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Personal Finance Tax Relief

Best Tax Relief Companies

Updated Mar 07, 2024   |   6-min read

Our picks for the best tax relief firms work with the IRS on your behalf to resolve overdue taxes and can help you repay your debts and minimize the financial penalties that come with them.

Below, you’ll find the best tax relief companies based on hours of research into costs, expertise, customer satisfaction, customer service, benefits, and more.

Review the 4 best tax relief companies

Best service guarantee: Anthem Tax Services

Editorial rating: 4.9 out of 5

  • 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t save money or have your debt reworked
  • Receive a free consultation with an agent
  • Must have at least $10,000 in tax debt

Anthem Tax Services offers tax relief and tax preparation services to individuals and businesses. The standout benefit of Anthem Tax Services is the 100 percent money-back guarantee. If you don’t save money or have your debt reworked, anything you’ve paid will be returned. The guarantee excludes bookkeeping, tax preparation services, or the minimum deposit.

Another benefit includes working with an experienced company with accreditation from the National Association of Tax Professionals, California Tax Education Council, National Association of Enrolled Agents, and more.

Lastly, the free consultation is a great way to decide whether or not the company is right for you.

How does it work?

While the company doesn’t outline the steps it takes to resolve your tax issues, its process is similar to others.

1) Take advantage of a free consultation with a tax expert to discuss your situation and hear how the company can help.

2) Agree to let a team of experts from the company investigate your situation further by reaching out to the IRS on your behalf.

3) If the team determines you have options to reduce your tax debt, they’ll reach out to you to discuss your options.

4) Once an option is chosen, a filing will be made to the IRS to reach the best resolution.

Customer satisfaction

Anthem Tax Services has excellent ratings from its customers. These ratings include a 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot and a 4.48 out of 5 on the BBB as of March 7, 2024.

The company has also received an A+ rating (the highest offered) from the BBB. This rating represents the BBB’s opinion of how likely a business is to interact with its customers. This can include complaints, amongst other things.

Best for debts under $10,000: Community Tax

Editorial rating: 4.7 out of 5

  • Services include tax preparation
  • Receive a free consultation
  • Must have at least $7,500 in tax debt

Community Tax is a tax resolution firm for individuals and businesses. It can help you establish payment plans, installment agreements, offers in compromise, and more. The company also offers accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation services.

It had the highest rating in our evaluation with a minimum tax debt requirement below $10,000.

All clients of Community Tax enjoy a service guarantee that refunds you your investigation fee if the company determines that it can’t help you resolve your tax debts. You can discuss this with someone from the company during your free consultation.

How does it work?

According to the company’s website, there is a three-step process to get your tax debt resolved.

1) Have a free consultation with an experienced professional who will hear your case and provide a free tax analysis discussing your potential options.

2) An investigation will occur where the team assigned to your case will reach out to the IRS or state on your behalf. This allows the team to gather a record of your account to determine the best path forward.

3) Once you and your team choose how you’d like to resolve the issue, the resolution stage begins. This included submitting a proposal to the IRS or state to resolve your tax debts.

Customer satisfaction

Community Tax has received excellent ratings from its customers. These ratings include a 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot as of March 7, 2024.

In addition to the ratings above, the company has received an A+ rating (the highest offered) from the BBB. This rating represents the BBB’s opinion on how likely a business is to interact with its customers.

Best for a flat rate: Precision Tax Relief

Editorial rating: 4.9 out of 5

  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • No hidden fees
  • Must have at least $10,000 in tax debts

Precision Tax Relief specializes in resolving and reducing IRS or state tax debt for individuals and businesses. It charges one upfront fee based on your consultation, which helps you avoid unexpected costs.

If you are looking for a company with a lot of experience dealing with tax debt, Precision Tax Relief may be for you. The company has 55 years of experience and excellent reviews from its clients.

In addition to its experience, Precision Tax Relief offers a free consultation and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How does it work?

The company’s website outlines a three-step process for getting your tax debt resolved.

1) Have a free consultation with an expert to discuss your tax troubles and learn more about the company and its services.

2) Receive protection from the IRS while the Precision Tax team works on your case.

3) Get your tax debt resolved

Customer satisfaction

Precision Tax Relief has received excellent ratings from its customers. These ratings include a 5 out of 5 on Trustpilot and a 4.85 out of 5 on the BBB as of March 7, 2024.

The BBB has also given the company an A+ rating (the highest offered).

Best initial investigation: Larson Tax Relief

Editorial rating: 4.5 out of 5

  • 15-day money-back guarantee
  • Free consultation with an agent
  • Must have at least $25,000 in tax debts

Larson Tax Relief offers tax relief services to individuals and businesses dealing with business or personal tax debts. The company has been helping its clients since 2005.

The biggest benefit we found looking into Larson Tax Relief is the consultation it offers. While most companies offer a free consultation, Larson will look into your tax debt with the IRS or state for free during this period. Other companies typically charge a discovery fee for this.

How does it work?

The company doesn’t have a step-by-step process outlined on its website, but its process seems to be similar to other tax relief companies. You’ll schedule a free consultation with a tax professional from the firm and work with its team to determine the best strategy and outcome for your situation.

Customer satisfaction

Larson Tax Relief has received excellent ratings from its customers. These ratings include a 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot and a 4.5 out of 5 on the BBB as of March 7, 2024.

The BBB has also given the company an A+ rating (the highest offered).

How we chose the best tax relief companies

In our most recent evaluation of tax relief companies, our team compared 20 companies to determine what they were the best for and how they stood out in the industry.

Here are the eight categories that we reviewed to score each company:

  • Transparency
  • Eligibility
  • Services offered
  • Cost
  • Expertise
  • Educational resources
  • Customer experience
  • Benefits

Once we scored each company, we then determined which was the best for different situations. If a company wasn’t the best for anything, it was not included on this page.

How tax relief works

Working with a tax relief company usually starts with a free consultation. You’ll chat with a representative, give them details on your tax issues, and the company will do a quick analysis of your situation to determine which tax relief service can help you.

Next, the company will contact the IRS or your state tax authority to get the updated records of your account. They’ll review this, determine the best solution, and walk you through the process and costs before moving forward.

Finally, they’ll work to resolve your tax debts. This might include using any of the following relief options:

  • Offer in Compromise: This is a way of settling tax debts without paying off the full amount. Check out our guide on how to negotiate an Offer in Compromise with the IRS.
  • Installment agreements: These agreements let you pay back your tax debts in smaller increments without incurring interest or penalty. Setting up an installment agreement can halt wage garnishment as well. Check out our guide on how to set up a payment plan with the IRS.
  • Penalty abatement: If you meet certain requirements, you may be able to have any IRS penalties waived or reduced.
  • Innocent spouse relief: This can keep you from being penalized for your spouse’s tax mistakes.
  • Fresh Start program: The IRS Fresh Start Program lets you spread your debts off over a five-year period. It requires a minimum debt of at least $50,000.

Tax relief firms can also help you qualify for Currently Not Collective status, which puts any collections efforts by the IRS on hold — at least temporarily.

>> Read More: What is tax relief?

Is tax relief worth it?

Tax relief assistance comes with potentially high fees, so it’s usually best reserved for people with high amounts of debt. For example, according to the Tax Hardship Center, the average client pays $3,750 for its services. Consumers already struggling financially may find fees in this range hard to bear. You’ll want to be sure the savings will outweigh the fee before moving forward.

If you’re not prepared to pay the fees for help from tax professionals, you can work with the IRS directly to file for Currently Not Collectible status, set up an installment plan, or apply for any other relief programs. The Federal Trade Commission has detailed instructions on many of these options, as well as how you can apply online.

You can also use the IRS’ Taxpayer Advocate Service for help, or contact the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasures for state-related tax assistance.

It’s also recommended you speak with a financial advisor who can review your situation before you decide to work with a tax relief company.

How to avoid tax relief scams

Not all companies offering tax relief are reputable. In fact, scams are common in this industry. Before you pay for professional tax relief services, take steps to verify the company you’re using is legitimate and trustworthy.

You should:

  • Talk with a specialist on the phone to confirm their experience and skills
  • Check their reviews and ratings, especially with the Better Business Bureau
  • Avoid paying any upfront fees until you’ve verified their capabilities
  • Beware of too-good-to-be-true claims

When in doubt, consult a local CPA or accountant for guidance. They can point you toward legitimate solutions for your needs.

Recap of the best tax relief companies