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Optima Tax Relief Review
Reviews 2,976
Optima Tax Relief
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Optima Tax Relief
Optima Tax Relief
Excellent
Reviews 2,976
Michael Graw
Mar. 01, 2023
1 min read
Michael Graw
Optima Tax Relief Summary
Optima Tax Relief is a national tax relief service that can help you resolve issues with the IRS or state tax agencies. The service offers a free initial consultation and its prices for working on your case are in line with the industry average. Optima Tax Relief can help with a variety of situations, including tax liens, back taxes, and audits. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has resolved over $1 billion in debt.
Pros
  • Free initial consultation
  • Pricing is in line with industry average
  • Dedicated case manager
Cons
  • Pricing varies widely by case
  • No in-person offices

Optima Tax Relief at a glance

4.4
Editorial score

Minimum Tax Debt

$9K-$10K
4.0

Cost

$4K+
3.0

Years in Business

10+ years
5.0

Customer Service and Support

Support via email, phone, website, and direct case manager
5.0

Online Experience

Easy to navigate and simple to use
5.0

Optima Tax Relief Optima Tax Relief View Rates

Why Go with Optima Tax Relief

Optima Tax Relief is a fast-growing tax relief service that has resolved over $1 billion in debt since launching in 2011. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Review and customer reviews are very positive. Additionally, Optima Tax Relief was listed on Inc 5000 Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies in America list for 6 consecutive years. 

Optima Tax Relief offers a free initial consultation to get a sense of what the service can do for you. The service handles a wide range of issues and can help resolve tax liens and penalties, address back taxes, negotiate a settlement with the IRS, or assist you through an audit. Optima Tax Relief’s pricing is in line with the industry average, although how much you’ll pay depends on the specifics of your case.

What’s Offered

  • Free initial consultation
  • Dedicated case manager
  • Online account portal

Highlights

Optima Tax Relief can help with a variety of tax issues and offers a free consultation to help determine what the company can do for you. If you proceed with discovery and resolution, you get a dedicated case manager, an online account portal, and access to phone and email support. Optima Tax Relief’s team is made up of in-house tax attorneys and enrolled tax agents with experience working with the IRS.

  • Free initial consultation
  • In-house tax attorneys and agents
  • Online account portal and phone support
  • Works with a wide range of tax issues

Types of Debt Covered

Optima Tax Relief works on most types of state and federal debt issues. This service can help you remove a tax lien or end wage garnishment, negotiate a settlement with the IRS for back taxes or underpayment, and can defend you during an audit. The company also works with small businesses to help you negotiate a payroll tax settlement with the IRS. Optima Tax Relief does not guarantee results, although the company tries to set clear expectations during the initial consultation and discovery process and offers a 15-day money-back guarantee after you sign up with the company.

Site Security

Optima Tax Relief’s website is secured by SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. The company doesn’t require you to enter any personal information on the website other than your contact details. The online account portal is encrypted by SSL and TLS (Transport Layer Security) to keep your financial documents secure. In addition, Optima Tax Relief takes your privacy seriously and does not share your information with third-party services.

Help & Support

Optima Tax Relief offers support by phone and email from 8:30am to 5pm PST, Monday to Friday. When you sign up for the service, you are assigned a dedicated case manager who you can contact directly for updates about your case. In addition, all current clients have access to an online portal where you can monitor the status of your case and upload documents.

Phone: 800-536-0734

Address

Optima Tax Relief, 3100 S. Harbor Blvd., Suite 250, Santa Ana, CA, 92704

Summary

Optima Tax Relief is a tax relief service that has resolved over $1 billion in debt for its clients over the past 10 years and earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. The service works on a wide range of tax issues and offers a free initial consultation to help you understand how the company can help with your case. Clients have access to an online account portal and a dedicated case manager, making it easy to stay up to date with the progress of your case.

Methodology

This review was created using information from the Optima Tax Relief website and customer reviews from the Better Business Bureau.

Michael Graw
Written by
Michael Graw
Michael Graw is a Bellingham, Washington-based writer focusing on finance, tech, and science. His work has been featured in print magazines and high-impact websites. He writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎
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See what some costumers are saying about Optima Tax Relief
Optima Tax Relief
Excellent
Reviews 2,976
on
Excellent
79%
Great
11%
Average
1%
Poor
1%
Bad
8%
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robert
20 hours ago
Optima Tax Relief experience
All Optima Tax Relief representatives I have worked with have displayed the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. I would recommend Optima Tax Relief to anyone experiencing Tax issues.
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christopher ryan
16 hours ago
They don’t let me verification my irs
They don’t let me verification my irs
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kokoma ronie
21 hours ago
------- Forwarded message -------OTR RIPPED ME OFF---
------- Forwarded message ---------- I HAVE HAD A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH OPTIMA TAX RELIEF. HIRING THEM WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE I HAD PAID $2400 TO REPRESENT ME AT IRS. DURING THE PROCESS, THEY KEPT ASKING FOR DOCUMENT I DIDN'T HAVE PARTICULARLY MY PAYSTUBS. I KEPT RESPONDING TO THEM THAT I AM UNEMPLOYED FOR 3 YEARS SINCE. THE LAST TIME WE EXCHANGE ABOUT THE CASE, THEY ASKED ME HOW MUCH I WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO PAY IRS MONTHLY. I RESPONDED $50 WHEN I GOT A JOB. IN LIEU OF PAYSTUBS I SEND THEM A LETTER OF MY LAST DAY OF WORK AT MY FORMER COMPANY "DATED FEBRUARY 2019. WHAT ELSE DO THEY WANT ME TO DO TO PROVE TO THEM I DON'T HAVE ANY RECENT PAYSTUBS, I DON'T KNOW. FORGE PAYSTUBS AND SEND THEM TO THEM? THEY THINK THEY WILL TAKE $2400 AND CUT ME OFF LIKE A USELESS PERSON OR THROW ME IN THE THROAT OF IRS? I WANT MY $3000 BACK AND I AM GOING TO GET IT. I COULD HAVE USED THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO TO PAY FOR MY IRS DEBT? NOW THAT I GOT A TEMP JOB STARTING LAST TUESDAY A WEEK AGO) AND WAS WAITING FOR THE FIRST PAYCHECK TO REACH OUT TO THEM THEY SAID THEY HAD STOPPED REPRESENTING ME. FIRST, I WILL GET MY MONEY AND EXPOSED THEIR DIRTY LAUNDRY NATIONWIDE ON VARIOUS PLATFORMS NOT A THREATS BY YOUR REALITY) SO IT DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. AFTER CUTTING ME OFF, THEY BLOCKED ME OFF THEIR EMAILS. FOR EVERY EMAIL I TRIED TO SEND THEM, I RECEIVED UNDELIVERABLE NOTICE! IF THEY ARE DOING AN HONEST BUSINESS, IF THEY ARE NOT A FRAUDULENT COMPANY WHY WOULD THEY BLOCK THEIR CUSTOMERS FROM THEIR EMAILS AFTER TAKING THEIR MONEY AND DID NOTHING TO HELP THEM? BY A VERY FRUSTRATED AND I HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED CUSTOMER!
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artpose
2 days ago
The case manager is quick to response…
The case manager is quick to response to my tax questions.
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elva
2 days ago
Dishonest and extremely disappointed!!!
They took my money in a heart beat before anything. I kept faxing the same information they wanted over and over. I would call and kept getting transferred many times and was told nothing was received. I did this so many times!! At the end they drop my case because I wasn't compliant. So disappointed and upset. Do not use this company !!!!
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customer jerry honore
2 days ago
The company calls monthly to make sure…
The company calls monthly to make sure that I am satisfied with the work.
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customer
2 days ago
Great Experience!
Great Experiencei would have given a 5 star but this case is still open and incomplete. Overall great communication and attention to detail.
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juan bivens.
2 days ago
Since I have become a client I have had…
Since I have become a client I have had a great experience with everything. I have no complaints up to this point. Thanks for everything.
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sunshine jones solomon
3 days ago
The way everybody came and helped me…
The way everybody came and helped me with my taxes for multiple years was awesome.
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deborah ranard
5 days ago
Optima Tax Relief
Optima Tax Relief, has given me one less thing I have to worry about after the death of my husband in January.
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lv
5 days ago
Wonderful
This is a great company to help with tax issues. Everyone I came in contact with was very kind & super helpful. Highly recommend!!
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thomas morris
6 days ago
They worked really hard to get me…
They worked really hard to get me caught up on n my taxes
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cheryl howard
7 days ago
Rep Christina Mel’s appreciated as…
Rep Christina Mel was appreciated as she listened patiently to my concerns.I am not tech savvy and she took time with me and assured me it was alright and I am thankful for that. Thank you Cheryl howard
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lonnie tumlinson
7 days ago
Very good to deal with
Very good to deal with
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robert johnson
7 days ago
Awesome Company
Awesome Company. Took care of my tax issues. Have stayed with the Company since 2017. Always receptive to phone calls and emails
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willie drayton
7 days ago
Staff was very helpful and answered all…
Staff was very helpful and answered all of my questions.
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dennis rambarran
7 days ago
I would like to thank Optima Tax Relief
I would like to thank Optima Tax Relief for assisting me on my behalf in resolving my tax debt that I would’ve never been able to pay in this lifetime based on the interest and penalties that are always accumulating. The IRS accepted the offer presented by the Optima Tax Relief team who presented them with the facts on my current financial status and situation. For the most part I want to thank and commend my case manager Ms. Patrice Bragg who has been working with me through the last year and a half for her excellence and great work as she guided me through each and every step of the way being very clear and concise, she’s the most kind and courteous individual I’ve ever worked with, always upbeat, lively and full of energy that is so encouraging and makes your day no matter how you’re feeling. She was so effective and efficient in answering all of my case related questions and concerns in a timely fashion, if she doesn’t have an immediate answer she will find the answer and get back to you, whether it’s an email or a phone call she never misses a beat and in the end this gives you a sense of calm and satisfaction. I will say she’s earned her place at Optima as one of the best case managers there cause I’ve worked with others but Patrice Bragg sets that bar high! Thank you Patrice and the entire Optima Tax Relief team, a job well done.
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customer
7 days ago
So far up to this point I have been…
So far up to this point I have been very satisfied. I am being inform as to what exactly is happening during the process. The team is clear, concise and very understanding.
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lbain
8 days ago
Knowledgeable and very detailed about…
Knowledgeable and very detailed about the overall tax resolution process. Need to be upfront about the flat-rate free at the start of the investigation process.
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anonymous customer
12 days ago
Thanks! 👍👍
Thank you!👍👍
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customer
13 days ago
Ms Hanh Nguyen Customer Service
Ms Hanh Nguyen has been very patient with me. For someone who identifies with the "physical working class," limited education especially with matters of this kind, patience is very essential for me to understand what is happening. Ms Nguyen not only expressed patience, she seemed sincerely concerned about my complete understanding. She took time to explain her points in my "language." American English, but also explained all questions. I don't really know how to express my gratitude for having her as the 1st point of contact and for coaching me into the phases of this matter at hand I'm facing. Thank you Hanh.
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cara s
13 days ago
The helpfulness and knowledge of the…
The helpfulness and knowledge of the staff and eagerness to help me with my tax issues
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william becker
14 days ago
Staff always have been supportive…
Staff always have been supportive especially when I had some very challenging days. I am looking to resolve my situation soon.
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richard ward
14 days ago
It been a positive experience.
It been a positive experience.
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davante keel
15 days ago
Horrible Scammy Service
Believe the low-rated reviews. If you have Tax problems hire a local CPA or contact the IRS YOURSELF. This company is extremely scammy and predatory and heavily rely on suckering people to pay for their subpar way-overpriced "services". I only got to "Phase1" of their program and wasted $300. The initial "investigation" in my opinion is just a front to see how much money they can get out of you. After their investigation they had the audacity to request $5K for their services and tried to strong arm me into signing a payment contract... Luckily I was able to get a second opinion from a local CPA and they charged WAY less and resolved my issues in less than a week. **Also if you look closely, a lot of the high rated reviews are FAKE and generic.
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dr. onyeisi stephen ogbomeh
15 days ago
Optima Tax "Deceit"
I am a REAL PERSON, and not some ghost or paid actors who are giving 5 star reviews/ratings to Optima Tax "Deceit"; and you can reach out to me with my name on any of my social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, etc.,) for any questions or inquiries on this subject. I certainly will not recommend Optima Tax Relief to anyone...for now I know that, taking this route with Optima Tax "deceit" was one of my BIGGEST MISTAKE in life! This company has no business integrity or accountability; it is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME consulting this firm, consequently, the interest on your debt with the IRS will continue to grow...DON'T DO IT!!! After over 2yrs I contracted the service of this company and paid about $4k for their charge in total including a non-refundable consultation fee of $495, yet I got NO RESOLUTION like they had promised! I now owe the IRS more due to the daily interests being added on my initial debt. It's certainly not worth the try with Optima Tax Service; rather, I'll advise you contact the IRS yourself and work out a payment plan.
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customer
15 days ago
Easy process and very knowledgeable and…
Easy process and very knowledgeable and helpful people
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hani ambo
17 days ago
Money
Addisababa Ethiopian
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bart
20 days ago
Kayley was my customer service…
Kayley was my customer service representative super helpful and explained everything very knowledgeable. I got lucky I got her.
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et long
22 days ago
First of all they lie they promise you…
First of all they lie they promise you a 15-day money back cancellation a contract I literally paid and signed and change my mind within like a couple days and they're trying to keep my money. I had to file a complaint through the attorney general, the better Business bureau, in a couple other recommended agencies and the fraud department at my bank. Because they're fraudulent when they advertise that they'll give you your money back on a cancellation and they just say that to get your business. It wasn't even three business days till midnight when I canceled that's a state and federal law. Optimum tax is crooked after some of the things I read about them I decided to change my mind. I wouldn't give them the sweat off my blz
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customer t.franklin
22 days ago
Appreciation Respect
They were very helpful consistent n professional even when I was being lackadaisical. They persisted and got the Job Done that I ask for. To the Ladies n Gentlemen that help me in my situation Im forever Grateful n Appreciate your time consideration and Knowledge in this Matter .
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jeff
22 days ago
They wanted to charge 13000 dollars to…
They wanted to charge 13000 dollars to work with the irs. The payment options to them would completely leave me destitute and break me, let alone actually making headway with the irs. They only gave me this unrealistic number after charging me an investigation 300 dollar fee. I doubt that they will really spend that much time on this, but on my salary that is equal to several months of full time pay. What a rip-off and a scam. Stay away from these vultures.
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mr. mayberry:
23 days ago
Two thumbs up for Optimal Tax
I had a good experience with Optimal Tax they help me out with the process of getting the IRS paid and help with some of the penalties I would highly recommend using Optimal Tax
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customer
23 days ago
Just let know what was going on
Just let know what was going on
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customer
23 days ago
I thought it would be more helpful
I thought it would be more helpful! I didn't expect to have to pay so much back after seeing all the commercials on how they helped everyone else!!
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customer
23 days ago
The follow ups and keeping me in the…
The follow ups and keeping me in the loop on What’s going on
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k.m.e.
23 days ago
The staff at Optima Tax Relief has been…
The staff at Optima Tax Relief has been very helpful. They are moving quickly to resolve all issues with the IRS.
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frank f
24 days ago
Informative of what has been done and…
Informative of what has been done and what to expect in the future. Answered all questions
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john webb
24 days ago
The Best Experts for your Case
There just isn't enough time on my schedule, to do all the work, and do it 100%, like the IRS requires for Income tax, but this is where Optima Tax Relief experts come in to give me the best possible solution, and they exhaust every avenue to solve my income tax problems in the most caring way. It is like you are talking to a good friend on the phone or email that genuinely wants you to succeed financially and to get you back on your feet. I know that when I call Optima Tax Relief, within less than a minute, I am talking to someone that knows my case and makes sure they have answered all of my questions and have taken care of any concerns.
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james bonvicino
24 days ago
Customer service representative Diego…
Customer service representative Diego was very knowledgeable and helpful
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karen muldoon
a month ago
Excellence
Julie was fantastic. So reliable and intelligent. I’m still in the process, but things look like smooth sailing. Keep up the excellence.
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eugene hart
a month ago
Great people who were very helpful
Great people who were very helpful
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marilyn j cole
a month ago
the problems i could not solve on my…
the problems i could not solve on my own ,they did.
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customerclarence
a month ago
Great job well informed got me a great…
Great job well informed got me a great settlement 100 % happy
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don skillicorn
a month ago
I have been satisfied somewhat with…
I have been satisfied somewhat with them. We’re not close to being wrapped up with our process and seems like it takes him a long time to get back in touch with you when you leave a message for them.
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mike schnepp
a month ago
It's made it easy to understand and…
It's made it easy to understand and anything I didn't understand he explained it to my .Very nice worker I need some like that.
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brenda
a month ago
Got back to me in quick time
Got back to me in quick time, even same day.
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laurel t.
a month ago
Everyone was very helpful and kept my…
Everyone was very helpful and kept my best interest in mind.
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alanv
a month ago
Phone conversations have gone great…
Phone conversations have gone great just waiting on final results
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customer
a month ago
I have been a customer for several…
I have been a customer for several years now and my experience has been great.
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edward zepeda
a month ago
Professional experience
Professional experience, saved me the stress. Great friendly staff and knowledgeable.
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joe miresse
a month ago
False Promises and No Accountablitiy
What you are sold on and what you get are completely different. After 16 months of trying to work with this company, during which IRS interest and penalties were accruing, we ended up with nothing more than a federal return (the first two of which were incorrect) which we could have done on our own, and a state return (which to our knowledge, has yet to be filed). In addition to the fees we paid this company, we have accrued an additional $2100 in interest and penalties. So we are now even further behind and in much worse shape on the resolution of this tax situation than if we had just called the IRS and worked with them directly. 5/10 update. To optima, we have spoken ad nauseum to multiple members of your QA staff. We were offered a 10%"good will" refund. Doesn't come close to the $5500+ we are out since we hired you. We were working on behalf of someone else and since we still aren't sure if you've even filed his taxes yet, which was supposed to have been done over two weeks ago, I'd prefer to wait until we know that has been done before I provide you with the specifics. Since we've already had conversations with multiple QA Staff Members, we know further conversations would be a waste of our time. However, we will reach out once again after you have completed filing the return we have been waiting for.
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customer
a month ago
They have helped me resolve my tax…
They have helped me resolve my tax issue and been very helpful with my current financial situation
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frederick gunter
a month ago
The customer service is awesome in…
The customer service is awesome in getting quick response toward getting settlement I’m very pleased with the continuous updates in the forward progress in getting my debts clean and credit updated
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vickie miresse
a month ago
Don’t use this company. They are a joke. Hired them to work with IRS for my…
Hired them to work with IRS for my brother who is a VA Vietnam disabled vet. They did nothing in 11/2 yrs but his taxes were increased by 6,000 during the time plus they charged us 4,000. Shame on them. Absolutely the worst company I’ve ever worked with. No accountability
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kiril martushev
a month ago
SCAM
SCAM, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!! They too nearly 7k from me and did nothing with my taxes. It took them two years to work on my taxes and the end result is that I'll be paying nearly 7k more then I owed. The only thing they did was establish a payment plan for me which I could've done myself by contacting the IRS directly. Some of the reviews that you see on their page must be from the employee's because how do people owe hundreds of thousands of dollars and get settled for a thousand when I owed under 40k and after they were done ill be paying 47k. I wish I would've read the reviews before calling them instead of just looking at the star ratings. They should change their company name because that is not what they did for me. I hope people read the reviews and not get scammed by this company. If you want to make it right maybe you should refund me my money so that I can pay the IRS with it!
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yiyi vasillie
2 months ago
Run away from this company
Please please do not use this company. They are slow in response, we couldn’t get hold of anyone. And they won’t even refund your money when they can’t deliver anything. Huge regret to use them, hopefully no one repeats our mistakes.
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jose d
2 months ago
Honest Service
Submitted my contact info and filled out the general tool application for a case review. Karl Geist, a team member called me and conducted an over the phone assessment of my current tax situation. Just when he asked me for my total household income, I asked myself, “Self, is he gonna try and jack me with an outrageous, expensive fee, etc. because I just shared my income with this guy?” Karl comes back with, “our competitors are gonna come back with attempts to sell you their services, paying them 2 to 3 thousand dollars, knowing that your overqualified for any hardship type programs that are being pushed around via social media ads and other means.” Karl followed with a “you’re better off going straight to IRS and setting up a payment plan with them to help address your matter.” For that, I thanked for simply being honest which is not common nowadays. Thank you Karl and Team!
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cf
2 months ago
They have done nothing but lie
We find ourselves, once again, confused as to what is going on with our account. When I spoke to Louis last Tuesday, the 11th, she told me she was putting in 2 tickets, one to get the garnishment issue expedited and I don’t even remember what the other one was for. I said I would call back on Friday and when I did, I found out our account had gone backwards, back to RO??? To a sweet, but confused case manager Maria. She said she would have a supervisor call us today, but we no longer have any trust in what anyone at Optima says. To say we are frustrated is an understatement. This week marks a year since we signed our initial contract. And to be fair, we didn’t push the issue for several months due my husband losing his job, moving across the country, selling a house, etc., so a lot of that time is on us. But once it got into RO, specifically Alyssa we were getting consistent pushback. Prolonged email responses, would never let us talk to a supervisor, etc. And our own naïve understanding that Optima was there working for us, that when we got those letters from the IRS and the Revenue Officer, that we would be guided as what to do. Instead, we were told to “upload it to the portal” and “I’ll let the tax professional know”. Nothing about “hey, you might want to call them if you don’t want your check garnished because we can’t do anything for you”. And when I did get the garnishment notice it was the same standard message, upload it to the portal, I’ll let them know. That was December 14th. It wasn’t until January that anyone tried to call the RO and left a message. Then she would be out until February 3rd, so we waited, then they called again and left a message. There was no sense of urgency. They didn’t care. Finally, sometime late in February they were able to reach her, and she verbally agreed to lower the garnishment by ½. Or at least that’s what we were told around the beginning of March. Weeks went by and my payroll got nothing from the IRS despite me sending in the email address and the fax number to make it quicker. Toward the end of March my husband asked for and finally got a supervisor to call us. After explaining our situation, he offered to switch us to a new case manager, Maly. Maly basically told us the lower garnishment was the best they could do and once that was in place we would move on to the next step. We received an email from her on March 27th stating they had completed the negotiations with the Revenue Officer and set me up with an installment agreement, which is funny because the IRS was already garnishing my check so she didn’t do anything. But anyway, the agreement was to be $2030/month instead of the $4086 that it has been since December. It’s April 19th and we all know that nothing has changed. When I get paid this week, a total of $16, 300 has been garnished from my check all why under the protection of Optima. I hope you see where this is heading. Our budget cannot sustain this continuous garnishment and since there doesn’t seem to be any forward movement from Optima, in fact we seem to be going backwards, I will complete the forms the IRS sent to me with my new lien information that I uploaded to the portal and try to get my levy released myself. We have zero confidence in Optima at this time. I’m honestly not sure what we paid for because we have seen no results and we are worse off financially than when we started. I’ve already had to take a load from my 401K just to try to make ends meet. It does show that someone has started our tax return but I don’t see how since you haven’t requested a single document from 2022. At this point we are ready to cut ties with Optima and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The lack of progress and communication is so frustrating that I don’t see how we can continue unless we see some major changes soon. Your standard, give us a few days, I’ll talk to the tax professionals, upload it to the portal, bs is old and we are tired of hearing the words without the actions.
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richard ramirez
2 months ago
I couldn’t give a lower rating so it…
I couldn’t give a lower rating so it has to be 1 star by default. At first the contact person gave me plenty of assurances of services and the cost wasn’t very much. Plenty of talk about penalty abatement and reduction of taxes owed and in the end I could have done this work myself with ZERO reduction and ZERO cost. I dont even want to say how much I was taken for. Now the situation is the tax forms they were supposed to submit have never been received by the IRS and they are blaming this on the IRS and COVID for cris sakes. 2 months from delivery and still no confirmation from the IRS. ITs always blame blame blame and excuse excuse excuse. Most on here say it right. THEY DONT CARE. I can see the response to this post will be the same and I’ll get some mouth piece on the phone to give me more BS! I needed help and OPTIMA just saw another mark. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY.
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eddie ilagan
2 months ago
Optima Tax Relief is your best choice to help you with your taxes. Take it from me.
I am retracting my negative complaint against Optima Tax Relief. My case has been resolved in my favor and it was at no fault of Optima Tax Relief. After a thorough investigation we found out that it was my bank's (Well's Fargo) error. Instead I'm giving Optima Tax Relief two thumbs up for being fair, professional, honest, and most knowlegeable tax advisor. No wonder they're the biggest in the country.
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eliana heredia
2 months ago
Please read reviews BEFORE you even…
Please read reviews BEFORE you even give them any information. I called this number (800) 965-3192– so that I could retrieve and deleted any information that was given to them. Some rep took my information down then said “ok I’ll pass this along” and I asked “how can I ensure that someone will call me back” she said “they’ll call back at the number you provided.” For some reason I do not trust that they will call me back. Thankfully I did not pay them anything cause I kept getting a feeling that this wasn’t going to go well. Initially the first rep that helped me with this information, I had emailed him regarding an extension. Two days went by no response, I did call and left a voicemail that was the only way he returned my call. They prey on people who genuinely need help. No wonder there’s soo many bad reviews and even recent ones as well
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colin coughlan
a month ago
Absolute joke of a company
Absolute joke of a company! After nearly a year of back and forth, they now "drop" our case. They state they do not have all the info needed, but the portal shows everything complete and no pending requests. Then you try and ring, and you get the runaround, different people just looking at the case. So please do yourself a favour, get a tax accountant, and pay them because, after the fees and investigations, it ends up being close or more than with Optima anyway. --UPDATE -- I had to pay an independent auditor to see where the return was because Optima does not follow up on anything, and there is zero paper trail with the IRS!, efficivly Optima did not actually represent us -- What a scam
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rodney backholm
2 months ago
Should not get even one star!
Should not get even one star! Have posted many negative reviews about these unethical,corrupt,unprofessional,crooked,dishonest,immoral,unprincipled,deceitful,disreputable,improper,shady,and just plain wrong evil-doers. They never resolved my case and never refunded my $10,000. I have notified the Attorney General of California about these contemptible fraudsters.
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serita lee
2 months ago
Never mind.
Please just refund my money and I will handle my tax issues myself. Thank you.
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robert cottingham
2 months ago
do your damn job
They don't the damn job and do it etong time is ran out too get your money back and you still owe the government the exact same amount clan no nothing you pay they are no more than scammers. Oh and they said expiration date for this review
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onyeisi ogbomeh
2 months ago
I certainly will not recommend Optima Tax
I certainly will not recommend Optima Tax Relief to anyone...now i know that, taking this route (with Optima Tax "deceit") was one of my BIGGEST MISTAKE in life! This company has no business integrity or accountability; it is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME consulting this firm, consequently, the interest on your debt with the IRS will continue to grow...DON'T DO IT!!! It has been about 2yrs I contracted the service of this company and made payments per their stipulations: almost $4k in total including a non-refundable consultation fee of $495, yet NO RESOLUTION! I barely get any case update or reasonable feedback from them, but they are constantly requesting for bank statements and other irrelevant documents which is very annoying. I am a REAL PERSON, and not the other ghost or paid actors who are giving 5 star reviews/ratings to this company; and you can reach out to me with my name on any of my social media handles (Facebook, etc.,) for any questions or inquiries on this subject.
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eric smalls
3 months ago
service is a scam
A service is a scam. They received my money and do nothing for it, I asked for my money back they told me that it was for research and I didn't get any research records. They giving me the runaround do not trust them
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dawn lippincott
3 months ago
Cheated me . Took my money that's all
I see all these very large amounts of money reduced to practically nothing. Mine, there was no offer and compromise and they took me for 2000.00 . On top of that did not return one call. Very non caring I saw your reply. I have called numerous times and even wrote a letter. I did not receive any call backs and no responses to my letter. I paid optima 2000. I owed the IRS 10,000. I could have used that 2000 to pay them. Why in the world would I pay more than I owe the IRS. There was no offer and compromise. I'm very dissapointed.
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mr. richardson
3 months ago
I am a recent believer in optima…
I am a recent believer in optima tax relief. I was helped by Bashar Fakhouri, who is an excellent and very intelligent agent. He walked me through the full process and made sure I understood every step of the process. I would like to thank optima and bashar for their excellent service. I will recommend their service to everyone looking for their type of service.
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dwayne w
3 months ago
Optima Tax Relief did nothing their ads…
Optima Tax Relief did nothing their ads represent. They lure you in saying they can help; but they end up taking your money and the IRS will add penalties and interest. Customer service is even worse. They took over 2 years to come up with a resolution that I could have done without them. Stay away
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aleksandr gutgarts
3 months ago
Optima Tax Relief is a scam
Paid $24,000.00 .Optima Tax Relief could not even establish some kind of connection with IRS for 2 years. My bookkeeper resolved the problem despite Optima Tax Relief
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heather traylor
3 months ago
Supportive
Representative was very helpful and supportive as we covered the procedure in accordance to Optima Tax. I was assured they would be my spokesperson for the IRS. What a repeat.
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david hearn
3 months ago
Blessed Optima Tax client
My experience with Optima Tax has been a wonderful and positive experience. Their expertise, professionalism and prompt responses have been a tremendous benefit towards my Tax resolutions. I am truly blessed to be an Optima Tax client.
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greg wertime
3 months ago
Adriana Lopez and the whole Optima team…
Adriana Lopez and the whole Optima team were great to work with from start to finish. It is big relief having Optima on your side dealing with the IRS. We got an IRS resolution that was even better than what we'd hoped for.
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mike salinas
3 months ago
Terrible company
Terrible company. Took nearly $6000 from me and promised to help but instead they left me high and dry owing mor to IRS. INVESTIGATE THEM BEFORE YOU HIRE. They are nice and attentive to get you in but after they just say there’s nothing they can do. I was told I could get a refund or at least partial refund but they never contacted me. But don’t be a day late on your payment cause they’ll call you and your whole family trying to get paid. Horrible terrible people. They should be ashamed of there self and to work there.
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bill wiyninger
3 months ago
Fixed it with no effort from me
Took the mess that I accumulated for 8 years. With me owning 18,000.00. And in 4 months reduced it to just over 4,000.00 and that includes Optimas fee. Which is well worth it. Thank you for your hard work and keeping me informed throughout the whole process.
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ronnie cooper
4 months ago
Stay away got tax rebate off them they…
Stay away got tax rebate what Opima advised me off them they done all the work took over 2k for it now HRMC say now i owe them just under 6k how can i fix this mess anyone
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w keith midgette
4 months ago
Stay away from this company! Zero customer support and communication once their fees are paid. Did nothing to reduce penalties on one return, incorrectly computed a second return.
If I could give them a minus star I would. I had them fix a 2018 tax issue for which they required me to have them complete my 2020 taxes. They did nothing on my 2018 taxes and incorrectly computed my 2020 taxes. I was never able to discuss my return with the tax preparer because she was always with another customer, and never made an attempt to return a call. Then accepted no responsibility for the incorrect return stating "they could only report on the documents they had", but on their portal all of the relevant documents were there. I now owe more than I would have had I just accepted the IRS penalties. If you also have been harmed by them, please do us all a favor and fill out a IRS Tax Preparer Complaint Complaint Form, a California Consumer Protection Agency Complaint and a complaint to the Santa Ana Better Business Bureau. Perhaps if enough people will complain, one of these organizations will investigate and find that Optima is a predatory scam organization. On 2/17/2023 at 1:55pm, I called Optima at the 800-965-3192 number in response to their reply below. The on hold music began immediately, at 2:02 a Rep came on the line, verified my name, birthdate and SSN, and asked what I needed. I was then placed on hold again at 2:04pm which lasted until 2:07. She came back and said there was no one available to talk to me, but would place a note for a call back. This is pretty much the typical experience with Optima when you can actually talk with one of their Customer Reps, usually they just leave you on hold or hang up the phone. I would be pleasantly surprised if there is a callback.
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darrall morris
4 months ago
SCAMMERS
SCAMMERS. After speaking with Optima, I was advised I was entitled to a tax rebate. They did the paper work and I got a rebate a month later for about £5,000. Roll on a year and the HRMC have now said I owe them £12,000. These guys are SCAMMERS!! Stay well away from them.
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christopher walker
4 months ago
Help me the right way
John mash was very helpful for my situation very open minded listed to everything I had to say thanks!
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murphy
4 months ago
I can’t load the page
I can’t load the page
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rodolfo de la torre
5 months ago
GREAT SERVICE
GREAT SERVICE
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customer
5 months ago
Heart team
Getting the job done
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customer
5 months ago
Optima Tax Relief for the Win!
It took some time but Optima Tax Relief was able to resolve my case to my complete satisfaction. I would recommend them to anyone who's behiond in taxes and owes the IRS more than they can afford to pay back.
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david
5 months ago
Highly Recommend!
Optima Team is exceptional! Excellent communication! Fantastic experience!
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customer
5 months ago
They pretty much do it all for you to…
They pretty much do it all for you to me that is a plus and they keep you up dated step by step Charles Dennis
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dion and harriet wafford
5 months ago
This is an excellent company
Helped me and my husband to the fullest. I couldn't have asked for a better way. Optima stopped all phone calls from the IRS, and they did the rest. Love this company.
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klinton mcmanus
5 months ago
Tax Relief…
The first thing is, they did everything they could to make my case go as smoothly as possible. Didn’t charge me an arm or a leg for the service. The professionalism and prompt response and information about my case was impressive , Nailed it .. !! I felt, like they really cared about me and my family, and my future..
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customer
5 months ago
Have not received resolution yet
Have not received resolution yet
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rodney backholm
5 months ago
Start the year right, choose not to use Optima Tax Relief for tax assistance.
Start the year right, choose not to use Optima Tax Relief for tax assistance. I have posted numerous negative reviews about these crooks. For over 18 months after firing them, I still have not received a refund for the $10,000 that I paid them to resolve my case. Why did I fire them? (1) Did not stop the garnishments. (2) Did not reduce tax burden at all. (3) Did not come up with an affordable payment plan. (Could of come up with with a better plan talking to the IRS myself.) (4) Slow with information about my case. (5) Contacts were changed several times. (6) Do not care that you need the money they will not refund you. (7) They are nothing but criminals. I wish I had never contacted them.
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w keith midgette
5 months ago
Poor customer communications, poor attention to detail, poor customer support
Optima not only failed to fix my 2017 taxes that I originally came to them for, they screwed up my 2020 taxes by failing to include a W2 and 1099R. I don't think they did anything on my behalf for my 2017 taxes other than submit the same paperwork that I could have done as I received no break in penalty fees. And even though they completed my 2020 taxes incorrectly, they said they have no responsibility because I submitted them. I would not have submitted them had I been able to discuss the return with them. In the month before April 2022, I called them between 30-40 times, almost always placed on hold, almost always for 20-30 minutes. Then, either I was hung up on or disconnected. As a result of my interaction with Optima, I now owe the IRS penalties for two returns, still haven't got my 2020 taxes straightened out, and have lost my job because of the indebtedness. DO NOT USE OPTIMA TAX SERVICE.
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manuel torres
5 months ago
Victory
Every question I had, someone from Optima was available to answer, the service was outstanding, considering the fact that Covid did interrupt, but I would like to say that Optima stood their ground and in the end I am very satisfied with the outcome of my case, great job to all those who helped and thank you all and have a Happy New Year.
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j e woodard
6 months ago
Optimal made a difficult situation so…
Optimal made a difficult situation so much less painful. There was no judgement, just support. The customer service has been great. They have great patience.
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woody
6 months ago
My fiance did not want to get married…
My fiance did not want to get married until I settled my unfiled taxes. The great team at Optima never judged, just got down to getting me current. Not only did they get me current, they got me money back. My wife and I are very grateful.
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henry ventura
6 months ago
Crazy
Wow, I guess some of the reviews on here are just what I want to write. I paid them over 2500 and the result at the end for almost a year was the same as I would’ve done if I would’ve called the IRS to do payments nothing was lowered. I didn’t get help for nothing. It was just a waste of a whole year for them to just told me my monthly payments, and still had to pay the same thing. I highly recommend you look for someone else. They take your money they make you wait for months to say here’s your monthly payment and you still have to pay the same amount you owe the IRS.
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w keith midgette
6 months ago
Inattention in tax preparation, poor customer service, do not stand behind their services
I had Optima resolve a 2017 tax issue from another company incorrectly filing out the return. As part of the agreement, I agreed to let them complete my 2020 tax return. My penalty for 2017 remained what it was, and the IRS Rep I called stated they had never heard from Optima on my case. I submitted all of the documents for 2020 in the February-March timeframe and basically never heard from them again until I started calling them in April. Between 1 April and 15 April I made between 30-40 telephone calls. I either got a busy signal, got through to be put on hold which usually lasted between 10-30 minutes. Once taken off hold, the first time I actually got to talk to a real person, I was told they were still working my return and would contact me when it was done. The next time I called, I was put on hold for 20-30 minutes and then a person picked up the phone, I could hear discussion in the background, and then I was hung up on. On two occasions I was told my tax preparer was with other customers and would contact me. No return call. I was never was able to contact the tax preparer to discuss the return before my return was submitted and of course, it was submitted incorrectly. When I got the letter from the IRS stating that my return was missing a W2 and a 1099DIV, I called Optima and emailed them a copy of the letter. In talking to an Optima Rep, she told me that it was not their fault that the return was incorrect, they had left out a W2 and a 1099DIV which I had provided, and it was their responsibility to discuss the return with me before it was submitted. I have filed a Return Preparer Complaint Form 14157 with the IRS, submitted a complaint to BBB of Santa Ana and to California Consumer Protection. Do not use their services, you can do better negotiating with the IRS yourself.
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jojo rush
6 months ago
The say they can help you with IRS…
The say they can help you with IRS problems. They milk you until it to late with no results while paying thousands of dollars to this company. Anyone using this company beware.
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daria washington
6 months ago
Bills
To whom concern on my tax paper indicate that I may qualify for up to 99%tax debt relief the only letter I get from unemployment benefits guide! That all I get
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rodney backholm
7 months ago
A few words that descibes OPTIMA TAX RELIEFS business model.
Here are a few words that describe what I think of OPTIMA TAX RELIEF. They still have not refunded my money for no service. So, here is my short list of words that descibes OTR. Criminals. Crooks. Gangsters. Swindlers. Bandits. Heisters. Hoodlums. Scoundrels. Thieves. Pilferers. Cheats. Ripoff Artists. Conmen. Fraudsters. Grifters. Connivers. Misfits. Miscreants. Cretins. Imbeciles. Morons. Evil. Bad Guys.