Freedom Tax Relief
Offers many tax relief services for customers with $10k debt or more.
Since 2003, Freedom Tax Relief has been one of the nation’s leading providers of tax relief services. They are a branch of the well known company Freedom Financial Network, employing a large number of individuals to help consumers across the nation discover relief from overwhelming tax burden.
The Good
- Free consultation
- Installment agreement program
- Offer in compromise
Free Consultation
Freedom Tax relief brings to the table an average range of service plans with an extensive knowledge base concerning consumer debt options, due to their affiliation with the parent company. A free consultation is offered where a company specialist will work with each consumer to help them fully grasp their unique tax struggle and assist in preparing the best possible solution available to resolve issues associated with the IRS.
Installment Agreement Program
FTR provides multiple services for individuals and businesses in search for tax relief options. One of their top services is the installment agreement program. This program allows consumers to pay down tax debts in monthly or quarterly installments, rather than in a single lump sum, easing the pressure to find cash quickly. The company helps to negotiate the best agreement and navigate through the various laws associated with this action, in order for consumers to get a handle on the dynamics of how they ended up with tax issues in the first place.
Offer in Compromise
Another one of their areas of expertise is through an Offer In Compromise (OIC) These types of programs generally consider the taxpayer’s income and assets, reasonable living expenses, future earnings and what the taxpayer can currently afford. A list of past clients able to utilize an OIC is provided along with the payoff amounts, which range from 1.1 to 90.2 percent of total taxes owed. Granted, paying only 1.1 percent of tax debt is more the exception than a rule.
The Bad
- Lacking accreditations
- Asset seizure
- Limited consultation
Lacking Accreditations
While they are accredited with the American Bar Association (ABA), Freedom Tax Relief lacks other company accreditations and memberships, including National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Asset Seizure
Along with their lack of nationally recognized affiliations, the company is unable to handle some of the tougher cases when it comes to the IRS breathing down backs, such as tax audits and assistance in seizure of assets. Although they are unable to offer assistance on this playing field, they may be able to point consumers in the right direction during the free consultation, which brings us to our next concern.
Limited Consultation
The company provides free consultation to help determine the best plan of action when it comes to getting tax debts under control; however, consultations are limited to 10 minutes. This is hardly enough time to provide consumers the knowledge they require to go about enrolling with a credible company. Consumers may feel rushed and even pressured to enroll in their services. A consultation with a longer time length would help ease the mind of consumers and allow them to fully grasp their tax situation. Additionally, Freedom Tax Relief is not licensed to operate in Colorado.
The Bottom Line
Freedom Tax Relief offers a wide variety of tax solutions – everything from an Offer in Compromise to installment agreements.. Their well-established parent company suggests quality service. Although their free consultation is limited to 10 minutes, we recommend calling to see how Freedom Tax Relief can assist with your tax relief needs.
Price
Undisclosed, for the most accurate pricing, we recommend taking advantage of their free consultation.
Minimum Tax Debt Accepted
The minimum accepted tax debt for settlement or OIC is $10,000. However, there is no minimum for many of their other tax services.
Time In Business
The company started in 2003.
Types of Services Available
Below is a list of some of the tax services they offer:
- Installment Agreement
- Offer in Compromise (OIC)
- Levies and Garnishments
- Filing Late Taxes
- Payroll Taxes
- Tax Penalties
- Innocent Spouse
- Currently Not Collectable (CNC)
- Tax Relief Alternatives
FTR provides multiple services for individuals looking for tax relief. One of their most provided services are installment agreements. This is when you pay your tax debts a bit at a time, in payments, rather than in a lump sum. FTR helps you negotiate the best agreement and navigate through the various laws associated with this action.
Another one of their focuses is to achieve an Offer In Compromise (OIC) for their clients with the IRS. OIC’s generally consider the following: taxpayer’s income and assets, reasonable living expenses, future earnings and what the taxpayer can currently afford.
They offer a list of past clients that were able to utilize an Offers in Compromise (OIC) and the payoff amounts ranged from 1.1 percent to 90.2 percent of taxes owed. Granted, paying only 1.1 percent of your tax debt is more the exception than the rule, but it is nice to see what they are capable of.
Freedom Tax Relief is not licensed to operate in Colorado.
CPA on Staff
No
Tax Attorney on Staff
Yes
Professional Associations
They are a members of The Association of Settlement Companies (TASC) and The American Bar Association (ABA).
Enrolled Agent on Staff
Yes
Free Consultation
A free consultation is available by phone.
Refund Policy
Unknown
Up-Front Fees
As with other tax relief companies, business is conducted in two phases: Phase One is establishing power of attorney and discovery, and Phase Two is negotiation with the IRS using one or more available programs that suit the client’s situation. There is no standardization of fees here. Taxpayers will have to call customer service and provide their information.
Contact Information
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Address:
1875 S. Grant St., Suite 450
San Mateo, CA 94402-2676
Hours of Operation
7:00 am – 5:30 pm Pacific Time Monday through Friday. An answering service will take messages during off hours, or if the phones are busy.
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User Score00 people found this review helpful!In 2005, I called Freedom Tax Relief regarding my tax problems. I was assured that my problems could be resolved easily because I wasn’t earning enough to pay them. “All I had to do was pay them 500.00 now and 400.00 a month for 9 months (in addition to the 435.00 IRS was already taking via garnishments) and, after a tough 9 months, my problems would be solved”. Just days after my final payment to them – totaling 4100.00 – Freedom’s rep called and told me they “couldn’t help me” and asked if they should stop taking payments – after THE LAST PAYMENT had been made. I personally made an arrangement with IRS to pay them 435.00 a month and finally paid my tax debt after a decade. Needless to say, the penalties over the years doubled my costs. Fredom is a scam – Stay away!Was this review helpful? YesRead More
- Takes your existing debt and try to settle with your creditors for a lower amount. If you pay off the settled amount, your debt will be considered paid in full.
- Negotiates with your creditors on your behalf.
- Fee based on a percentage of your total starting debt or a percentage of the debt they save you.
- Most settlement companies have you create a separate "escrow" account where you will make monthly contributions over a certain amount of time to contribute to your settlement. Once there is a substantial amount of funds to show your creditors, the settlement company will try to negotiate a lower amount of debt.
- Combines all your debts and creditors into one monthly payment.
- Allows you to pay one monthly payment to the consolidation company, instead of multiple payments to different creditors.
- You no longer owe your original creditors; instead you pay one monthly payment to your consolidation company.
- Consolidation companies can help negotiate lower interest rates on your debts and help lower your total debt payment in the long run. A lower interest rate will lower the amount you owe in the end.
- Allows you to consolidate all your different debts into one personal loan that can be paid off over time.
- Can offer borrowers a lower interest rate with a longer payback term (compared to high-interest credit cards or medical bills). This will lower the amount of money required to pay off the loan over time.
- Personal loan debt consolidation can be an effective way to raise your credit score quickly (within 3-6 months).
- Borrowers can receive funds from their loan within only a few days.
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