[ad_1] Key Takeaways: – Clear timeline for the tax relief process. – Fully remote appointments available. – Offers a suite of services including tax preparation and consultation. – Client bill of rights sets clear expectations. Learn More For the many Americans who owe a tax debt to the federal or state government, even just thinking about filing a return or sorting out how to pay their taxes can take an emotional toll. IRS numbers show that in 2019 there were $121 billion in unpaid assessments which includes unpaid taxes and accrued penalties and interest. Knowing how much tax you owe — and how to pay that debt — can be overwhelming, which is why many people turn to tax relief services when trying to get out of tax debt. Since there are so many tax relief services in operation, it’s important to carefully review candidates before moving forward with any company. If you’ve been considering Optima Tax Relief, here’s what you need to know. About Optima Tax Relief Like many of its competitors, Optima Tax Relief offers tax negotiation and settlement services in addition to tax preparation. They’re experienced in IRS audit defense and committed to a smooth, honest client experience. Optima Tax Relief takes its free consultation a step further than competitors by involving tax specialists and chartered accountants who create a clear, transparent plan so you know what to expect upfront. Optima Tax Relief Services Optima Tax Relief can help you negotiate or resolve a tax debt, and offer other services to explore. Tax Consultation Optima Tax Relief offers a free tax consultation to people who are experiencing difficulties with their tax situation. For example, if you’re potentially facing wage garnishment from the IRS. The goal of tax consultation is to provide you with a road map forward to solve your tax problems. Optima draws on its team of attorneys, enrolled agents and chartered accountants to review your plan. During your consultation you’ll discuss topics such as removing tax liens, ending wage garnishment, tax planning, initiating an installment plan or even help with tax preparation. You can use the information from your discussion to move forward with resolving your tax issues on your own, with a different service, or with Optima Tax Relief. To get started, you can call Optima Tax Relief at 800-536-0734 or you can fill out their online form. You’ll need to answer questions such as how much tax debt you’re in, how you earn your income, how many years of unfiled taxes you have, and what state you live in. Tax Protection Plan Optima’s tax protection plan is a multi-tiered service that combines IRS protection with tax preparation and identity theft monitoring. All tiers of the service offer what Optima calls “IRS protection”. What it includes as part of this service is monitoring IRS collections and balances, and performing a tax withholding analysis. If you need help with a tax resolution, you’ll also qualify for lower fees if you’re a subscriber to its protection plan. The tax preparation component is where the basic, standard and professional plans separate themselves. In the Basic Plan ($29.99 a month), you’ll have to prepare your taxes on your own, but you’ll have access to Optima’s software. You can use the software for one return annually. For additional returns, you’ll have to pay another fee. Note, if you’re just planning to use the product for their tax software, be sure to compare it against top tax software competitors first. With the Standard Plan ($49.99 a month), Optima will file your taxes if you’re a wage earner. It also offers a $2,000 preparation guarantee. If you’re an independent contractor, you’ll need to get the Professional Plan, at $69.99 a month. In this tier, Optima will also help you determine your estimated quarterly payment amounts. Each tier also comes with a level of ongoing ID theft protection, with the Standard and Professional plans offering credit monitoring. Tax Resolution Tax resolution is where Optima’s expertise truly rests. They’re equipped to help with many tax resolution scenarios. Here are just a few of the areas they are equipped to help clients in: Audit representation Levy release Innocent spouse relief Offer in compromise Tax lien removal State tax issues To get started with Optima Tax Relief, you’ll complete your initial consultation. Then, you’ll enter phase one, the “Investigation Stage” which lasts about two to four weeks. During this step, they’ll make contact with the IRS and review your options. After that, you’ll enter the “Resolution Stage” which takes about three to nine months. After the resolution, you’ll have established IRS compliance. Once you’re a client with Optima, you’ll have access to an online client portal so all of the work you’re doing with your representative stays organized. Get Started With Optima Unique Features There are many tax relief services on the market today — here’s what makes Optima Tax Relief stand out. Highly transparent: Optima Tax Relief is upfront about each stage of the tax relief process, the work they’ll do on your behalf, and how long they expect this to take. A+ Better Business Bureau rating: Optima Tax Relief has an A+ rating with the BBB and they have been accredited since 2012. Protection plan: Not all tax relief services offer ongoing IRS protection and identity theft protection or credit monitoring. Client bill of rights: Optima Tax Relief has established its own client bill of rights that includes rights such as clear expectations, straight talk and innovative, smooth client experience. When to Use Optima Tax Relief Even though you can technically pursue tax relief by yourself, the tax code can be complicated to decipher. It’s easy to make mistakes when it comes to your taxes and it can be hard to fix problems that occur. That’s where tax relief companies come in, and some are more genuine than others. Tax relief companies know you’re probably desperate when you’re coming to them for help, and sometimes they can take advantage of that. What’s