Optima Tax Relief LLC

SUMMARY - Optima Tax's management has attempted to make contact with the client but we have yet to establish communication.      RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management has made multiple attempts to make contact with the client with no success. As noted in our Client Services Agreement,...

Optima Tax addresses each case with a two phase approach. During the initial phase we investigate the client's liability to ensure that we have all the facts surrounding their outstanding balance and ultimately present the client with our findings and our strategy to resolve their tax matters. Here at Optima Tax we strongly believe in transparency which is why all documentation is presented to the client before services commence. To ensure our clients have a full understanding of our approach, each client will also go through a voice recorded verification call which covers all important details of the program including the fact that each phase requires a separate fee. This information is provided to the client before each phase and it is thoroughly explained during the first, Investigation Phase, that  a separate fee for the second phase is required in order to move forward with our Resolution Phase.   Although Optima Tax strives for the best possible outcomes for our clients, we make no specific promises or guarantees as to a specific outcome. Based off our analysis of client's file Optima Tax can still provide their representation and we are confident we can ultimately resolve the case as a whole. It’s unfortunate that the client feels he paid for our services and received nothing in return however, due to Optima Tax's efforts the client now has the ability to utilize the information we have obtained and presented to him so he can make an educated decision on which route to pursue in an attempt to resolve his liability 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 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.

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 am not satisfied with their response because the first page of the contract that I signed stated Federal/State Taxes. If, the Sate was not mentioned on the very first page of the contract that I signed I would have never signed it. If Optimum Tax Relief had stated to me that they were only going provide me with information regarding how to handle my State taxes on my own, then I would have advised them to stop the process with my Federal taxes, requested a refund and contacted the Revdex.com. When I first brought up my concerns regarding my State taxes (June 2014) to the the representative and the Manager regarding them not handling my State Taxes, I advised them that I was going to file a complaint with the Revdex.com and that's when I was told that they were going to handle my State taxes. As a consumer with a good head or her shoulder it does not make any sense as to why I would contact any company to handle only my Federal taxes only and not my State. I have reached out to other companies just to inquire how much they would charge for the amount of tax debt that I owed for both Federal and State at that time and I was quoted prices less than what I paid Optimum to handle my Federal taxes. These companies also advised that when you owe Federal and State taxes they work hand in hand and it's better to handle them with the same company. When I started this process with Optimum I was not in collections with my Federal and State taxes and now my State taxes are with a collection agency steadily accruing interest.  I would fax all of the documents to the representative that I was working with regarding my State taxes being in collections and she contacted them on my behalf. Whenever I would call and  speak with the young lady (who was very professional and nice) who was working my case, she would tell me that they are working on the Federal and once they finished with the Federal then they would work on my State.  Again proving my point that I was advised in June 2014 that they would handle my State taxes because of the miscommunication with very first young lady that I started this process with. I was not told that they were not going to handle my State taxes until they contacted me in March 2015 to advised that my Federal taxes had been completed and that's why I filed my complaint. I am not a tax attorney and have no clue how to negotiate with them to have them agree to an Offer in Compromise or have the remove the penalties. Since filing this complaint, the manager of he Optimum called and left message regarding this complaint on Thursday 4/23/15 advising what he was sending to your company. I called him back 3 business days later and left a message(Tuesday 04/28/15/). I have not heard back from him as of yet I am pleased with the professionalism and the work that they have done with my Federal taxes. Everyone that I came in contact with at Optimum was very nice and professional to me at all times. All I want at this point is for Optimum to do the right thing and finished what they started which is the completion of my State taxes. Thank you for your time.
Regards,
[redacted]

The staff and Tax Lawyers were extremely helpful in negotiating my settlement with the IRS. They presented my options and helped me develop my best course of action. They provided case status updates during the negotiating process, thereby helping me determine the repayment plan that was most in my favor.

SUMMARY - Optima Tax's management has reached out to the client to address his concerns as outlined in the complaint and we’ll be working towards a mutual resolve.   RESPONSE - Optima Tax’s management has reached out to the client to formally address the claims outlined in his complaint. As the...

client stated in the compliant, he had hired Optima Tax Relief to represent him before the IRS. Although the client feels that his assigned team was not adequate enough to handle his case, this was not the case as Optima Tax has diligently worked his case as outlined in the agreement. Moreover, Optima Tax finalized a resolution on behalf of the client. The agreement we successfully negotiated coincides with the services that are outlined in the Resolution Servicing Addendum.   Although reductions in our client’s tax liabilities may occur, we clearly disclose to each client that we do not promise, guarantee or insinuate that every client will receive a reduction. Each client, however, will go through an in depth financial analysis to see if they potentially qualify. Upon our review, the client was given clear expectations as to the resolution Optima Tax would achieve. To ensure that Optima Tax maintains a high level of transparency the client went through a voice recorded Verification Call that covers the services that are outlined in the Resolution Servicing Addendum as well as all legal disclosure. After reviewing the Verification call the client answered “yes” to each legal disclosure and gave us a nine out of a ten rating to his understanding of the services Optima Tax would provide with ten being the highest rating a client can give.   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. 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.

Please be advised that I was under the impression when I hired Optima that they would take my bank statements do a profit and loss statement for each year, while communicating with me and asking the appropriate questions about my expenses and deductions. Therefore, we would have a better chance of coming up with a favorably outcome for my situation. However, I was stressfully, crying and struggling on my own trying to put together 2009-2014 profit and loss statements. Even informing Optima that I was not sure if I was entering the numbers in the proper boxes. The situation I am dealing with now is a big mess! Incorrect tax returns, incorrect massive tax owed balances, an installment agreement that I cannot agree to because it's more than my mortgage, the lump sum down is six figures leaving me facing a possible lien! The 4500 I have paid to Optima should have went toward a CPA here in Houston, Texas!

Optima Tax Relief was truly a miracle for my situation. I owed back taxes that I had become financially unable to pay due to my contract ending for my job. I paid them a small fee compared to what the IRS had determined that I owed. The process took time and required patience but fortunately their trained-people-friendly experts, will not only put you at ease but will keep your spirits up and your attitude positive throughout the process. I am a retired soldier and understand stress and pressure; the Optima case workers are the calmest level headed personnel I have ever had the privilege of working with. They kept me informed of any and all changes and updates related to my case, and were extremely knowledgeable in dealing with tax and tax law issues. The transition from start to finish with personnel in their particular specialty area explained everything to me and made sure I was comfortable with what was to happen with my case as it progressed through the very thorough system of experts. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest in technical expertise, timeliness & responsiveness) I would rate Optima Tax a 10, and further recommend them to anyone I know needing their expert services. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Optima Tax—I have my sigh of relief and peace of mind thanks to you?

I had 100% confidence in my Optima team..They were professional and did as they said they would...Recommended 100% to others...

My experience with Optima was so much more positive and satisfying than I thought it would be. I had not really done any research on them but after seeing many TV ads, I decided to give them a try. I was truly pleased with the outcome and they were very successful in my resolution with the IRS. Would recommend them highly to any and everyone in the future. Thanks Optima.

Optima Tax’s management was
well within its process of attempting to resolve client’s concerns even...

before
receiving the complaint.  Through such an
effort, we unfortunately found that the client was mischaracterizing and
undermining Optima’s business integrity. 
With all due respect, we had no choice but to clearly convey to the
client that such mischaracterization is inaccurate, and we further reiterated
our process, in hopes of clarifying client’s false understanding. Here at
Optima Tax, we employ a two phase approach: Phase I, the Investigation Phase;
and Phase II, the Resolution Phase. Prior to enrollment, the client went
through a full consultation which discloses a full break-down of our two phase
approach. Even if we were to assume that our Tax Associate made a human error
by not disclosing certain details of our services, each and every client goes through
a separate and rigorous “Verification Call” to go over all disclosures
including the details of our Resolution Phase. It should be noted that the crux
of the matter boiled down to an affordability issue – the client had expressed
that the Resolution Phase may not be affordable,   In light of such, it should be also noted
that Optima Tax had made sincere and diligent efforts to work within the
client’s budget.
After
the complaint was filed, we continued our contact with the client to address
his concerns. We were informed that the client admittedly filed the complaint
by mistake. Ultimately, the client has confirmed that he was happy with the end-result
and we have since then parted ways 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.

I am very satisfied with the service Optima Tax Relief provided for me. They worked diligently to represent my in reducing my taxes. I would and do recommend Optima Tax Relief to anyone with IRS issues.

As the client stated, they were out of the country when they had expressed their concerns which limited our ability to discuss their case with them directly.   After communication had been reestablished, and although the client had submitted a rebuttal stating that we are not taking his concerns seriously, we are pleased to say that we have come to a mutual agreement with the client and this matter has been fully resolved. Any client concern that is brought to our attention is handled with the utmost care. We feel that the concerns as outlined in the compliant have been addressed to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

I was very impressed with Optima Tax they were very professional and made it seem so easy every step of the way. Their staff worked with me one on one and they were always very helpful, they kept me well informed of the progress through out the course of the process.

Optima was amazing from start to finish. They were very helpful and thorough in explaining everything to me, from stage to stage, and what my options were. They listened to my situation and were able to formulate a plan that worked for me. They were totally amazing and got me SUCH a great outcome. I am extremely thankful to Optima Tax, and would highly recommend them to anyone going through tax problems!

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 $2,500 refund is inadequate. The complaint speaks for itself. I decline the offer but will accept a $10,000 settlement.
Regards,
[redacted]

Hello,
I was duped, scammed, hoodwinked, or whatever you want to call it, by Optima Tax Relief. I contacted Optima around March of 2015. I had serious amount of taxes owed because of a failed mining/tv pilot venture that cost me $110k. It was to be an African-American show like 'Gold Rush'. However, the venture got thwarted when our reburbished equipment never got us off the ground. Needless to say, I was banking on the mining venture and tv show to make me money that was never made.
This put me in a serious hole and I needed help, so I called Optima. They must have been licking their chops when they got a phone call from someone in Hollywood like me, because they promptly charged me a total $7,000 to take on my case ($5k initially and then $2k a little later). I kept asking them, "Based on your past experiences, are you sure you will be able to help me?!" They said they can't guarantee anything, but the only way to find out is if I give them the $7k so they can get started. However, my case should get some kind of favorable resolution, they said.
Obviously, I trusted what they were telling me because this is what they do for a living, and they have advertisements that are all positive results. Keep in mind that prior to Optima I had already at one point worked out a payment plan with the IRS on my own. So, I didn't need them to do something I could do on my own, I needed them to do those miracles that they advertise and trick people into believing.
So, almost a year later and me having to fill out more paperwork than you can imagine, I'm further in the hole now than when I contacted them. And they had the nerve to set me up with a $1,500/mos. installment agreement with the IRS, even though I told them I could only afford $700/mos. And the ONLY reason I agreed to do the installment was because Optima said that I must first set up an installment agreement before a settlement could be made. Little did I know that they already knew that I did not qualify for a settlement, they actually knew that before they took on my case because it's no way that you could do this for a living and not have an idea (or percentage) of the probability of certain cases being resolved. Just based off of algorithms from company data involving other clients with similar situations like mine, I'm sure they could have told me that the probability of me getting a settlement resolution is very low or 10%-20%. And in that case I would have never in a million years given them $7,000 just to set up an installment agreement I could have gotten for FREE on my own (like I had done before).
I'm livid at how I was duped by a company that's preying on people in their time of need! Even when I asked to speak with someone in their corporate office, I was told that they don't have a number?! What?! Corporate doesn't have a number?! This is when you know you've been scammed and your face turns into a [redacted] like on the looney tunes cartoons. Well, I'm not laughing! I want my $7,000 back because Optima did NOTHING that I couldn't do (and had done) on my own!
Revdex.com, please help me get my money back so I can give that money to the IRS who I now owe $1500/mos.

I am very pleased with the service I received from Optima Tax Relief. They provided timely communications as my case was being processed and their multiple requests for data were always very detailed and always well explained.
Furthermore, the resolution was very satisfactory and more than met my expectations. All of their advertising claims came to fruition.

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 have advised the business that I am satisfied with the first of two conditions, namely a refund of $5,000 which they have deposited in our bank account. The second condition was for the business to complete a settlement with the IRS regarding my personal taxes for 2013. After reviewing this with my accountant, we have decided to handle the resolution directly with the IRS ourselves and do not need any further assistance from the business. Thus, I consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

I worked with Optima tax for over a year to resolve my tax issues. I read about their reputation online and the success rates were impressive. Not only did I feel like I was working with experienced and knowledgable tax professionals, I felt like I was working with people who care and are empathetic towards their clients. I never once felt like I was being taken advantage of and I had a great rapport with [redacted] who made sure I knew she would do everything she could to help me. I am so glad I chose Optima Tax Relief. They helped me get my life back.

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.
They never address any of my questions or concerns head on or state the facts completely wrong.  I was not raising an issue with them over the tax lien,  The tax lien had already been present for months.  Yes, Optima did submit a request to the IRS to remove the lien.  It's the response from the IRS that revealed what was going on at Optima. The IRS denied the request to remove the lien.  The reason they gave was that I didn't have an installment agreement in place to pay off my tax debt with them.  I had been accepted on an installment agreement payment of $75.00 per month back in Feb. 2015. I made the payments every month and I still continue to make the $75.00 payment.  I took it upon myself to investigate with the IRS why they were saying I didn't have an agreement in place.  I never received any kind of notification that is was being cancelled or even that there was an issue.  The IRS employee that I spoke with said that given Optima has my Power of  Attorney any notices would go to them.  Optima says they never received anything.  The IRS employee told me that it looks like the installment agreement was cancelled because I didn't file a federal tax return for 2014.  One of the specific items I hired Optima to do for me was to file my 2014 return. But they failed to do so. The basis of my complaint with Optima and the complaint I filed with you (Revdex.com) is that Optima caused my Installment Agreement with a $75.00 per month payment to be cancelled because of their failure to file my 2014 tax return. The IRS will establish another Installment Agreement for me with a payment of approximately $380.00 per month.  This is the main point that I can't get Optima understand their culpability, their responsibility for, their blatant mistake that triggered the IRS cancelling my existing $75.00 per month payment.   The result of Optima not filing my 2014 tax return in time, is that the IRS has increased my requirement monthly payment by $305 more than I was paying.  I did nothing wrong. Why should I have to pay this higher monthly payment because of Optima's mistake.
Optima's response to you completely twisted the facts.  They are saying that the increased tax balance from 2014 caused my installment agreement to be cancelled.  The IRS told me quite specifically over the phone that it was cancelled because they don't have a 2014 return on file from me.   How would the IRS know that I was going to owe money on my 2014 taxes if my return hadn't even been filed yet?  Additionally, Optima never consulted with me or advised me about the possible issues with having a balance due for the 2014 tax year. The statements they are making about this situation are blatantly false.  I continuously ask them to provide me with the written documentation of their correspondence with the IRS about my case, but they refuse to do that.
Please this is wrong wrong wrong, I don't want to let them get away with this.  Please re-open my claim or what ever you have to do.  This issue and the phone conversations I was having with their designated rep back during the Feb/March time frame, caused me major medical issues from the stress they were causing me. I had to be off work for a couple weeks and my doctor did not want me to have contact with Optima about this until my blood pressure was back to an acceptable range.
Regards,
[redacted]