Optima Tax Relief

Review of Optimum Tax Relief

After speaking to my husband when I got home from work, he informed me of the conversation where you mentioned there might be no forgiveness program and that we would need to pay the full amount due to the IRS. This led me to question what evidence was placed forward to the IRS on our behalf.

With all that said, when we signed up with Optimum, we were assured that there would be a solution to our debt problem.

We were assured, that our debt wasn't as bad as others and was manageable. So far, it's been chaos when our taxes were done incorrectly, leading us to have to pay more to the IRS. The contact from the time we signed up to now has been erratic, having to constantly send in new paperwork and hearing the same information over and over again. No one knew the status of our case, and it was only after a very strongly worded email that we got information.

The left hand never knew what the right hand was doing, as proven by how many times we were asked for tax info for already prepared taxes, or a second set of tax paperwork being sent to the IRS making us pay double.

Very simply, we were lied to on this matter and paid for services that cannot be rendered. Countless times of uploading documents that representatives cannot seem to find, and now we are hearing there is no solution, and we have to pay the entire debt to the IRS. In essence, we were fed false hopes. Certainly, it was not told to us that it might be for nothing; otherwise, we'd have not signed that contract and more than likely paid another lawyer to take care of the problem.

We have been paying Optimum a monthly fee since January 2023.

We have paid a significant amount for constant setbacks, a tax-preparing team who botched the taxes, and having to hire a new tax lawyer because of the amount owed, which Optimum knew from the initial phone meeting. Now we might have to possibly pay the full debt to the IRS. Couldn't we have made a payment plan with the IRS ourselves and used that money given to Optimum to pay down our debt? Instead, when we sent you the levy notices, that's when you started working, putting in little effort for the end result to be a hefty payment in five years and the remaining debt, and then being told that's all you can do.

What type of negotiation is that? It definitely wasn't on our behalf because it puts us more in debt.

I should note that we are coming to the end of our payment plan with Optimum, and now we are being told contrary information to what we were told initially by phone conference. Since giving my husband the so-called offer from the IRS, which is no real reduction of our debt and with a payment we cannot afford, we have not heard another word from anyone at Optimum.

Again, unless we reach out to the people we are paying good money to help resolve our IRS issue, we receive no follow-up. The last date of contact was May 23rd, with what I consider an ultimatum because of the finality of how we were spoken to.

Since that date, there has been no contact from Optimum.

To clarify, in over a year we have incurred more debt using their service. We do not have money to throw around needlessly, and this has cut down our income dramatically, yet we paid and on time. For nothing? We no longer have faith in Optimum Tax, and with no solid resolution to our case and still having to pay the same amount in debt that was supposed to be reduced and a high monthly payment that Optimum knows we cannot afford, we hereby state that Optimum Tax Service no longer represents our family in this case.

Optimum essentially cheated a disabled veteran and his family.

After checking the BBB and other reporting agencies, I can see why so many people are asking for their money back, there are lawsuits filed. Nothing you did has helped us in any way, not at all, and my review on BBB will reflect that.

1.FREE CONSULTATION: This can often feel like a classic "sales" call, where the primary goal seems to be convincing you that OTR is genuinely here to assist you. However, it's important to remember that their primary objective is to serve their own interests.

It's not fair to fault the individual conducting the call, as they are merely executing their job, which is to "close" and secure the sale. If you've ever watched the movie 'Boiler Room,' you'll understand the comparison.

2.INVESTIGATION $295: There's a significant discrepancy in the term 'investigation.' In reality, it primarily involves a request for IRS transcripts, which are also accessible at no cost through your IRS account portal. Obtaining these transcripts, even upon request, can often be a challenging endeavor. In my case, I decided to part ways with their services and terminate my contract within two months of hiring them, fortunately making an early exit.

If you decide to engage in this process with them, it's crucial to insist on receiving copies of the documents as soon as they claim they are ready.

As a client, you have every right to possess all materials pertaining to your case. They may mention the size of the file as a reason not to provide them immediately, but you can suggest having the documents mailed to you, if that is more convenient. If possible, wait for the documents to arrive and meticulously review them before committing to a contract with them. Compare the documents you receive with what is readily available on your IRS portal.

Should you discover any valuable information, you can then cautiously proceed to the next step of considering their services.

3.CONTRACT AGREEMENT: If your situation allows for it, consider negotiating the 15-day refund period and having it explicitly included in the contract before finalizing the agreement. It's essential to diligently follow up on any services you've engaged them for during these initial 15 days. It's worth noting that they are unlikely to provide a full refund. For example, if you've paid them $5,000, you may be surprised to receive an offer of only $500 as a refund.

4.SERVICES: Their document view system is limited to one-way access.

You can only see the documents you've uploaded and signed, with no visibility into their activities on their end. A reputable company that has nothing to conceal typically provides transparency in this regard. It's important to be aware that you might not have the opportunity to converse with a 'tax professional' or a dedicated 'case manager.' Most of your interactions will likely be with their front-line customer service agents.

5.OVERALL EXPERIENCE & RECOMMENDATIONS: It's crucial to maintain meticulous records of all your interactions and communications throughout your engagement. This includes documenting conversations and any relevant details.

In addition to sharing your feedback and complaints on review websites, consider reporting your concerns to organizations like the Business Consumer Alliance and BBB.

If your experience involves clear instances of unethical practices, as mine did, it's advisable to report such valid complaints to relevant government agencies like the FTC and even the IRS, if applicable. Please ensure that your submissions are based on genuine grievances and unethical conduct. It's worth noting that numerous complaints with vague, generic responses from OTR have surfaced, and this issue should be addressed.

OTR operates in an arena where consumers are facing significant financial challenges, and it's imperative that their services are administered professionally and with the utmost care. Sadly, in my experience, the IRS provided more informative assistance than OTR did.

They got back to me immediately, and solved the problem because of your company , thank you for all your help.

Probably the worst customer relations I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. Totally unresponsive to customer needs!

My husband heard their ad on the radio and they shoved us off to finishline cause we didn't meet their debt bracket. Finishline screwed up our IRS audit and kept our 1900.

Spoke with Mr. Johnston on March 1,2024.

He sat up payment on the 16th of March. Called on the 21s. He stated it can take up to 10 days. I never signed any contract or paperwork or given any personal information.

On March 29th received a text for appointment I never scheduled. On the April 1st called to get a refund and was told the company could not. Also my debt is $9000 so why did he sign me up when the minimum is 10,000. Is this a scam?

Mr. J Premysler needs to be fired!

The representative was friendly and empathetic and she saved our relationship with Optima. We are very grateful to her.

I paid Optima Tax Relief $6840.50 in late 2022 and received no service. They took my money and gave me no help!!!

Optima tax relief told me that there were2 separate services with separate contracts. They said I had 15 days to change my mind.

After finding out that they would not do the services that I needed, I changed my mind and asked for my money back.

Optima tax relief then told me that the 15 days started a month or so prior to which it took them that long to get back to me.

They then said because my 15 days ran out a month ago that they could keep my money.

They stole $ 3300. From me and did not provide any service at all on the new contract.

Optima tax relief absolutely refuses to deal in good faith with their customers l, and are therefore a crime ridden business with unethical business practices.

Optima tax relief has a contract that is designed to entrap a customer and scam them out of their money.

I paid for Bret Moore to do my taxes in 2020 I have an hold on my car Title and he never did anything I paid another taxes accounting to file for me I want my full Refund so call me so I can update my information so I can get my full Refund or Im contacting the Better Business Today I reach out to Bret Moore about this situation and he wont respond back Im taking the next step 401-326-****

I was told that they would help me out with my tax problem all they did is help me out of more than $6000 of my money and put me deeper in debt with the IRS by not stopping interest and penalties for Three years as a drug their feet and now I am deeper in debt to the IRS and still not resolve the issue

I could explain the whole story; however, concisely, I would advise anyone who avoid Optima Tax Relief services. It is a complete waste of time and money.

They do nothing but take your money and continue to LIE about working on your behalf.

When you cancel their service, they still want to fight to keep your money, even if they have caused you money and none nothing at all. I'm sure that has to be a legitimate company out there; but I can assure that Optima is not one.

My complaint is that I already authorized Andrea Bryant to withdraw 295 dollars from my account on the 23rd of this month, for investigation on my tax problems with IRS,I called to cancel the transaction but Andrea Bryant is not answering, I drew my conclusion that Andrea Bryant does not work for Optimal tax, and I have gone back to my previous consultant honest tax, which Andrea Bryant said he has never heard about them.