The number of tax defaulters increases each year, and for some, their burden piles up repeatedly for years. Without proper knowledge of tax laws, you are likely to miss out on payments, which puts you on the IRS radar for an extended period of time. If found guilty, you are expected to pay penalties and accrued interest. In serious offenses, some end up serving time in prison. To ensure that you get the best outcome from tax defaults and liabilities, it is essential to look for tax experts for advice and guidance. These experts also negotiate the best payment plan for you with the IRS to ensure you settle your debts on time. However, with so many tax relief companies marketing their businesses, it is hard to settle on the best.
Be careful since some are simply scammers looking to make a buck off vulnerable tax defaulters. To avoid all these, below you’ll find five things to consider before hiring a tax relief service.
1) Genuine Firms
Some firms are as fake as they come. They claim to solve your tax problems within an unrealistic period. Some even ask for a down payment to help your tax woes go away. These scammers take your money and run. Go for registered tax settlement companies and, if possible, ask for their registration certificates. Some might provide fake papers, and you can always verify their validity.
Additionally, check their experts’ qualifications. They ought to comprise attorneys, agents, CPAs, and other professionals. These tax experts are well versed with taxes and tax laws. They will advise accordingly.
2) Tax Burden
Before you run to get tax relief services, consider your tax burden first. Many firms prefer tax defaulters who owe amounts over $10,000. However, some take on clients with a lesser amount. Scammers accept any amount since they know they will take your cash and fail to deliver on their promise. If you do not owe much, you can hire a tax attorney to negotiate your debt. You can also negotiate your credit with the IRS yourself if you know the source of your problems. Hiring these services is costly, and you should only go for it if you need it. Ask experts to help calculate your liability and advise on tax relief offers to ease your tax burden.
3) Costs
Hiring tax relief services is not a cheap affair, and you should only do it when you need it. These costs arise from what the experts charge for their services and also from negotiated payment plans. They also arise from paperwork and investigations carried out depending on your tax problems. Credible firms understand the hole you are in and charge reasonable amounts. They also allow you to pay in installments, easing your burden significantly. Many have fixed costs for certain charges, which helps you plan before taking on the service. Additionally, they share their costs beforehand to help you decide on whether to take them on board or drop them before any commitment is made from both ends. Avoid firms who ask you to pay up front for incomplete services as this ties you down and increases the chances of getting scammed.
4) Experience
Practice makes perfect, and this applies to tax relief firms too. Those with years of experience below their belt have enough knowledge on the subject matter. They also advise on tax debt resolutions, levies liens, and reliefs expected. They also conduct audits, review them and even investigate for credible information and reduce errors. Their experience allows them to negotiate your tax woes amicably with the IRS, and helps guide you out of future liabilities.
5) Reviews
Firms known to handle taxes for individuals get reviewed by the users. Many take it to trusted sites such as Trustpilot, and you can check the reviews left behind. Happy clients leave positive remarks and vice versa. Through these reviews, you can quickly figure out which firm is especially good with the service you need. Users also flush out scammers, and this saves you and others like you from getting scammed. However, some reviews are only meant to tarnish a company’s reputation, and you should be able to read in between the lines. Reach out to those who commented and ask about their experience.
Additionally, you are likely to know someone in or who was previously in the same position. Reach out to them and learn how they got their matter resolved. If they used a tax relief firm, you could go for the same. This can be a fantastic referral to ensure you get your problems solved by a tried-and-tested firm.
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