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.

My Experience with the Hai Nguyen,was Very PROFESSIONAL and up front, thanks for taking on my case.

I give optima tax a friend be cuz they help me out in resolving my tax debt and I thank them

Excellent guidance from initial review to case close and agreement with IRS for settle payment

I wish that I could give 0 stars; however, go to the bbb.org website and type in Optima Tax Relief to see the legitimate more than 500 complaints about this business.

I have started a GoFundMe to help in securing the funds in bringing a Class Action Lawsuit against this company and I have also started a Change.org petition. I am not done. I am writing about the experience on every internet platform available. Optima needs to be stopped and I will not give up until we receive a full refund, or they are facing us all in court.

Optima is a joke, and should not exist, and to be to falsely claim that they help people in their time of need in dealing with the IRS is very misleading.

Our experience was TERRIBLE! They will charge you thousands of dollars and not do any real work. Our personal experience and the experience of many others, as found on the Better Business Bureau website is that they will never provide any tax relief. We have been with them for over a year and they have not made any progress or reduced any penalties and the payment plan that we set up with the IRS, is still the same payment plan.

They stated that they would file the current taxes and that was a year ago. Of course, they never filed the taxes. I finally had to go to HR Block because the IRS was threatening us with additional fees. Do not sign up with this company. They will take your money and get nothing accomplished. Just review them on BBB. Org. The numerous complaints listed are textbook Optima. You will never get serviced.

Optima's playbook:

Step 1: They will take all your money (thousands), contact you numerous times requesting the same docs, stating that they never received them, although you have your confirmations. Step 2: You are now outside of a window of when they claim you are eligible to receive a refund. Step 3: It's been months and no response from them, and you are growing weary and feeling defeated. Step 4: You see no results and want a refund. Oh wait, you are outside of their refund window and they offer you a very small amount to go away. Step 5: You take the money so that you can at least recover something and not lose all your money!

Do not sign with this company.

This company advertises fake results and misinformation about what they can do for your tax situation. They say that they can fight the IRS for you and resolve your tax issues. But, all they do is get you to sign a power of attorney, call the IRS to find out what they want, then charge you more money to agree to a payment plan with the IRS. This is something a consumer can easily do without flushing money down the drain with Optima Tax Relief.

Scam warning for this company!