Optima Tax Relief Reviews: A Comprehensive Analysis

Optima Tax Relief is one of the nation's biggest tax firms, and it's on most consumers' radars because it does a lot of TV, radio, and internet advertising - possibly more than any other tax relief company. Multiple sources list this company as one of the nation's top tax resolution firms, and there are thousands of consumer reviews. This article provides an objective analysis of Optima Tax Relief based on various types of publications that review Optima Tax Relief and consumer first-hand experience review sites.

Overview of Optima Tax Relief Reviews

Optima Tax Relief is listed in many places that showcase reviews. Some of these are affiliate and news sites, while others are first-hand experience review sites. We will give a breakdown of each of these with some key factors to pay attention to. You can use this same strategy of reviewing these factors to apply to any other company you are considering.

Affiliate and News Sites

Optima Tax Relief appears frequently across various affiliate and news sites. These sites often rank high in search engines with the goal of showing high for terms that are likely to drive clients to hire a company. It is important to note that the rankings of these sites may be influenced by compensation received from the companies they rank.

What are affiliate sites and affiliate links? These are links used for advertising and tracking purposes. Generally, the company being linked to will only pay if someone clicks the link or takes a specific action. The company that publishes the link will get paid for actions taken on the links, making them enticing to click to ensure they earn revenue. Affiliate advertising is an effective way for companies to expand their reach. It is up to the publisher how to use these links to earn money for themselves while benefiting the companies they promote. 

It is important to know that affiliate advertising may not always align with consumers' best interests. Rankings and reviews can be biased since they are incentivized by money. This potential conflict means that consumers should have a bias when reviewing these sources, just as the sites likely have a bias. We will cover these other aspects later in the article.

Below are some examples of sites we found Optima Tax Relief listed.

CBS News article on “Best Tax Relief Companies 2024”

This website ranks highly for some valuable search terms like “best tax relief companies”. This article lacks detailed information about Optima Tax Relief and links to their website using an affiliate link. CBS discloses that they may receive commissions from product links on the page. Below is a screenshot of this disclaimer listed on CBS News.

Below are the details provided about Optima Tax Relief. The part of the site that links to Optima Tax Relief is likely to be an embedded Ad. The article continues to say what each company is best for, but it doesn’t actually list Optima Tax Relief.

Forbes Advisor article on “Best Tax Relief Services of August 2024”

Note that this site updates each month. This appeals better to Google ranking algorithms and ensures that the content is timely and relevant to searchers. This site lists Optima as one of the top tax relief companies. The article states they reviewed 11 total firms (there are thousands in the country). They highlight Optima’s good rating on TrustPilot. They do note numerous complaints on the Better Business Bureau. Forbes also discloses that they earn commissions from “partner” links, which may also influence their rankings. They also state that commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations. It can be a little confusing to find this information. We are providing screenshots of the various sections below.

Below is the screenshot of the Editorial Note at the top of the article in light text as well as the link to the “Advertiser Disclosure”, located in the top right of the page in light text.

Below is the screenshot of the full advertiser disclosure that Forbes Advisor has when you click the subtle link.

They note in their editorial that commissions do not affect their editors’ opinions or evaluations. See the screenshot below of where to get to these opinions or evaluations. It is a little hard to find, and you may not see it. The evaluation states, “But Proceed with caution. Optima Tax Relief has received hundreds of customer complaints on its Better Business Bureau Profile.”

Money.com Article on “Best Tax Relief Companies of 2024”

This site seems to use the exact same “Ad Widget” as the CBS News article but with a slightly different listing of companies. They use the same affiliate tracking links as CBS. They rank Optima as the best mobile app but don’t go into detail about why a mobile app is helpful for resolving tax problems. Overall, the review lacks in-depth analysis or first-hand experience from consumers. Money.com does disclose potential compensation from companies featured in their rankings.

Below is a screenshot of the disclosure at the top of their page.

BestCompany.com Tax Relief Companies

They rank Optima at the top of the list. Its disclosure states, "We may receive referral compensation from some of the companies on our site. This compensation does not impact their reviews or rankings." The link to Optima is an affiliate link where BestCompany.com does get paid for the referral. 

The reviews on this site state that the majority of them were left after being solicited by the company. BestCompany.com does seem to rank based on reviews but still charges a marketing fee for referrals it sends to Optima. There is a mix of positive and negative reviews. It is important to note here that Optima solicited these reviews.

BestCompany.com gives its own assessment of Optima, but this is general information that can be obtained from its website. 

Overall, these types of sites often emphasize Optima’s marketing messages rather than rely on first-hand experience from clients. This raises some concerns about their objectivity, as the same goes for a good portion of sites that have affiliate links to promote offers. 

Optima First-Hand Experience & User-Submitted Platforms

Optima Tax Relief has a mixed reputation on various user-submitted review platforms. We are going to cover a summary of the rankings from the major user-generated review platforms. 

When it comes to first-hand experience reviews, there will always be a mix of positive and negative reviews. It is good to compare to other companies to establish a baseline of the industry's average. It is also important to look at trends and wording of the review and identify trends. In this day and age of business, reviews are more important than ever, and companies put a lot of effort into obtaining reviews. 

When reading reviews, it is important to look for trends as well. Look for trends in both the negative and positive feedback given that can provide deeper insights into the overall customer experience. Here are some trends to watch for.

• Timing of Reviews: Watch for reviews posted early in the process. Many customers who leave reviews early in the process feel optimistic about their outcome based on the initial interaction. These early reviews do not reflect the complete experience. Incentivized sales representatives generally drive these reviews.
• Common Complaints: Look for recurring themes, such as service delays, unmet promises, and communication issues. 
• Detailed Experiences: Reviews that provide more details about interactions with the company and outcomes are generally more trustworthy. Vague and general reviews can be less reliable, as they could be spam or from someone who hasn’t gone through the entire process yet.

Optima Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Optima has a 3.3 out of 5 stars. At the time of this article, this was the average rating from 808 customer reviews. The profile also states that as of 7/30/24, 286 complaints had been filed in the past 12 months and 748 complaints in the past 3 years. They have an A+ rating with the BBB; however, the BBB states that “Customer Reviews are not used in the calculating of the BBB Rating.” See the screenshot below as of 7/30/24

Google Business Profile

As of 7/30/24, Optima has a 4.1 out of 5-star rating with their Google Business Profile listing. They have 3,757 ratings. A variety of mixed reviews are listed here. To see the most recent reviews, you can click this Google link and then click on their reviews. It is important to read some of the reviews, as a good portion of them are from customers who have just signed up and are in the early stages of the experience. Many sales representatives will push for reviews after the initial onboarding process. This can give a skewed impression, but it is important to review overall. Below is a screenshot of the most common words used in the reviews and their overall score as of 7/30/24.

Consumer Affairs

As of 7/30/24, Optima has a 1.1-star out of 5-star rating with Consumer Affairs. They have 192 total reviews, with 90% being 1 star and 2% being 5 stars. There is a big discrepancy on this site compared to other review sites. Many of the reviews appear to be legitimate first-hand experience reviews. You can view the reviews here. Note, this company does have a disclaimer at the top that reads, “We are not a government agency and may be paid by companies displayed”. Their model seems to display related companies next to other companies that may have poor rankings. So, in essence, if someone is researching a company and they see they have bad reviews, they will suggest another company that pays them and likely has good reviews due to them pushing customers with a positive experience to their review link here.

Yelp

As of 7/30/24, Optima has a 2-star out of 5-star rating with Yelp.com and 395 reviews. This is a very common review platform, mainly focused on restaurants and local businesses. When it comes to tax resolution, many firms don’t focus on obtaining good reviews for this platform because it doesn’t have the ability to drive paying clients, even if they are top-rated. This platform makes it easy for consumers to leave reviews, and many have accounts to do so. See the screenshot below of their current listing and rating.

TrustPilot

As of 7/30/24, Optima has a 4.1-star out of 5-star rating with TrustPilot and 3,376 reviews. 77% being 5-star and 10% being 1-star. They are active on this platform with replies to 100% of the negative reviews and replying on average in less than 24 hours. It is important to read some of the reviews, as a good portion of them are from customers who have just signed up and are in the early stages of the experience. Many sales representatives will push for reviews after the initial onboarding process. This can give a skewed impression, but reviewing it is important. See the screenshot below of reviews as of 7/30/24.

Professional Based Websites

Many companies that work in tax resolution have their professionals featured on various industry-specific websites to showcase their talents and attract new clients. Optima does not have its tax professionals listed on these websites. These can be sites for tax attorneys, enrolled agents, or CPAs. We have checked the following sites with no mentions of Optima Tax Relief Employees:

• TaxCure
• Avvo
• Justia
• Findlaw

Highlighting tax professionals in industry-specific platforms is a common practice within this industry. This provides transparency and allows taxpayers to verify the credentials and experience of those tax professionals working on their cases. 

For consumers seeking tax resolution services, it is beneficial to research the professional who will be managing their case. There are a variety of tax agencies and solutions, and no one company or person can help with everything. Transparency is a standard practice in the industry and is important to consider when choosing a firm. 

Company History

Optima Tax Relief was founded by entrepreneurs with a history of forming companies with fine-tuned marketing and sales tactics. Other related companies are the following:

• Loan Now - a fast lender with high interest rates
• Super Money - a financial services review site.
• Debtmerica - a debt settlement company. 

Summary of Optima Tax Relief Reviews

While Optima Tax Relief is a legitimate company that produces a very high volume of clients, it also produces a high volume of complaints. Reviews on affiliate sites and review sites often lack depth and may be influenced by compensation, while user-submitted reviews show another perspective. You can use this template to compare the alternatives you are considering and see how they compare to Optima Tax Relief.

How to Find Help for Your Tax Problems

First, do your research. Don't rely on the pay-to-play editorials of big-name online websites. Instead, dig into consumer reviews. Pay attention to what the complaints say, and also note whether the positive reviews sound fake. 

Talk to friends and colleagues to see if they recommend anyone, and if you have an accountant, reach out to see if they know a colleague who focuses on tax relief services. Before hiring any company, find out which tax pro will be working on your case, look at their credentials, and make sure they have the experience you need. The fact is, there are thousands of professionals around the country that help resolve tax problems; they just don’t spend money on radio, TV, and affiliate sites.

If you're dealing with a state tax issue, you should look especially hard for a local pro rather than the big nationwide firms. Local pros have dedicated experience with your state's DOR, and many of the big firms don't have any state experience and do not offer that service. Many times if state and IRS issues are had, it is important to work those cases together to achieve an overall more favorable outcome. To get help now, use TaxCure to search for a local professional — with this site, you can narrow down the options based on the experience you need. Then, you can read reviews until you find the best fit for your needs.