Five Star Tax Resolution Review: Good Guarantees, Limited Transparency on Fees

4.4 _/5

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Tax Relief

• Available in every state
• Free consultation
• Generous money-back guarantee

• Not transparent about fees
• Limited customer reviews
• Hit-or-miss customer service

Five Star Tax Resolution has been in business since 2011. It can help you find a tax solution for nearly every issue, including installment agreements, penalty abatement, and wage garnishment. 

Services are available in every state, and the company employs full-time tax lawyers. The company offers a generous money-back guarantee if you’re unhappy with the service, making it a solid choice for budget-conscious customers. But it’s hard to get details about fees, and there’s no information online. Even when you call, customer service representatives don’t provide any additional information about costs.

Table of Contents

1. Is Five Star Tax a legitimate company? 
2. How much does Five Star Tax Resolution cost? 
3. How Five Star Tax relief works
4. Alternatives to Five Star tax relief 
5. FAQ

Is Five Star Tax a legitimate company? 

Five Star Tax is a legitimate company with Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation and an A+ rating, as well as a valid business license. You can work with the company to resolve almost any tax issue—state, federal, business, or personal. 

The company’s minimum tax requirement is similar to other tax relief options: $5,000 if you have unfiled tax years (meaning you owe back taxes) or $10,000 if your returns are filed but you still owe money. However, the company’s ability to handle tax issues in every state and for every type of tax return helps it stand out. 

Here’s an in-depth look at some of the services from Five Star. 

Individual tax resolution

Five Star Tax can help you resolve a levy, wage garnishment, and unfiled taxes. The company specializes in the following solutions for personal taxes.

• Currently Not Collectible status (CNC): The IRS can place your account in this status when you can’t afford tax debt payments and your basic living expenses. It’s usually a temporary fix, but the IRS won’t try to collect while it’s active. 
• Installment agreement or monthly payment plan: You can establish a payment plan with the IRS or state government. The payment plans can be long-term or short-term (less than 180 days), and you must continue making on-time payments until your debt is gone.
• Penalty abatement: You might be able to get relief from penalty fees if you tried to make on-time payments but couldn’t due to outside circumstances. If you qualify, penalty interest charges are removed or reduced. 
• Offer in Compromise: Formerly called the Fresh Start program, this allows you to settle your tax debt for less than you owe. Your assets, income, debt, and other factors determine your eligibility. 

Business tax resolution

Business owners can hire Five Star Tax Resolution to file their business taxes. You can get tax help for every type of business structure, including S Corp, Limited Liability Company, Partnership, or Sole Proprietor.

Most tax relief companies can help with business taxes, so their services don’t necessarily make the company stand out. However, Five Star Tax specializes in tax preparation and bookkeeping for truck drivers. This unique niche sets Five Star Tax apart from other options. 

How much does Five Star Tax Resolution cost? 

Five Star Tax Resolution charges different fees based on the complexity of your case. Planning for the costs is challenging; the company doesn’t provide any estimates online. You must schedule a consultation to get information about pricing. 

The lack of financial transparency is a major downside to working with Five Star Tax Resolution. When you’re researching tax relief companies to find an affordable solution, it’s impossible to determine whether a company is the right fit until you know the cost. 

The rates featured in the table below are estimates, according to Five Star Tax Resolution. 

Phase	Cost
Initial consultation	Free
Negotiation and resolution	One-time flat fee; must have a consultation to get more information

How much can Five Star Tax Resolution save me? 

Five Star Tax and other companies simplify the process and advocate on your behalf. It’s similar to hiring an accountant to file your taxes. You could file your taxes for free, but working with a professional saves time and ensures it’s correct. 

The same is true about tax relief: You can work with the IRS yourself to find a solution and avoid paying a fee. But if it feels too overwhelming or time-consuming, you can hire a company instead. 

The exact amount you can save depends on your debt. For example, imagine you owe $20,000, and Five Star Tax helps you sign up for an installment plan. It charges $2,000 for this service. If you hadn’t enrolled in a payment plan, you would pay 7% interest, equaling more than $3,005.17 over two years. 

However, you could spend much less if you signed up directly through the IRS: The enrollment fee is only $22. 

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🚩 Keep in mind:

The scenario above is only an example because Five Star is not forthcoming with its fee schedule.

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Pros and cons of Five Star Tax Resolution tax relief 

Five Star Tax Resolution is similar to other tax relief companies, but it stands out in some areas and falls short in others. Here’s what to consider when deciding whether it’s the right fit. 

Pros

• Available in every state

  Five Star Tax works with clients in every state, making it a convenient option for those who need help with federal and state taxes.

• Free consultation

  The free consultation lasts nearly 30 minutes, and you meet with a tax attorney to discuss your situation. This stands out because many other companies offer free consultations with sales representatives instead of tax professionals. 

• Generous money-back guarantee

  If the company can’t help you find a solution or save money, you can get a full refund through Five Star’s no-strings-attached guarantee. 

Cons

• Not transparent about fees

  You can’t find pricing information online, and representatives won’t answer questions about it on the phone. Instead, you must schedule a 30-minute consultation. The lack of transparency might make it difficult to make informed decisions. 

• Limited customer reviews

  Online reviews for Five Star Tax are limited. Most review sites only have one or two reviews. The company also works with a reputation management company to resolve complaints, which might indicate that customers removed negative reviews. 

• Hit-or-miss customer service

  Customer service representatives are helpful, but getting information about the company is challenging. 

How Five Star Tax relief works

Tax relief services help resolve tax debt and other issues. Five Star Tax Resolution’s process is nearly identical to that of other tax relief companies. On average, it takes between three and four months to complete.

Here’s what you can expect when you work with the company. 

1. Consultation: The first step is a free consultation with a tax attorney. It usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes. During this stage, you provide information about your taxes and can ask questions. You also get information about pricing. 
2. Negotiation: The negotiation usually lasts two or three months. Five Star Tax communicates with the IRS on your behalf to find a resolution. 
3. Resolution: The company finds a solution. You might need to pay the IRS or enroll in a specific program. 

Throughout the process, you have unlimited chat access and can talk with a tax professional at almost any time. It’s a helpful benefit, especially if you have additional questions or need to provide updates. 

Five Star Tax Resolution customer reviews and complaints 

Five Star Tax Resolution has limited customer reviews, especially compared to other companies, like TaxRise, which has thousands of online reviews. So few reviews make it difficult to understand what the customer experience is like. 

However, based on the current reviews, customers are primarily satisfied with the service. Reviewers state that the representatives are friendly and communicative. The company takes time to explain the process and what to expect clearly. 

However, it’s hard to know whether the reviews represent the average customer experience. Five Star Tax Resolutions hired The Reputation MD, a reputation management company, to respond to reviews and resolve negative feedback. It might indicate that the company earned more negative reviews than we can see now. The company was also involved in lawsuits in 2022 and 2023, but none were related to fraud. 

Source	Rating	Number of reviews
Trustpilot	3.7/5	1
Better Business Bureau (BBB)	3/5	2
Google Reviews	4.7/5	44

Alternatives to Five Star tax relief 

Five Star Tax Resolution is available in every state, offers a strong money-back guarantee, and can help with nearly every tax issue, including federal, individual, state, and business. But you have options if it’s not the right option.

Because here’s the deal: Every tax relief company has benefits and drawbacks. Once you determine your priorities, finding the right fit is easier. 

• For example, we’re big fans of Larson Tax Relief’s thorough initial investigation. 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. 
• Or you might want to consider Alleviate Tax if you want a low-price guarantee. The only downside? The company doesn’t help with state taxes.

The following options are some of the best personal finance companies for tax relief. Each stands out for a specific reason.

Read More

Best Tax Relief Companies

FAQ

Does Five Star Tax Resolution require a minimum tax debt?

Yes, Five Star Tax Resolution typically requires a minimum of $5,000 in back taxes (or $10,000 in tax debt if you’ve filed) to qualify for its services. This threshold helps ensure that clients will benefit from the company’s resolution programs, such as Offers in Compromise, installment agreements, and penalty abatement. If you owe less than $5,000, it may be more cost-effective to work directly with the IRS or a local tax professional.

What type of tax debt do I need to work with Five Star Tax?

Five Star Tax Resolution primarily works with individuals and businesses who owe back taxes to the IRS or state tax agencies. This includes unpaid income taxes, payroll tax issues, and penalties or interest resulting from missed filings or underpayment.

If you’re facing liens, levies, or wage garnishment, the firm may be able to help you negotiate with tax authorities and explore options for relief.

Does Five Star affect my credit?

The tax resolution process itself doesn’t have a direct impact on your credit score; tax debt isn’t typically reported to credit bureaus. However, related issues—like tax liens or wage garnishments—can show up on your public record and may affect your ability to secure credit.

Resolving your tax debt through Five Star can help prevent further legal action and improve your financial standing, but it won’t remove past damage from your credit report.

How we rated Five Star Tax Resolution

We designed LendEDU’s editorial rating system to help readers find companies that offer the best tax relief companies. Our system awards higher ratings to companies with affordable solutions, positive customer reviews, and online transparency of benefits and terms.

We compared Five Star Tax Resolution to several tax relief companies, using hundreds of data points from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. We weighted, scored, and combined each factor to produce a final editorial rating. This rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Our take is represented in our rating, recapped below.

Company/Product	Our rating
Five Star Tax Resolution	4.4/5