Best Tax Debt Relief Programs – Help When Debt Is Too Much

You can contact tax relief companies if you are having trouble with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the state tax authority. They offer useful services and help you determine a strategy to move forward. Besides that, they also advise taxpayers on the programs they qualify for to help reduce the taxes or penalties they owe. This guide has covered the best tax debt relief programs to ensure that you have the right service at your disposal. 
If you are struggling with IRS debts and need help to find a resolution, here are the tax relief programs worth considering. 

Overview of the best debt relief programs companies

Debt Settlement Company
Best For
Anthem Tax Services
Money-back guarantee
Optima Tax Relief
User experience
Tax Defense Network
Spanish speakers
Precision Tax Relief
No minimum debt amount
Community Tax
Small debts
Fortess Tax Relief
Low-cost service
Enterprise Consultants Group
Small businesses
ALG Tax Solutions
Highly experienced team

Best debt relief programs companies

Anthem Tax Services

Anthem Tax Services can help you resolve old tax debts and will ensure they settle for less than what you owe. Its services include tax resolution help, Offer in Compromise assistance, tax preparation services, innocent spouse relief, and more. Anthem tax services can help negotiate and set up a realistic installment plan with the IRS. The company has helped several clients and has resolved millions of dollars in tax bills. It holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You will need to contact the team and speak to a professional to determine the cost of their services. 
Anthem is popular because it claims, 'If we don’t save you money or rework your payments, you get your money back – guaranteed." There are also times when the company will not manage to reduce the debt amount, but it will lower the monthly payments for you. It could ease the financial burden, but you will still pay more to the IRS due to the interest. The company can settle the tax debt in a week in many cases. The minimum debt accepted is $10,000, and they have a flat-rate fee based on the case, which can be paid through a payment plan. 

Optima Tax Relief

Optima Tax Relief is a great service that enjoys excellent reviews from users and an A+ rating from BBB. Having helped resolve more than $1 billion in tax debt, Optima Tax Relief offers traditional tax resolution services, including tax lien discharge assistance, Offer in Compromise, bank levy release, and lien discharge assistance. It also offers credit monitoring, tax filing assistance, tax returns, bookkeeping, and payroll maintenance. You get a free consultation with a 15-day money-back guarantee. But this guarantee is only applicable in the investigation phase and not after they begin working to resolve the tax debts. 
In the investigative stage, the tax attorneys will start to obtain information and examine the details to develop a plan to handle the tax liability. Once it has a plan for your situation, you will move to its resolution phase. Optima Tax Relief has a portal that allows you to track updates; the minimum debt accepted is $10,000. The services range from $2,000 to $5,000 and charge $495 for the investigation phase. It also helps with business payroll negotiation and is acclaimed for its outstanding customer service. 

Tax Defense Network

Tax Defense Network sets itself apart by working with English and Spanish speakers, so it is a great choice if you have difficulties because of language barriers. If you aren’t a Native English speaker, Tax Defense Network can be a great choice. With bilingual tax professionals, you can minimize the tax debt with their services. The minimum debt accepted is $7,500, and their service costs range from $2,500 to $3,000. Tax Defense Network offers a 3-day money-back guarantee. 
The company has been operating since 1997 and offers federal and state debt resolution services. They offer help with IRS communication, tax levy assistance, asset seizure, tax lien assistance, and wage garnishment support. It is a one-stop shop for all your tax needs and has professionals who hold numerous accreditations. It uses a three-step program to understand, identify, and resolve your tax debt. You can choose from several installment agreements, and you also have flexible payment options. The best thing about Tax Defense Network is the honesty about what its professionals can achieve and the realistic goals it sets during the process. It is accredited and rated A+ at BBB. 

Precision Tax Relief

You can enjoy the best customer service with Precision Tax Relief. Once you contact the team, they will help you review all the tax relief options and offer the right pricing. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee; if you are unhappy in the first month, you will get the money back in full. Precision Tax Relief offers zero-interest payment plans and flat-rate payment plans. 
The services include company offers, payroll tax debt resolution, currently non-collectible, and levy services. There is no minimum debt requirement, and the team will also let you know if you have a small debt that is not worth the service fee. In that case, you can look at other alternatives. The cost for their services is around $2,000. Precision Tax Relief does not handle state taxes or offer tax audit representation. 

Community Tax

Those with a debt of as little as $7,500 want to consider Community Tax. Since many companies are geared toward clients over $10,000, Community Tax makes handling a small debt easier. It is possible to minimize the debt without fees using the large online library with guides to IRS pages where you can handle the small debt. It also has the Tax Assurance Program, available for $39 a month and allows you to stay updated on your taxes. With IRS transcripts and tax account monitoring, you can avoid needing tax relief services. Community Tax has a minimum debt requirement of $7,500, and the cost of their services ranges from $2,000 to $5,000, while the investigation fee is $295. It also has a 14-day money-back guarantee for those unsatisfied with its service.
Community Tax offers extensive services for small businesses and individuals and helps with federal and state tax issues. The services include payroll tax negotiations, tax extensions, tax lien assistance, and IRS audit defense. Besides that, it also offers non-tax relief services that can make the tax return process less overwhelming. This service is available at a monthly fee and includes tax monitoring, tax return preparation, and bookkeeping services. It enjoys an A+ rating at BBB. 

Fortress Tax Relief

Fortress Tax Relief has an hourly rate and is acclaimed for settling large amounts of debts for clients. Most companies charge a percentage-based fee, while Fortress Tax Relief charges hourly. Its customer service is up to par, and if you do not receive a response within two days, you will be refunded $100 for that and every subsequent instance. 
It has a minimum debt requirement of $10,000 and charges around $100 to $200 an hour. It is a much cheaper alternative when you have a high amount of debt since a percentage-based system will lead to a higher fee with higher debt. Fortress Tax Relief handles State tax debt in 50 states. 

Enterprise Consultants Group

Enterprise Consultants Group is another option for you or the small business. It works with several licensed tax professionals nationwide and will be happy to help you no matter where you reside. ECG has a three-step process like other tax debt relief programs. 
You begin with a free consultation to receive a flat-rate quote. That said, you also enjoy instant relief from IRS collections while the team is working on the case, and you enjoy complete freedom from the debt once they negotiate a resolution for you. Its services include tax lien removal, payroll tax resolution, offer in compromise, penalty abatement, and wage and bank levy removal. It has a minimum debt requirement of $10,000, and the cost for its services ranges from $2,000 to $5,000. 

ALG Tax Solutions

With ALG Tax Solutions, you enjoy a library of free resources that will empower you and help prevent future tax debt. The team is committed to helping customers find the right solution for their situation and is the top choice for the best resources. The experts offer services tailored to self-employed individuals and businesses, and they negotiate the debt for you and educate you with the right resources. However, they have no money-back guarantee and only help with state taxes in Michigan. 
Founded in 2011, ALG Tax Solutions offers a service known as tax help evaluation. With this low-cost option, the tax professional will review your tax documentation and conduct a thorough financial review. Based on this, it will provide recommendations on how to proceed. You are not obligated to sign up for their tax relief services after taking this service. It only offers assistance for federal IRS taxes since state tax services are very limited. It also has the highest minimum debt requirement at $15,000. 

Best tax debt relief companies summary

Tax Debt Relief Company
Fees
Minimum Debt
Anthem Tax Services
Starts at $300 for investigation
$10,000
Optima Tax Relief
$2,000 to $5,000; $495 for investigation
$10,000
Tax Defense Network
$2,500 to $3,000
$7,500
Precision Tax Relief
$2,000
No minimum debt
Community Tax
$2,000 to $5,000
$7,500
Fortess Tax Relief
$100 to $200 hourly
$10,000
Enterprise Consultants Group
$2,000 to $5,000
$10,000
ALG Tax Solutions
$1,500 to $2,500
$15,000

FAQs

What are the services offered by tax debt relief companies?
Companies offer various services to help you with tax debt concerns, including a federal tax lien, tax settlement, back taxes, wage garnishments, and penalties. They also help you with state taxes.
Does tax debt relief really work? 
Yes, tax debt relief companies eliminate the effort and stress of seeking tax relief from the IRS. Since they are professional experts, they understand the tax laws and have several years of experience handling unfiled returns and negotiating tax relief. But there is no guarantee that it will work for you. This is why most companies offer a money-back guarantee. 
What is the IRS fresh start program?
The fresh start program is an initiative that will provide tax relief to those who have unpaid taxes to the IRS. It attempts to help taxpayers and avoid punishing them with high outstanding tax debt. The IRS offers this program to those willing to pay the tax debt in installments over a certain period.
What is the cost of a tax debt relief program?
If you are under financial hardship and finding trouble with IRS debt, you must remember that the tax debt relief service is not cheap. Companies will charge two types of fees for the service: the investigation fee, which will include all the work associated with collecting the financial information, and the resolution fee, which will reduce the tax debt.  The investigation fees can range from $200 to $500, and the resolution fee can be anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000. A lot depends on the scope of tax debt relief services you need and the nature of the service. This is why most companies offer a free consultation at the first stage and have a minimum debt requirement. Hence, make the most of the free consultation and then proceed. 

The bottom line

When you fail to pay income tax on time, it will have a huge impact on your financial situation, and the IRS could impose huge penalties on late tax payments. This will make the burden even larger and harder to manage. This is when you should consider a tax relief company. They can identify a strategy for you and have the required experience to communicate to the IRS to help reduce the amount of taxes. While there is no guarantee that it will be successful, there is a high chance that you will be able to reduce the taxes payable. 
While you might find it easy to seek help from the first internet search results you find, you must be aware of the scams. If the company demands an upfront fee before doing any work, avoid them. This list is a good way to get started and find the right company to work with. 

Joy Wallet is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor, financial advisor, loan broker, insurance producer, or insurance broker. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide investment advice. Joy Wallet does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information in regard to your individual circumstances. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific investment issues. Featured estimates are based on past market performance, and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

Our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market. We are compensated by our partners, which may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on our site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice. Our editorials are grounded on independent research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.

We value your privacy. We work with trusted partners to provide relevant advertising based on information about your use of Joy Wallet’s and third-party websites and applications. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing information about your web browsing activities with Meta (Facebook) and Google. All of the web browsing information that is shared is anonymized. To learn more, click on our Privacy Policy link.

Share this article

Find Joy In Your Wallet