Optima Tax Relief Reviews

I am paying Optima tax Relief $3,770.00 to resolve my tax issue, but they have not submitted any paperwork on my behalf to the IRS. I am receiving letters from the IRS along with a payment plan I did not agree to.

I paid OTR $2495.00 for nothing. I had to contact them to find out what was the status of my tax situation. When they finally contacted me they gave me two options, (1) to pay the IRS $190.00 dollars a month or (2) do non collective. This I already knew, I could have worked with the IRS myself. I contacted the Better Business Bureau and Alliance Consumer Business and they either would or could not help me. All I know I've been ripped off. Ms. Pam 706-955-****

User's recommendation: Do not deal with Optima Tax Relief..RUN.

I have constantly been calling, no one will return my calls. Ive been told someone will call me back. Ive emailed, and text but still havent heard from anyone. I want to refinance my house and I need to get the lien removed. I need to know what the status of my lien. I have been sending $50 a month to you. I would expect better customer service.

DI paid $500 for investigation of unpaid taxes. I was unable to afford the $15K Optima required to file my back taxes. Ive requested on four occasions for a copy of my file or a summary of the findings...and I cant get a call back. I need this information to proceed before a lien or other actions are taken.

User's recommendation: Hire a CPA.

They draw you in when trying to get $ from you to pay for their services and are not upfront about total cost. It is a waste of money and I regret paying them because they did nothing for me. I had to call and call and send emails and their response time is horrible. They want to keep switching you from this case member to another. I was unemployment and thought they could get some of my taxes owed eliminated. Call the IRS yourself and work out something with them. I thought I was the ideal candidate being a widow, made payments to the IRS for 8 years and unemployed. Their solution accept the tax lien on my home or pay them $266 per month. That means even though I paid the IRS $ I could never get out of debt with them because of penalties the IRS keeps adding.

User's recommendation: Call the IRS yourself I paid 2000 to Optima and they did nothing for me.

They reached out to me and offered a $ 1600 rebate, but I would have to take down my negative reviews. I declined. Their offer was not an adequate amount to satisfy Optimas lack of proper representation, communication, not adhering to company advertisements, offering no appealing tax solutions, and therefore their lack of providing us with any type of tax freedom. Their lack of honesty about asking the IRS for an OIC is simply appalling. The last person I spoke to also confirmed that this was not done. Their co-founder publishes that Optima has a philosophy to deliver excellence for every client, every time, no exceptions. We bought their misleading information and were and are sorely disappointed with this company. Thus , I would rather sound out on this fraudulent company every chance I get in hopes of saving others time and money thinking this company will help. Wont happen!!

User's recommendation: Do not use Optima Tax Relief.

I contacted Optima for tax help and I feel I was lied to and cheated . After paying them the $ 1,200.00 to take my case they said they had to review it . After the review they charged me $ 4,550.00 more and didn't save me one cent . They cover themselves by using vague answers and make sure you understand you can't hold them accountable . They offered me a refund of $ 1,250.00 if I promised to keep my mouth shut and not give them a bad review . I didn't take the refund . So basically cost me $ 5,550.00 more to get Optima involved and still had my tax liability . Fair warning they are professional liars and thieves .

I contracted with Optima tax relief and made the initial down payment and two monthly payments and then COVID hit. I explained to them I was very limited in working and I could afford lower payments. They were kind enough to give some months without payments until my situation improved. I had paid over 2500 into this company already, for what? I asked several times what they did for $2500 besides maybe sending the IRS a letter starting to work out my situation. The customer RETENTION Dept called me which is a joke...because there is no retention at all telling me in Oct they were going to cancel my account and the IRS would move forward in collecting back taxes. The gentleman Branden Silva I spoke with a few times and told him I could make some lower payments, but he stressed several times they could not lower my payments until I paid another $1000.00 and then could look at lowering my payments. I explained I could not make a $1000 dollar payment at this time and is there any other alternatives....no of course there was not..$1000 or they would cancel,,,, which they did. Now I am out $3000, the IRS has sent me letters saying I would be turned over to a collection company, and I am no further along then I started with Optima but $3k down. My recommendation is you go with another company and do not waste your time with Optima...they are all about getting as much money from you as possible and when you cannot they drop you right in the middle of your resolution.

User's recommendation: STAY AWAY.

I had reached an agreement for payment of back taxes with the IRS, although the IRS could not be specific about what I owed for so the agreement was never implimented. I asked for and received an extension to hire an outside agency that would audit my account and amend my filed tax returns if needed. In October2019, I hired Optima with a specific set of instructions. I was assured by David Choe, Sylvia Rosas, Catalina Hernandez that these issues would be addressed. By January I was receiving letters from the IRS that stated that I had defaulted on an agreement and was fined an even greater amount. I called Optioma and was assured by Catallina Hernandez that they had not entered me into an agreement without my consent and never would. I began receiving more mail from IRS stating that I would be sued over delinquent account, I again called Optima and spoke with Joanna Rauda who told me three times that I was not entered into an agreement without my consent. On the 28th of January I was sent an Email from her stating they had entered into an agreement without my consent. I was lied to several times by two different representatives and told I didn't know what I was talking about, very rudely I might add. I kept trying to contact Optima, many emails sent no answer. Many calls no call backs.So not only did the Optima representatives lie to me, which is recorded. But they entered into an agreement without my consent and with holding that information from me ( I had to call the IRS and find out myself). But instead of getting me out of debt with the IRS they got me into MORE trouble and debt with the IRS. I have attempted many times via voice and E-mail to resolve this situation. No results. I tried to explain to them my daughter had just passed on Feb. 9,2020 and I had to borrow money for her funeral expenses, but they didn't care they still took payment out of my account for a job they knew they already screwed up and set me up for failure. This company cheats and lies.

User's recommendation: This company should do the right thing, and give me back the money they took over and above the initial investigative fee. The appropriate thing to do would for this company to take responsibility and also compensate me for the increased debt incurred to me by the IRS, due to Optima representative getting me into an agreement without my knowledge or consent, and the fines for not meeting the obligations of an agreement I didn't know I was in due to optima representatives lying and hiding the fact.

If I could give them zero stars, I would!! I am disgusted by the service provided and paid $8485 for absolutely NOTHING! I would have been better off going to the IRS myself, accompanied by my tax consultant. An IRS agent reached out twice, provided her contact details more than a year ago. As of last week, no one from Optima has reached out to her. In June 2019, I was asked by a lady named Ruby, asked to reduce deductions. I again provided the necessary substantiation and explained that I am not willing to lie on any tax return. NEVER heard back from her! To date our 2018 tax return has not been filed, or completed by Optima. I have called, sent messages. NO UPDATE! We were misled and taken advantage of by Optima’s false assurances. They’re only interested in your money. More than a year after paying Optima, None of my concerns or issues have been addressed or resolved. WORST customer service EVER! They’ve not delivered on any of their promises or published statements! I reported Optima to the BBB and have to agree with prior reviewers, they are a scam! Run the other way and ask the BBB for references to legitimate tax consultants!

Took my money and still have the same problem haven't solved anything and its been 2 years. I'm starting to think they work for the IRS.

I had to pay $14,000 for Optima Tax to represent me. Found out after it was too late that I could have handled it myself and paid less taxes. They always led me to believe I would qualify for a program and get a tax deduction at the end. During the process, every time I asked for tangible account of my current situation I got the run-around. They have it set up like a car wash where you go through different phases. It is as-if one hand does not know what the other is doing and you do not find anything out until they have received the very last payment. Then you find out you were better off doing it yourself. I have so much more information and proof but I will wave displaying it on this site and be posting it elsewhere where it is not being filtered by Optima, who is a paid subscriber to this site. At times, Customer Service was downright nasty. The only reason I give even one star below is because I want to make sure it registers. I am really pissed. They have a really good marketing SEO team who has made sure that nobody can post bad review sites.

I spent around $9000 with these clowns. Over a period of three years; I sent them endless paperwork to eastablish an IRS tax settlement. Recently they stopped working for me. A local attorney wanted to have a copy of my file; so he could see what they they we trying to do for said resolution. Optima management refused to give me my OWN file. The only thing they were willing to return was my bank records. They did offer to reinstate me at half price. The only thing I have to show for it is a $107,000 tax Lien. STAY AWAY FROM THESE CRIMINALS. All they want is your money.