Ideal Tax Solution – An Unideal Tax Solution
Tax is a threatening word and people are always in a rush to ensure that they meet their tax obligations on time. Having the tax man on your back can give you sleepless nights as the tax authorities have the right to charge you in a court of law and some cases take your property. Failure to pay taxes is an offense under the law hence there exists extreme fear about taxes. Ideal Tax Solution, LLC is among the companies that promise to face tax authorities on behalf of the taxpayer and negotiate for better payment terms or tax reductions. The company, therefore, promises to offer taxpayers peace of mind and they can no longer worry about their taxes. The company claims to have clients in 47 states and also claims to have helped thousands of people amend their taxes (https://bestcompany.com/tax-relief/company/ideal-tax-solutions?review_filter=1#reviews).
Ideal Tax Solution, LLC can be viewed as a tax relief company and claims to conduct high-level tax negotiation and mediation to ensure that customers can relax and watch as their previously high taxes reduce significantly (https://bestcompany.com/tax-relief/company/ideal-tax-solutions?review_filter=1#reviews). The company claims to have a pool of tax attorneys and tax agents with experience and expertise in representing taxpayers with huge tax debts.
Ideal Tax Solution, LLC also offers tax preparation services for its clients. The company claims to create a strong personal relationship between tax agents and customers to ensure that the road to solving tax issues is smooth. The company also claims that services offered by attorneys and tax agents are affordable and professional. The company, therefore, claims to charge low prices to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with serious tax problems. It is undeniable that tax issues can cause serious stress and a company that would reduce tax debts and works on behalf of the stressed taxpayer can be of help to many. This analysis evaluates whether the claims and promises made by the company are genuinely based on customers who have dealt with the company.
The legality of services offered by Ideal Tax Solution
Ideal Tax Solution promises its customers that it will negotiate with Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tax avoidance and tax evasion are two often conflicting concepts. Tax evasion is illegal and involves the refusal to pay the due tax. Tax avoidance is legal and involves using genuine methods to reduce the amount of tax paid. The IRS has the authority to reduce part or the full amount of tax paid which is known as an Offer in Compromise (OIC). Ideal Tax Solution, LLC, therefore, provides legal services if it negotiates on behalf of the client for a tax reduction due. However, the tax reduction is not guaranteed. One of the company’s customers claimed that the company’s experts gave him or her more information concerning tax negotiations which is legal. Another customer claimed that the company negotiated for a monthly payment plan totaling USD 80 as opposed to USD 210 (https://www.trustlink.org/Reviews/Ideal-Tax-Solution-206311499). Negotiating for better tax payment plans, representing the clients in tax negotiations, and filing tax returns on behalf of the customer are genuine and legal activities.
Did You Know?
IRS collects US Federal taxes and administers the IR code.
In simple terms, the Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is the main body of the federal statutory tax law.
According to a customer, Ideal Tax Solution’s representative claimed that the company had “connections” with the IRS and the IRS knew the company hence the company was assured of wins when negotiating for returns (https://bestcompany.com/tax-relief/company/ideal-tax-solutions?review_filter=1#reviews). The IRS is a government department and should treat taxpayers equally. Tax negotiations are free and every individual has an equal chance of successful negotiation if they can prove their case. Claiming that the company relies on strong connections to win negotiations is therefore ungrounded and may lead to illegal activities if the claims are true.
How much does Ideal Tax Solution charge for its services?
The majority of customers who seek the services of the company have tax arrears and require the company to negotiate for lower taxes or flexible payment plans. It is therefore obvious that the cost for such services should be extremely lower than the tax to be paid otherwise the customer should just pay the required amount. Ideal Tax Solution uses a three-step process to resolve tax issues. The first step is called the tax consultation process. Ideal Tax Solution claims that the phase is free and the company calculates the tax liability of the customer. The second stage is the tax investigation process where the company confirms eligibility and conducts the required investigation. The last stage is tax resolution where the customer will receive a resolution package and pays for the services. The payment plan seems reasonable, right? The majority of previous customers think otherwise.
A customer claimed that Ideal Tax Solution charges different prices for each process. The customer claimed to have paid USD 500 only to be told that the amount was for investigation. The customer was later charged USD3000 only to be told that the amount was for tax preparation (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.idealtaxsolution.com). The client paid USD1000 but the company failed to undertake the tax negotiation process. Another customer also claimed that the company requested payment in different phases which were not outlined upfront. The customer ended up paying USD18,000 yet no services were offered. Based on the customers, the company does not clearly outline the stages of payment and corresponding charges for each stage. Customers, therefore, send the payment after which they are told what service they have paid for. Logically, it should be the other way around. The company does not provide a price list for its services on its website or social media platforms. Customers also complained that the total charges are extremely high compared to the services they receive for the payment. In short, the multi-layered payment structure is confusing and only serves to benefit the company since they judge what you have paid for and how much you should pay for the next service which they will also determine after you pay.
Marketing ways used by Ideal Tax Solution?
A good company should adopt ethical marketing strategies. Marketing is not supposed to irritate customers but inform them more about the company and its services. A good marketer should use innovative tactics and a good choice of words to entice the customer to purchase the products. One of the customers claimed that the company uses scare tactics to compel customers to purchase the services. If the customer has a tax debt, the company representatives exaggerate the tax burden and use scary figures and threats to portray the debt as bigger than it is. Think of it as the proverbial mountain out of a molehill. The scaring technic raises ethical concerns as it causes unnecessary fear with the primary aim of winning customers. Some of the company’s customers also complained about spam messages sent to their emails. One customer complained that the company sent threatening messages via email which exaggerated the tax due. The customer also claimed that the messages were also sent to the customer’s father and efforts to subscribe from the emails were futile (https://www.trustlink.org/Reviews/Ideal-Tax-Solution-206311499). Spam messages are irritating especially when the customer cannot unsubscribe from them.
Customer service
A company can also be judged on how they treat the most important stakeholder in any business-the customers. Some of the customers were very happy with the services offered by Ideal Tax Solution. A customer claimed that Senior Tax Associate Pete was always reachable and helpful. However, some customers claimed that the employees are rude and always busy. One of the customers claimed that they had paid USD 3,000 for tax amendment services. However, the client claimed that the company’s employees have since refused to reply to the client’s messages and calls. The company has also failed to provide any updates on the case (https://bestcompany.com/tax-relief/company/ideal-tax-solutions?review_filter=1#reviews). Another customer claimed that she had dealt with four representatives on her case. She claimed that only Tiffani S showed some concerns about her situation and was ready to help. However, Tiffani was sympathetic but did not help her deal with her tax issues. Although some customers are extremely angry with the company’s customer services agents, some customers believe that they have received good customer service. A customer claimed that the staff is amazing (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.idealtaxsolution.com).
In 2015, the company accepted that some of its employees are rude. After a customer complained about being abused by a sales representative, the company reported that it had identified and let go of the employee (https://www.trustlink.org/Review/Ideal-Tax-Solution-64461).
How long does Ideal Tax Solution take to resolve the tax issues?
Tax issues should take a reasonable time to resolve since delayed tax remittance results in fines. The company should therefore conduct customer negotiations within a short time to allow customers to submit their taxes on time. The majority of happy customers claim that the company helped them resolve their tax issues and filed their taxes returns on time. However, some customers claimed that the phased processing of customer issues took too much time and in some instances exposed them to additional fines. One customer claimed that he became a client of the company in February 2020. However, after 14 months, the company had only filed taxes for the year 2019 alone. The client claimed that upon contacting another company, the taxes were filed within ten minutes. A call to the IRS demonstrated that Ideal Tax Solution, LLC had last contacted IRS on behalf of the customer months before. Another customer also claimed that the company filed their 2018 taxes late and wrongly.
According to a former customer, Ideal Tax Solution asked for USD6,800 for Phase 2 Resolution. The phase usually takes 3-5 months. The customer claimed that the company refused to file tax returns for years 2019, 2020, and 2021 unless the customer paid the total amount due (https://www.yelp.com/biz/ideal-tax-solution-costa-mesa-2). The client tried to negotiate for a more flexible payment plan but the company refused. The client claimed that he had extremely limited time to file for the returns. Based on the customer’s comments the company’s long and phased process leaves customers with no other option but to pay the requested amount to avoid late payment.
How does Ideal Tax Solution offer refunds?
Refunds show that the Ideal Tax Solution is confident with its products or services. Although sometimes customers use refunds to access free services, frustrated customers request refunds to genuinely pay other companies for similar services. The company does not have a refund policy on its social media platforms or website. Additionally, a customer has previously complained that he has been requesting refunds after the company made no efforts in resolving his tax issues but the company refused to provide the refund. The client had paid USD995.99 as the research fee (https://bestcompany.com/tax-relief/company/ideal-tax-solutions?review_filter=1#reviews). Failure to provide refunds raises issues concerning the services offered by the company. A lack of refunds means that customers will pay even if the company does not meet its part of the bargain as promised.
References
- https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.idealtaxsolution.com
- https://www.google.com/search?q=Ideal+Tax+Solution%2C+LLC&ei=o77zYbiSMZbtz7sPzJGM-AQ&ved=0ahUKEwj477v9l9T1AhWW9nMBHcwIA08Q4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Ideal+Tax+Solution%2C+LLC&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyCAgAEIAEEMkDMgYIABAWEB5KBAhBGAFKBAhGGABQ3QJY3QJg0wZoA3AAeACAAZYBiAGWAZIBAzAuMZgBAKABAqABAcABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz#lrd=0x80dd27559f01dc85:0xb8698d9b1d086b4c,1,,,
- https://bestcompany.com/tax-relief/company/ideal-tax-solutions?review_filter=1#reviews
- https://www.trustlink.org/Reviews/Ideal-Tax-Solution-206311499
- https://www.yelp.com/biz/ideal-tax-solution-costa-mesa-2
Dr. Henrique Duck, PhD in Media Studies and Critical Theory, specializes in writing detailed critics stories and reviews. He has contributed to prominent newspapers and websites, providing insightful analysis of media content and its effects on society.
