optima Tax Relief after hearing commercials about them on the radio. They handled my case expertly, pulling my records from the IRS, invoking power of attorney to protect me, and working with the IRS to create a settlement that worked for me. When all was said and done, I ended up with a total settlement of approximately 10% of my total liabilty, which included my payment to Optima for their services. I absolutely couldn't be happier, and feel like an immense weight has been lifted from my shoulders!!! I would highly recommend them to anyone needing help with tax issues.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
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 wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

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

contact with the client in an effort to establish a line of communication.   RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management has attempted to establish contact with the client to address his concerns as outlined in the complaint. As the client stated in his complaint, he hired Optima Tax to represent him on behalf of the IRS due to an outstanding liability.   In the complaint, the client claims he hired Optima Tax for a reduction in his debt. Contrary to this statement, per the Client Services Addendum the client hired us to perform certain services including, among other things, Collection Representation, IRS Compliance, Audit Reconsideration and ultimately setting up an affordable payment plan based on the client’s income and expenses. Although Optima Tax has been successful in obtaining reductions in certain clients tax liabilities, based on meeting specific factors, at no point did Optima Tax promise, guarantee or in any way insinuate that the client would receive a reduction. Furthermore, the client went through a voice recorded Verification Call that covers all legal disclosures with each disclosure requiring a “yes” answer before moving forward. After reviewing the call, the client understood and agreed to all disclosures and understood the services Optima Tax would provide.   As the client stated in the complaint, after thoroughly reviewing his case for any potential reduction it had been determined that he does not qualify for such programs. Since the IRS requires a resolution in place to avoid any type of enforcement action, Optima Tax successfully negotiated a favorable payment plan, which is lower than the amount referenced in the complaint, which will prevent such action. Moreover, the resolution we negotiated would also prevent the IRS from asking the client to liquidate any assets to pay the balance in full. Until the balance is satisfied, the IRS will continue to apply penalties and interest to the principle balance until it is paid in full. To say that we did not provide a service nor did Optima Tax earn any of the fees is an inaccurate statement. We spent a lot of time and energy on his case including representing the client in an Audit Reconsideration. Unfortunately, the IRS was unwilling to adjust their audit determination despite Optima’s 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 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.

SUMMARY -
Optima Tax's management immediately
reached out to the clients to discuss their concerns outlined in the complaint.
Although the concerns were addressed, the clients decided to move in a
different direction to resolve their tax debt
 
RESPONSE -
Optima Tax’s management reached out
to the clients to address their concerns as outlined in the complaint. Upon
further communication with the clients they indicated they understand our
strategy to resolve their case; however, ultimately they feel it would be in
their best interest to resolve their liability on their own. We believe all
questions and concerns have been addressed and the clients confirmed they were
satisfied with the outcome.
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 Company is misleading. I see some of the reviews good and bad. Most of the bad ones are very similar to my story. I hired them in October of
2013. At first they were great until they got almost $6000 from me. After that the customer service was terrible. Sometimes I would go months without
hearing from them. It seemed my case worker would change on the times I did hear from them. They say the notices will stop but that didn't happen. I
continued to get them. I kept having to call them regularly to try to find out what is going on. They kept saying we are waiting on the IRS to get back
to us. This went on for a year and a half before the IRS finally seized my bank account. I found this out the hard way when I went to get gas on the way
home from work. At this point I am very angry as they kept telling me they were waiting on the IRS and all the other crap they tell you. One thing they
kept saying was don't call the IRS during this whole time. After my account got seized I called the IRS and spoke to them directly. When I asked about
Optima supposedly waiting on them and doing business on my behalf they said they had no record of it. The lady I spoke with from the IRS was a lot more
informative and helpful. Very different from the picture Optima paints about them. At this point I am really angry. Called Optima and told them I was done
and wanted my money back. They kept making excuses and saying we are waiting on the IRS and the usual crap they tell you. I asked what are you waiting on
the IRS to do, seize my accounts? I said they just did that. I also called BS on them saying they were close to an agreement because I had just talked
to the IRS and the IRS had no record of it. After that the customer service got better but the final results were way less than expected. I could have
saved the money I wasted on Optima and done most of it myself. They drooped the ball on everything including the innocent spouse rule that the IRS said
I would have probably qualified for since my ex was guilty of fraud. Tried explaining this several times to them and they dismissed it or ignored it. Someone
who use to work for a now defunct tax company like Optima said they are not interested in doing the best for you but doing what will cost them the least to
maximize their profit from what you give them. I paid almost 3 times what it would have costs me to get a local tax attorney or CPA and doing some work
and on my on and educating myself on the IRS and taxes in general. Unless you owe millions or something like that Optima would be a waste of your time
and I would still find someone local. At least it would be easier to deal with incompetence that is 10 miles away than incompetence that is over a 1000
miles away. My experience with Optima is they are reactive and not proactive which is not good with the IRS. When talking to the IRS they said they could
mail or I could download the forms I need to take care of this myself and as long as you stay in contact with them and don't ignore them you can work most
of the stuff out yourself and they won't seize your accounts. They seize when you ignore them like Optima ignored them. My advice is to get in touch with
the IRS as they are helpful and educate yourself or see a CPA. They will be more honest than Optima will be and you will save a ton of money and not have
to learn the expensive lesson I learned.

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.
Reason I rejected and here is a scan from what I got from the IRS. Optima never did any tax preps but yet on my behalf agreed to a pay off of 14k which after my taxes are done will pay less than what Optima wanted. This is what bothers me. I contacted my new Tax attorney and what they did by ordering this payoff is hurt me. Aug the IRS expects a check from me for 14k will never happen I couldn't even pay a quarter. All I wanted was my taxes done and once done the IRS would be off my back. All I want is a refund from Optima.  Since contacting Revdex.com person named [redacted] was working with me from Optima have called him several times and no returns. Called to tell me a resolution was reached and gave me his number and for past 2 days has not returned my calls and this is calling him several times a day and only able to leave messages with answering service, So I figured resolution was not in my favor. As I said they hurt me more than helped and I should be refunded. They failed to stop the garnishment. And by lying to the IRS does not help me saying I agree to pay 14k. I read what they said and not much is true.Optima contacted the IRS for a pay off without doing my taxes. They agreed I would pay 14k by Aug 19. Did all this before doing any tax returns. I do not even owe that much and they would of known this if they started my tax returns. They also did this without contacting me with amount agreed with. They have not contacted me with a resolution was contacted by a [redacted] from Optima but has since refused my calls. Have tried for 2 days straight several times a day only to be able to leave a message with operator who each time said message will be given and will be called back. I contacted Optima on May 212016 and spoke to [redacted].  We discussed my wife and myself tax issue’s with him concerning taxes not processed from  2011- 2015. Our main concern in this issue was being garnished 15% of both my wife’s and myself’s  gross pay. Mr. [redacted] insured myself that he would put a immediate stop to the garnishments with a immediate payment of $995.00 which was paid on Monday June 6, 2016. On June 17, 2016  both paychecks  were garnished. I tried to contact [redacted] as soon as I got off work the same day (June 17th)and he was not available. A message was left concerning the garnishments ($411). [redacted] did not contact till June 20th in the evening. At this point he requested all documents that were Pertaining to the garnishment issue and also informed me that the cost of the tax work he was providing jumped from the initial quote of $995. to $$4580.00. I asked him several times what did I get for the $995? and did not get a response. After discussing the fee with my wife we decided we needed to go a different route.  On Tuesday May 21st I released  Optima  from going forward price was to high . On Wednesday May 22nd I got a response from [redacted] which was unprofessional . Told him I contacted [redacted] which by the way is the company that recommended me to Optima.But contacted [redacted] Tax Relief on the 22nd discussed my issue and at the time was recommended to another Tax company that does not have the overhead as Optima. Three different emails [redacted] took upon himself to be very unprofessional about cheaper Tax companies which I took insult to. But did say in no way was he saying [redacted] was bad.(wonder why?) At this time I feel we should get a full refund. Optima has on their front page if unhappy will get a full refund 15 working calendar days. I understand I contacted Optima on May 31st but would not think it would start until payment was made which was June 6th 2016.To me what was promised was not kept which was stopping the garnishments. When [redacted] contacted me on the 20th he seemed upset when I told him I sent in the documents to the Optima upload page said I should of sent to him which by the way I did same night I came home. 
Regards,
[redacted]

SUMMARY - Optima Tax's management has been in contact with the client since receiving the complaint and is actively working towards a mutual resolve.    RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management established communication with the client and addressed his concerns as outlined in the complaint....

It’s unfortunate that the client did not express his concerns to Optima Tax prior to filing the complaint because we feel as though this situation could have been easily resolved. However, once communication is established we’re confident that we’ll come to an amicable resolve. As the client stated in the complaint, he hired Optima Tax to conduct a thorough Investigation into his outstanding liability. Once we completed the initial Investigation, the client was presented our formulated strategy to help resolve his case. During the initial consultation, the client was presented with a quote of the costs associated with our Resolution Phase based on the information the client provided his Tax Associate. However, after completing the Investigation it was discovered that the client’s case is more complex then initially believed which required an adjustment to the quoted price in order to resolve his case.   After thoroughly educating the client on our process and the fees associated with our Resolution Phase, he now has a better understanding as to the reason for the increased cost of the Resolution Phase. The client’s case is currently being reviewed by management in an effort to present any potential options that will bring this matter to a close and in good standing with all parties involved. 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 keep an open line of communication with the client until we come to a final resolve. Please do not hesitate to contact Optima Tax with any questions. Thank you.

SUMMARY - Optima Tax's management had been in contact with the client prior to receiving the complaint to address their concerns.    RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management has been in communication with the client to address her concerns as outlined in the complaint. As the client stated in...

their complaint, she hired Optima Tax to help resolve her outstanding tax liability. Although highly successful in reducing a tax payer’s liability, Optima Tax does not make any guarantees or promises as to what the end result will be. However, we are very transparent with our clients on how we approach each case we take on. Each client will receive our Client Services Agreement prior to enrollment for their review. Once enrolled each client will go through a voice recorded Verification Call that covers all legal disclosures and pertinent details of their enrollment to ensure the client has a full and complete understanding of the services they’ll receive. In client's case, after going through all the disclosures, she was presented with our rating system where on a scale of zero through ten based on her understanding of the services that will be provided the client gave a ten rating, the highest level of understanding . At no point during the Verification Calls and enrollment process did Optima Tax promise any type of reduction of client's tax liability.  .   We fully acknowledge that the client had a previous resolution in place with the IRS however, that resolution had been cancelled and the client was in active collections when our Compliance Team conducted a thorough investigation into the client’s tax liability. Although we understand and sympathize with client's feelings towards their tax situation, we respectfully fail to see how the client is in a worse position after contacting Optima Tax, especially since the client had full acknowledgement of the services that would be provided. Furthermore, the resolution Optima Tax successfully achieved on behalf of the client removed the client from collections and ensured the client is now compliant with the IRS. Additionally, the resolution we have in place also prevented the IRS from issuing a lien against the client, protected her assets and will prevent any wage garnishments. While the client was enrolled with Optima Tax she did not receive a lien nor was a garnishment issued against her.     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 we feel that we’re close to finalizing a mutual resolve. Please do not hesitate to contact Optima Tax with any questions. Thank you.

I had a good overall experience.