Tax Hardship Center Overview
- Tax types: Personal, business, state, federal, payroll
- Fee structure: Flat
- Minimum debt required: $7,500
- Professionals on staff? Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), Enrolled Agents (EAs), tax attorneys, and tax preparers
- Estimated resolution timeframe: 4 weeks to 6 months
- Estimated costs: $295 to $495 for discovery, $2,250 to $6,500 for resolution
- Best for: People who have high IRS debts or need robust bookkeeping and tax services
Tax Hardship Center Full Review
Tax Hardship Center offers a robust selection of tax and bookkeeping services and transparent, reasonable pricing driving the average. However there are some issues with customer support responsiveness and missed follow-ups to online consultation requests.
Let’s dive deeper into how Tax Hardship Center fares in each of our five core categories.
Reputation
Headquartered in Westlake Village, California, Tax Hardship Center specializes in helping individual and business taxpayers with IRS and state tax matters. While LinkedIn indicates that the firm launched in 2012, its official website says it has “served clients nationwide for over two decades.” For context, our calculated industry average for tax relief firms is 19 years.
The company advertises that it has “hundreds of satisfied customers,” some of whom it has helped reduce their tax debt by up to 99%. However, unlike competitors such as Optima Tax Relief and Tax Defense Network, it doesn’t state specific figures for the number of cases or the amount of tax debt resolved.
Tax Hardship Center is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and holds an A rating. Its BBB customer review score is 3.88 out of 5 based on over 100 reviews. On Trustpilot, the company has an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars based on around 50 reviews. Both scores are below our calculated industry averages of 4.1 and on the lower end of the tax relief firms we evaluated.
Tax Hardship Center has received recognition for its recent growth, appearing on the Inc. 5000 list in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, the firm’s philosophy focuses on transparency, education, and empathy when assisting customers with their cases.
Scope of Services
Like most other tax relief companies, Tax Hardship Center assists taxpayers in all 50 states. Although it doesn’t list the names of its experts online, the company has CPAs, EAs, attorneys, and tax preparers, which is a broader selection than some competitors have.
Tax Hardship Center provides a full suite of services for complex state and federal tax cases, including:
- Debt resolution: Get more manageable payments with an installment plan, negotiate tax debt via an Offer in Compromise (OIC), pursue innocent spouse relief, or pause collection attempts by requesting “currently not collectible” status.
- Collections defense: Address liens or levies or stop tax agencies from garnishing your paychecks.
- Penalty abatement: Potentially remove or reduce IRS or state tax penalties for late filing, underpayment, and other common issues.
- Tax filing and correction: Get your income tax return prepared to avoid errors and maximize your savings, or get help with amendments related to your tax issue.
- Bookkeeping: Outsource your bookkeeping to save time or improve tax compliance.
- Audit defense: Let Tax Hardship Center’s experts help you handle a tax audit or represent you before the IRS or state tax agency.
Many competitors don’t offer audit defense, bookkeeping, or unified tax preparation services. So, the Tax Hardship Center is better positioned to serve as a single source for tax compliance needs.
"Among well-known tax relief companies, the Tax Hardship Center casts a wider net, with clients served across all fifty states and with a broader variety of taxpayer situations.
Dillan Browne,CPA
Cost
- Free consultation: Yes
- Discovery fees: $295 to $495
- Estimated resolution costs: $2,250 to $6,500
- Money-back guarantee: Yes, 14 days
While you won’t find prominent Tax Hardship Center costs on its website, discovery and resolution fees sometimes appear on pages that compare it against competitors.
The company charges based on case complexity and uses a flat pricing model, which is ideal for transparency and cost management. Some competitors use hourly or hybrid models, meaning the cost is at least partly based on the hours required for your case.
Discovery fees range from $295 to $495, similar to those of several other companies. However, some firms, such as Jackson Hewitt Tax Services and Tax Defense Network, don’t charge these fees. That said, Tax Hardship Center offers a 14-day money-back guarantee to reduce your risk upfront.
The firm’s website states that resolution fees are typically between $2,250 to $6,500. While several competitors offer lower starting resolution fees of $1,000 to $2,400, some charge up to $15,000, suggesting that Tax Hardship Center might be more reasonable for complex or high-balance cases.
User Experience
The Tax Hardship Center’s website clearly presents its tax and bookkeeping services, with detailed individual- and business-focused pages for each offering. It also clearly outlines the tax relief process, offers a tax calculator, and includes numerous tax education resources.
As previously mentioned, finding pricing information online isn’t easy because you have to locate tax company comparison articles that include it. However, Tax Hardship Center is still more transparent than other firms, which often require a consultation to discuss pricing details.
You can request a free consultation via an online form or call Tax Hardship Center’s customer support line.
When we tried the phone method, a representative connected us with a resolution specialist who would either discuss our case immediately or take a voicemail and call us back. We also received follow-up calls and a text message.
Since we didn’t hear back after booking a consultation online, we recommend calling the Tax Hardship Center to initiate the process.
Like many competitors, Tax Hardship Center doesn’t offer a mobile app. However, it is one of the few tax relief companies with an online client portal.
Customer Service & Support
Contacting the Tax Hardship Center
Tax Hardship Center offers phone support but doesn’t state its hours on its website. However, the company’s Google and BBB listings indicate it operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. These hours are less flexible than those of some competitors, such as Tax Defense Network and InstantTaxSolutions, that offer weekend or 24/7 support.
Like most tax relief firms, Tax Hardship Center doesn’t offer live chat, but you can email the company if your question is less urgent. It also communicates via text message after you call for a consultation.
We recommend calling Tax Hardship Center rather than emailing. Also, keep in mind that response times vary, and you might need to call back later or leave a voicemail.
Physical Address
30700 Russell Ranch Rd. Suite 250 Westlake Village, CA 91362
Contact Details
Phone: (877) 829-7099
Fax: (877) 829-0590
Email: Help@taxhardshipcenter.com
Customer Testimonials
There are a few hundred Tax Hardship Center reviews across major platforms like Google, the BBB, Trustpilot, and Reddit. Positive reviews often note that the company makes dealing with tax issues less stressful and that its representatives are knowledgeable, communicate clearly, and are compassionate.
One Trustpilot reviewer wrote the following: “This was a very stressful time in my life, and everyone at Tax Hardship was there for me to help me through this process. I turned [in] everything they required from me, and they took care of the rest. They saved me [from] having to pay thousands of dollars. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Negative reviews often mention issues getting responses by phone, email, or text, including after customers have paid fees. Some reviewers also expressed frustration with unresolved tax issues and the lack of consistent updates on their cases. We recommend clarifying expectations for communication and case resolution times during the free consultation.
Tax Hardship Center doesn’t regularly respond to negative reviews across platforms.
Methodology: How We Review Tax Relief Services
When evaluating tax relief companies, we look at the following five categories:
- Reputation: We considered the company’s years in business, BBB accreditation grade, BBB and Trustpilot customer review scores, and other available reputation information.
- Scope of services: In addition to assessing state availability, we compared the range of tax relief services offered against industry standards and competitors.
- Cost: We considered the fee structure, discovery and resolution fee ranges, and available payment plans and incentives, relative to competitors.
- User experience: We considered how easily customers can find information on the company’s website, schedule a consultation, and use other digital tools.
- Customer service and support: We evaluated the firm’s support channels, responsiveness, and customer reviews on popular platforms.
How Does Tax Hardship Center Compare to Other Services?
Here’s how Tax Hardship Center stacks up against two major competitors:
| Tax Hardship Center | Alleviate Tax Relief | Optima Tax Relief |
Minimum debt | $7,500 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
Free consultation? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Money-back guarantee? | 14 days | 30 days | 15 days for discovery |
Pricing model | Flat | Flat | Flat |
Debt resolution services? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Penalty relief? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Filing & correction services? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Audit defense? | Yes | No | Yes |
Alleviate Tax Relief
Founded in 2018, Alleviate Tax Relief is a newer firm specializing in federal tax issues for individuals and businesses. Headquartered in Irvine, California, it offers debt resolution, collections defense, and filing and correction services, but not audit defense. It has an A rating with the BBB and charges flat fees. Alleviate Tax Relief has resolved more than $500 million in tax debt and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Optima Tax Relief
Optima Tax Relief has helped individuals and businesses with federal and state tax issues since 2011. Headquartered in Santa Ana, California, the firm uses a flat pricing model and offers debt resolution, collections defense, filing and correction, and audit representation services. It has an A rating with the BBB and has resolved over $3 billion in tax debt across more than 100,000 cases.
From my experience, it is best to not concentrate on one specific tax relief company. However, if a taxpayer wants to use a tax relief company, it’s best to work with one that has them speaking on a regular basis with the actual tax professional who will be doing the work. Too many tax relief companies have so many clients, they regulate the taxpayer to reeling with an account representative.
Tyrone TaylorownerTaylor Tax and Financial Consulting, Inc.
Final Take: Who Is Tax Hardship Center Best for?
Tax Hardship Center suits those with complex or high-balance tax cases, or those who prefer a diverse selection of tax and bookkeeping services under one roof. Its experts can help you resolve tax issues and avoid future ones. Plus, its flat pricing model and interest-free financing plans offer predictability and affordability, and services are available nationwide.
However, you may want to look elsewhere if you value the most responsive phone and email support, want to avoid a sizable discovery fee, or like using a mobile app. Additionally, you may be able to resolve a simple tax issue yourself.
We recommend researching all your options, reading more hands-on tax relief reviews, and booking consultations with multiple companies before you decide.
FAQs: Tax Hardship Center
Is Tax Hardship Center Legit?
Tax Hardship Center is a legitimate company with BBB accreditation and an A rating. Its website says it has more than 20 years of experience and has helped hundreds of customers resolve tax debt.
How Does Tax Hardship Center Work?
Tax Hardship Center starts with a free consultation. If you move forward, the company will further investigate your issue and then help you resolve it with the IRS or state tax agency.
How Much Does Tax Hardship Center Cost?
You’ll typically pay $295 to $495 during the investigation phase and $2,250 to $6,500 during the resolution phase. Pricing depends on the complexity of your case.
