Choosing Tax Help
Tax Relief Companies Compared: Fees, Minimums, Guarantees and BBB Status
Updated
We run one of the companies on this page, so this is not a ranking. It is the published facts, side by side, with the source and date for each one, so you can check them yourself. Where two sources disagree, both figures are shown.
Key takeaways
- Only one of the seven firms publishes a complete fee schedule. The others publish an investigation fee, a starting price, or nothing.
- Every firm here holds an A+ BBB rating and BBB accreditation, so the rating alone does not separate them. Complaint history, review counts and fee transparency do.
- Money-back terms differ more than the marketing suggests: most cover only the first-step fee for 3 to 30 days.
- Published minimums run $5,000 to $20,000. Below that, the IRS's own payment plan costs nothing to apply for.
The comparison table
Sources: CNBC Select, “Best Tax Relief Companies,” updated September 29, 2026; Money, “Best Tax Relief Companies,” updated August 31, 2026; LendEDU, “TaxRise Review,” read October 4, 2026 (TaxRise row); each company's BBB profile, read October 1, 2026 (TaxRise October 4, 2026); and each company's own website where noted, including TaxRise's guarantee page. Clarity's row is from our pricing page and BBB profile.
| Company | First-step fee | Resolution fee | Minimum debt | Money-back terms | Credentials | BBB | In business since | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity Tax Relief (this site) | $495 personal, $695 business (published) | Quoted in writing before payment; full schedule published | $10,000 (typical) | 30 days on our fee | Enrolled Agent on staff | A+, accredited; 5.0 from 12 reviews | 2018 | All 50 states |
| Optima Tax Relief | $495 (CNBC) | Starts at $1,200 (CNBC) | $10,000 | 15 days | Not stated in sources | A+, accredited | 2010 | All 50 states |
| Community Tax | $295 (CNBC) to $549 (Money) | $2,000 to $7,000 total (Money) | $7,500 (CNBC) or $10,000 (Money) | 14 days | Enrolled agents, CPAs, attorneys (own site) | A+, accredited | 2010 | Not stated; not in Minnesota (Money) |
| Anthem Tax Services | $300 (CNBC) | Starts around $1,750 (Money) | $10,000 (CNBC) or $20,000 (Money) | Results-based: refund if it does not improve your situation (own site) | NAEA and NATP member (CNBC) | A+, accredited | 2016 | All 50 states (CNBC) |
| Larson Tax Relief | Not stated | Starts at $2,500 for representation (Money) | $10,000 (Money) | 15 days (Money) | NAEA member (Money) | A+, accredited | 2005 | Not in Minnesota (Money) |
| Tax Defense Network | Not stated | Average $3,500 (Money); plans from $99 a month (CNBC) | $5,000 | 3 days (CNBC) or 30 days (Money) | NAEA, ASTPS member (Money) | A+, accredited | 2007 | All 50 states (CNBC) |
| TaxRise | $375–$500 (LendEDU) | Up to 15% of what you owe (LendEDU) | $10,000 (LendEDU) | Enrollment in a resolution or your money back, conditions apply (TaxRise) | Enrolled agents (LendEDU) | A+, accredited | 2017 | Not all states (TaxRise) |
“Not stated” means neither roundup nor the company's own site gave a figure when we checked. BBB “in business since” dates are the Business Started field on each profile. Figures change; the date on each source is the date that figure was true.
How to read the fees
Tax relief pricing has two steps almost everywhere. The first is an investigation: the firm pulls your IRS transcripts, confirms what you owe and which years are unfiled, and tells you what is realistic. The second is the resolution work itself, and that is where the quotes diverge, because the work ranges from a streamlined payment plan to a full Offer in Compromise with appeals. A firm that will not put the second fee in writing before you pay it is asking you to sign for an unknown amount. Our own fee schedule is on the pricing page, and what tax relief actually costs goes through typical ranges for each kind of case.
What a money-back guarantee covers
Read the window and the scope. In most cases the refund covers the investigation fee only, and the clock starts the day you sign. A results-based guarantee sounds broader, but “improves your situation” is the firm's judgment to make. The IRS does not guarantee any outcome, and no firm can promise one: an Offer in Compromise is accepted or rejected on the IRS's own collection formula. Our Client Bill of Rights spells out exactly what our 15-day term covers.
Checks you can run yourself
- BBB profile. Accreditation, rating, complaint count for the last three years, and whether complaints were answered.
- IRS directory. Any enrolled agent, CPA or attorney a firm names can be looked up in the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers.
- CFPB complaint database and your state attorney general. Both are searchable by company name.
- Written fee quote before payment. If the answer is “after the consultation,” ask again after the consultation and before paying.
We put our own answers to those checks on how to verify Clarity Tax Relief and our complaint record. Red flags that apply to any firm are in tax relief scams and how to spot them.
Tax relief company questions, answered
Which tax relief company is cheapest?
It depends on what you need done, and most firms do not publish a price list. Of the seven companies on this page, Clarity Tax Relief publishes its full fee schedule; the others publish an investigation fee or a starting figure at most. The honest comparison is the first-step fee and whether the resolution fee is quoted in writing before you pay it.
What minimum tax debt do tax relief companies require?
Published minimums in September 2026 roundups range from $5,000 at Tax Defense Network to $10,000 at Optima, Larson and Clarity, and $7,500 to $20,000 at Community Tax and Anthem depending on the source. Below a firm's minimum, the IRS's own online payment plan is usually the right tool, and the IRS charges no fee to apply for one.
Is a money-back guarantee the same at every firm?
No. Most cover only the investigation fee for a fixed window: 30 days at Clarity, 15 days at Optima and Larson, 14 days at Community Tax, 3 to 30 days at Tax Defense Network depending on the source. Anthem describes its guarantee in terms of results instead of a window. Read the written terms before paying; the window starts when you sign, not when work finishes.
How do I check a tax relief company myself?
Look the firm up on BBB.org for accreditation, rating and complaint history; look its enrolled agent up in the IRS directory of federal tax return preparers; search the CFPB complaint database and your state attorney general's site; and ask for the fee in writing before paying anything. Our page on how to verify Clarity walks through each step.
Figures on this page are reported by the sources named and dated; they are not guarantees of any firm's current pricing or terms. Results vary by individual facts and circumstances, and no specific outcome is guaranteed by any firm, including Clarity Tax Relief.