Optima Tax Relief Reviews*

Due to circumstances that were out of their control, Penny and her husband, Kenneth ended up with a tax liability of over $10K. They didn’t know where to turn to for help until they heard a commercial for Optima Tax Relief. Penny and Kenneth knew they made the right decision from their first call. We went right to work to obtain the best resolution for them. They granted us Power of Attorney to work the case on their behalf. Next, we filed their previously unfiled tax returns and established a Currently-Not-Collectible status to prevent further collection action from the IRS. Once we established the CNC status, our tax pros negotiated an Offer In Compromise with the IRS that resolved their tax liability for only $250.

Chris owed the IRS over $40,000. After hearing about us on the radio, he decided to call us. “Right away, they made me feel at home,” Chris recalls of his first consultation call.

We began our work on Chris’s case as we do for all of our clients, with Chris granting us Power of Attorney authorizing us to directly engage the IRS on his behalf. Next we filed his unfiled tax returns and successfully placed him in Currently-Not-Collectible status with the IRS to prevent possible collection activities. Our tax pros then built a case that qualified Chris for an Offer In Compromise that resolved Chris’s $41,942 tax liability for just $1,350. 97% percent less than the original amount owed.

Joseph came to Optima after receiving several notices from the IRS regarding his back tax situation. He felt overwhelmed and fearful of what actions the IRS was going to take recalling, “I had over $20,000 in tax debt and I couldn’t sleep.” Interest and penalties were being added to his tax debt, so Joseph knew he needed to get help fast. That’s when he decided to call Optima Tax Relief.

Optima took over Joseph’s case and quickly got to work. Optima was able to place Joseph in a Currently-Not-Collectible status to keep Joseph protected against any immediate actions from the IRS. While under the CNC status, Optima went on to negotiate for an Offer In Compromise. The IRS accepted a settlement of just $100, saving Joseph 99% off the original amount sought by IRS!

After going through a difficult divorce and the market crash of 2007, Daniel fell behind on his taxes. Initially his IRS debt was $70,000, but the debt cascaded over several years. Penalties, interests, and fees kept piling up, causing Daniel’s debt to balloon to $177,000. He realized he couldn’t stop his financial spiral alone, so he reached out to Optima for help. “Boy did they deliver!” said Daniel.

Our tax pros swung into action, filing all of Daniel’s unfiled tax returns and setting him up on an installment agreement that stopped the IRS from taking additional actions against Daniel. Then our team took the negotiations further, ultimately getting the IRS to accept $3,000 as a settlement on his debt. Daniel describes the outcome in one word, “Outstanding!”

When Jerry received notice from the IRS that he owed $28,000 and they intended to levy him, he was shocked and overwhelmed by the entire situation. He knew this had to be immediately taken care of before the IRS took any further action. Jerry decided to call Optima Tax Relief to help solve his tax issue. Jerry recalled his experience working with Optima saying, “They were quite efficient and prompt, and handled everything…They would keep me in the loop of where my case was at all times, and they would call to make sure that I was comfortable with the entire process.” Optima placed Jerry on an Installment Agreement and then obtained Currently-Not-Collectible status for him, to avoid collection action against him. Finally, Optima’s tax pros were able to qualify Jerry for an Offer In Compromise, negotiating a settlement of just $1,000 that resolved his IRS debt entirely.

After years of accumulating tax debt with the IRS and having a tax lien placed on him, Nathaniel ended up owing $87,000 to the IRS. Nathaniel said, “I was intimated by the IRS and the back taxes that I owed.” After hearing Optima Tax Relief’s radio ads, Nathaniel finally decided to get help to tackle his tax debt head-on. Once we went to work on his case, we were able to establish a Currently-Not-Collectable status for Nathaniel. While on the CNC status, Optima further negotiated a possible Offer in Compromise and the removal of Nathaniel’s lien. Optima resolved the $87,000 tax debt with a settlement of just $100. “I decided to just call,” says Nathaniel, and we’re happy he made the decision to make the phone call!

Charles was facing tax issues with the IRS when he found that he owed a little over $13,000 in back taxes when he sought help from Optima. From the initial call, we dove right into Charles’ case to reach the best resolution. We were able to prove Charles’ financial hardship and place him in a Currently-Not-Collectible status. In addition, on Charles’ behalf, we were able to negotiate and get the IRS to accept an Offer In Compromise. This settled his liability for $100! Charles says, “The process I went through was extremely fair in many ways, and the time it took to reach an Offer In Compromise – a fresh start – was fair.” We were happy to have been able to help!

David faced some issues with the IRS when he received an audit and collection notice. Fearful of the IRS’ power to go after everything he owns, David knew he had to act fast and seek help. That is when he came to Optima for help.

When he first contacted Optima, David owed a total of just over $40,000 to the IRS. Through extensive audit reconsideration and working on the case on David’s behalf, Optima was able to bring his liability down and set him up on an excellent and affordable payment plan. “They saved me thousands of dollars,” said David. “These guys and gals are professionals, courteous and they know their stuff.”

Tisha came to Optima Tax Relief because she needed of assistance with unfiled tax returns, and she was receiving lien notices from the IRS. She was looking at a liability of $13,658 plus several years of unfiled tax returns. Tisha did some research and contacted the Better Business Bureau for clients’ opinions about Optima, and she found them to be all favorable. By deciding to contact Optima, Tisha had all of her tax returns filed and tax lien notices from the IRS stopped. She said, “I would recommend this service to anyone who finds themselves in the same situation. If you have unfiled tax returns, you have possible tax liens or if you’re getting notifications from the IRS, I would not suggest you attempt this on your own.”

Tisha’s outcome resulted in establishing a zero balance, with a refund due to her for $7,666! “I received not only a tax return for the prior years, but also for the current year, so I got two checks. Thanks Optima!” Now, Tisha’s liens are removed, tax returns are all filed, up-to-date, and she ended up receiving a refund!

With over $20,000 in outstanding debt, Alejandro felt as though he had been backed against a wall. Not knowing how to go about resolving his tax issues with the IRS, he finally decided to act by seeking some help. After calling several other tax relief companies, Alejandro didn’t get a sense of empathy and devotion as he did with Optima Tax Relief. So, he decided to give Optima the opportunity to resolve his tax debt issues with the IRS.

Optima was able to negotiate with the IRS on Alejandro’s behalf and secure a final settlement with an affordable monthly payment plan of $240 per month. Delighted by his outcome, Alejandro was finally able to obtain a peace of mind!

John got into contact with Optima Tax Relief after experiencing firsthand the frustrations of being taken advantage of by other debt relief services. He says, “I contacted Optima after researching other companies and actually being taken advantage of by a so-called IRS Specialist several years ago that didn’t do anything but cost me a lot of money for nothing.” Naturally, John had some doubts about contacting Optima after his previous experience, but he finally decided to reach out for help with his tax debt.

John owed a total of $54,000 in back taxes to the IRS and was facing $1100 per month in payments. Optima immediately went to work to help John obtain better a result, one he could actually afford. In the end, Optima was able to negotiate with the IRS to reduce John’s monthly payments down to $450 per month and reduce his total owed to $45,000.

John said, “I’m very satisfied with the outcome of case. I’m glad that I contacted Optima to take this weight off my shoulders and relieve some of the stress that have been built up over years of unpaid taxes.” Satisfied with his outcome, John went on to recommend a family member to Optima, who is now a client.

David owed back taxes to the IRS. He attempted to deal with the tax issue himself, only to find out that he ended up owing over $15,000 to the IRS, and knew he couldn’t resolve this by himself. He said, “I was hesitant…until I saw the advertisements by Optima Tax.” As soon as David contacted Optima, we got to work on his case by gathering all the necessary documents to go forward with obtaining a resolution. David explains, “They got me an Offer In Compromise…after everything got done, all the paperwork put in…I paid less than $1,000 dollars for over $15,000 taxes that I owed.” After determining David to be a good OIC candidate, we negotiated with the IRS for a final settlement of only $500! David went from owing just over $15,000 in taxes to owing $500 to the IRS.

Jerwayne owed $18,000 to the IRS after not filing his taxes for four years. He didn’t know where to begin or who to turn to for help with resolving his tax issue. After watching a TV commercial for Optima Tax Relief, Jerwayne decided to give Optima a call. Optima’s agents immediately took over, taking actions that stopped the IRS from moving forward with collections. And by negotiating with the IRS, our agents were able to secure Jerwayne an Offer in Compromise. Jerwayne explained, “They were really genuine and caring people, and they got my taxes down from $18,000 to literally $100.” Jerwayne can now move on and live his life free from this tax debt!

Belinda owed a little over $10,000 to the IRS and needed help right away to resolve her tax issue. One day, as she was driving home, she heard Optima’s advertisement on the radio and decided to give Optima a call. Once she made the initial call, Belinda immediately knew she had found the help she needed. She stated, “I spoke with one of the representatives. They were very professional. They were very informative. I decided to go with Optima Tax Relief.”

Once on board, Optima immediately went to work on her case by first negotiating an agreement with the IRS to avoid any collection activities. By preparing Belinda’s unfiled tax returns, Optima was able to get a better analysis of her financials and then move forward to obtaining an Offer In Compromise.

The result: Belinda’s $10,000 tax debt to the IRS was lowered from $10,000 to only $50 to the IRS. Belinda knows how hard Optima worked on her case, and she said, “They did a very good job.”

Dianne owed the IRS a total of $18,000 and was facing garnishment of her wages and possible liens. In addition to being in debt with the IRS, Dianne was supporting her daughter who was fighting a serious illness, which made the stress and financial stakes even more extreme. “My life was in chaos,” she stated.

Dianne called us after seeing a TV commercial for Optima Tax Relief. She describes Optima’s tax pros by saying, “They’re professional, personable, accessible and caring.” From the very first call, she says she knew that she was “getting her life back.”

Optima took over and was able to negotiate an agreement with the IRS that allowed Dianne to avoid the collection actions she was facing; more importantly Optima negotiated a resolution that gave Diane a monthly payment plan that she could afford.

She sent us this video message as a “thank you”. We want to say, “Thank you” to Diane as well. We are proud to have played an important part in allowing you to get her life back!

Before his current job as department manager, Patrick accumulated several years of unfiled tax returns working as self-employed contractor and ended up with $30,000 in outstanding IRS debt.

“I was starting to feel in over my head,” says Patrick. He quickly came to the realization that he needed expert help. That is when he turned to Optima Tax Relief.

As soon as he got in contact with Optima, Patrick immediately recognized he was in good hands. Optima quickly went to work on Patrick’s case and placed him on an affordable monthly installment agreement to remove a lien placed against him and to keep him in full protection. Optima then went on to negotiate an Offer in Compromise with the IRS that settled Patrick’s $30,000 tax debt for just $996!

Patrick was ecstatic about his final outcome and urges people to call Optima for any IRS tax debt related problems. “I was very impressed with their service. They answered every question I had and worked very closely with me throughout the entire process,” says Patrick. “They provide the absolute best help you can get.”

Julie, a self-employed professional in California, knows firsthand just how difficult it can be to calculate your tax bill when you’re a “1099er”. She also knows how scary the IRS can be when they come after you for back taxes.

About a year ago, the IRS served Julie with a whopping tax bill that covered multiple years of past tax filings. They also began taking aggressive collection actions against her.

Julie recalls, “I had almost entirely given up any hope.” Trying to resolve her situation on her own was overwhelming, saying that, “It seemed useless. It seemed too big.” Then she called Optima Tax Relief. “That phone call changed my life,” says Julie. Optima’s tax professionals poured over her financial records and began negotiating with the IRS on Julie’s behalf.

The result:

“I had a $66,000 tax bill that was settled for $100 with Optima,” Julie exclaims, adding, “I am still in shock.” Without
Optima, Julie says, “I couldn’t imagine getting out from underneath that mess.”

In addition, negotiating an Offer-In-Compromise that resolved her case for a fraction of what the IRS initially sought to collect, Julie credits Optima’s world-class Client Service Specialists for their remarkable customer support. “It was an absolutely fantastic experience!” says Julie. “Each person was friendly, professional and prompt with follow up. Great customer service! I highly recommend them to anyone who needs help with their taxes.”

To this day, Julie remembers making that first call to Optima, saying, “I can’t tell you how glad I am that I made that call. Thank you Optima!”

We’d like to say, “Thank you Julie!” We’re glad you called us too. We’re honored that you chose us to represent you before the IRS and win you the favorable resolution you deserved.

Kenny came to us as a self employed, freelance Graphic Design Artist. He had been on an Installment Agreement for a tax balance but fell into financial hardship and defaulted on it. That resulted in the IRS rescinding the agreement and demanding the entire balance due. Otherwise they threatened to file Federal Tax Liens against him. He owed just over $10,500. “At this point I had no idea what I was going to do,” said Kenny.

When Optima stepped in, we immediately had a hold on IRS collection activity approved. From there we were able to prove his financial hardship and place Kenny in a Currently Non Collectible status. But we weren’t done yet. Ultimately, we were able to get the IRS to accept an Offer in Compromise on Kenny’s behalf which settled the liability for a total of $100. He now says, “Now that my case is settled, I can once again enjoy life and not worry about the IRS.” Glad we could help Kenny!

Keith, a truck driver in California, faced issues surrounding the past 10 years of his tax filings. The IRS threatened Keith with Intent-to-Levy notices and aggressive collections for $60,000. “It was real intimidating,” says Keith.

Knowing that the IRS had the power to come after everything he owned and earned, Keith sought help from Optima Tax Relief.

Optima’s team amazed Keith by immediately stopping the IRS from acting on their Intent-to-Levy. With the immediate fire put out, Optima built a bullet proof Offer-In-Compromise case.

End result? Keith ended up paying $500 instead of the $60,000 sought by the IRS. The IRS agreed and accepted $500 as a payment in-full and closed their case against Keith.

Tyler G is a self-employed realtor. During the recent recession caused by the housing crisis, Tyler fell behind on his taxes by several years. He received a letter from a Revenue Officer at the IRS indicating he would be required to make payments towards his $166,000 liability. In good faith, Tyler contacted the Revenue Officer and completed financial forms to determine what amount he could afford. He was notified that he would be expected to pay $5,000 per month and that he faced a possible bank levy if he failed to comply. Tyler could not afford this amount and he contacted Optima.

The team at Optima visited with the Revenue Officer after conducting a detailed analysis of Tyler’s case. Optima structured an installment agreement which brought down his monthly obligation from $5,000 to only $300 for the first three years of the payment plan. Moreover, Tyler’s total tax liability was reduced by $30,000. Tyler was very pleased with the result and now advises others that are in similar circumstances to get professional representation immediately.

Doris B. came to Optima after years of trying to work through troubles with the IRS. On permanent disability and a fixed income of just over $1,100, per month she currently lives with her daughter. Doris had made several arrangements in good faith with the IRS, but the amount the IRS required was unaffordable. As a result, scheduled payments were missed getting her into more troubles and incurring more penalties and interest. Doris’ first experience with a tax negotiation firm was a fiasco. The company made promises that were not kept and just asked for more and more fees while never accomplishing anything.

As of April of 2013, Doris faced a liability of $17,326 and had not yet filed for 2012. In addition, she had accumulated a great deal of penalties for non-compliance in past tax filings. We were able to establish a Currently Non-Collectible status, thereby stopping all collection attempts. Subsequently, we presented Doris’ case to the IRS and were able to prove that paying her tax debt would create undue hardship in her life. At completion of negotiations, the IRS agreed to accept a settlement offer of $50 as payment in full. When asked how she felt about the outcome of her case, Doris replied simply, “For the first time in a long time, I can breathe.”

Jonathan’s father passed away a couple of years ago and left him an inheritance. As good as his dad’s intentions were, Jonathan had to pay taxes on the money because dad didn’t take the appropriate steps that would have prevented that. The tax liability was $22,420 plus an unfiled tax return. Jonathan was able to set himself up on a monthly installment agreement with the IRS but since he’s currently unemployed, it became unaffordable for him and his wife.

Optima Tax Relief gathered all of their pertinent financial information and completed a thorough investigation of their situation. We discovered that he was not only eligible for a Currently Non Collectible status but we were able to complete an Offer in Compromise for $100, saving them $22,340. Now they get to actually keep the inheritance from his generous dad!

“We have worked so hard all our lives and now we are losing everything.” That was a quote taken from an email sent to us by our clients. Randy & Jo had been struggling. They are raising their two grandkids and live on a fixed income. They almost lost their home to the bank and spent their retirement savings to save it. Jo suffered a back injury which required surgery and placed her on disability. This in turn caused her clinical depression. When they called Optima Tax Relief, they owed over $42,000 to the IRS, still had to file their latest year returns, were about to have his wages garnished and were out of options.

Optima Tax Relief was able to put an immediate hold on the collection activity. That afforded us the time we needed to conduct a full review of their financial situation. We discovered we were able to place our clients in a Currently Non Collectible Status. Because of their financial hardship, we were able to further negotiate for them and lower their balance to $100 and save Randy & Jo $44,888!

Walter C. is a pastor of his church in California. He and his wife live a modest life with a combined income of just over $60k/year. Like so many of us, they live paycheck to paycheck. They owed the IRS $125,771.07 for tax years 2000 – 2011. Because of penalties and interest their balances grew to over $150k. The IRS was actively pursuing them, was unwilling to negotiate, froze their bank accounts and started garnishing their wages. They decided to contact Optima…

Optima Tax Relief was able to stop the collection activity almost immediately. By working together with our clients, we were able to place them in a Currently Non-Collectible status. Then we worked on getting the IRS to agree to a settlement of the balance. Ultimately, we reduced their debt down to a total of $500. We also educated them on making estimated tax payments throughout the year to avoid owing again in the future. The IRS is off their back and the dark cloud has been lifted!

Roger was a Printshop Manager out of Texas before a medical heart condition caused him to become permanently disabled. His income dropped by 2/3rds because of that. He was not able to afford his taxes and wound up owing $10,767 to the IRS. He created a payment arrangement with them but it was not affordable based on his new disability income and was going to take years to pay off. Their family pulled together and his wife and son started helping as much as they could financially. But it still wasn’t enough and unfortunately they lost their home to foreclosure.

Roger kept hearing Optima Tax Relief ads on the radio and reluctantly decided to call. His wife was afraid we would take their money and not do anything to actually help. They researched us online as much as they could and were still nervous. They decided they had to do something and took a leap of faith. Almost immediately, we were able to stop the monthly payment by placing them into a currently non-collectible status with the IRS. From there we filed their current year tax return which got them a maximum refund. The refund was applied to reduce their balance. Lastly we negotiated an offer in compromise with the IRS. When all was said and done, Optima reduced the balance down to $100, saving them $10,667 or 99.07% of their balance!

George is a sub-contractor out of Florida. His business was hit hard with our struggling economy. In order to stay afloat, he had to stop withholding his earnings for taxes. That resulted in him owing $42,838 over 6 different tax years. When the IRS caught up to him, he was placed into collections and had a lien placed against his home which is when he decided to contact Optima.

Optima Tax Relief reassessed his filed returns and financial statements. We filed adjusted returns and were able to get an Offer in Compromise for $100 approved. That saved the client $42,738 – 99.76% of the balance! The lien against his home was lifted and now the client plans on refinancing his home to a lower interest rate which will save him even more every month!

John A., out of Illinois ran into difficult times. He had some medical issues that required his hospitalization. As a result, he lost his job. He depleted his retirement savings to live on and had to file bankruptcy. As a condition of the bankruptcy he had to voluntarily surrender his home to the bank as a short sale. Beyond all of this, he ended up owing a total of $35,779 in taxes because of the early distribution of his retirement funds. The IRS had placed a wage levy against John by the time he decided to call us.

Optima stepped in and immediately got the wage levy released. From there, we prepared and filed his tax return for 2011 which the client had not filed. We were able to prove his hardship to the IRS Revenue Office who approved a currently non-collectible status. This gave us the time to collect further financials and documents. Ultimately, Optima achieved an offer in compromise that reduced the debt liability to $100. That saved John $35,679 or 99.72% of what he originally owed.

Keith B., an insurance sales professional, had not filed his tax return for years. He owed over $80,000 in back taxes, penalties, and interest. Keith’s IRS Revenue Officer filed a SFR (Substitute For Return) which lead to a $24,488 wage garnishment against Keith’s quarterly insurance sales commissions payout and a $2,000 bank account levy.

One of Optima’s Tax Preparation Professionals helped Keith itemize his expenses and maximize his deduction. Additionally, the assigned Case Manager and one of our top Tax Attorneys, Steve Yonan, worked closely to convince the Revenue Officer to cancel the levy on wages and accept a reasonable payment plan from Keith. In the end, revenue officer released the full $24,488 levied from wages and accepted a reasonable payment plan for Keith.

Keith C., a retired farmer working additionally as a truck driver, had not filed his tax returns for over 10 years, owing over $90,000 in back taxes, penalties, and interest. The revenue officer assigned to this case had levied his bank account and social security income. In fact, his farm was about to be seized by the IRS.

Optima intervened and convinced the revenue officer to remove the levy, realize the hardship, and accept a currently non-collectible status from the client. Meanwhile, our team continued to demonstrate that the client’s situation did not improve while within the 10-year statute of limitations. Because of this, the debt owed to the IRS will become non-collectible and no other form of tax resolution will be necessary.

Tim W., a self-employed plumber, making about $2,000 with disposible income of $744 each month develops an outstanding IRS debt of $20,200 due to incorrect accounting advice he received. This Client had been given until March of 2012 to file back tax returns for 2009 and 2010.

Optima approached this resolution process in two phases. In phase 1, the auditor was persuaded to accept a financial hardship, thereby placing the taxpayer in currently non-collectible status. A few months later this client satisfied the statute of limitations on 2003 back taxes which mandated a year of currently non-collectible status. In phase 2, Optima demonstrated that collection of the taxes owed would be unfair and inequitable. Subsequently, an offer-in-compromise was submitted to the IRS which lead to an pending settlement of just $744.