Best tax relief companies of May 2026

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans with an overdue tax bill owe the IRS at least $10,000, according to a 2026 survey by LendEDU, and over 10% of those carrying tax debt are behind by $100,000 or more.

There are caps on IRS tax settlement plans and most debt relief companies don't touch taxes. But a tax relief company can negotiate with the IRS or your state revenue department to arrange an installment plan, stop garnishments and liens and even reduce or eliminate your balance.

The Federal Trade Commission encourages taxpayers to try to work with the IRS on their own. But if you need a solution or feel overwhelmed, we've selected the top tax relief companies in a variety of categories.

Who's this for? Community Tax's investigation phase, which includes reviewing your documents and developing solutions, typically runs about $295 for individual cases and $595 for businesses, on the lower end of all the companies we reviewed. Community Tax also sets a custom price based on the amount owed and case complexity for the resolution phase, when it presents you with options and negotiates with the IRS on your behalf.

Standout features: There's a 14-day money-back guarantee and clients get a CTAX subscription with tax planning and filing services, identity theft resolution and access to CPAs and attorneys.

Who's this for? In addition to a 30-day money-back guarantee, Alleviate guarantees it will beat other tax relief companies' price quotes.

Standout benefits: Alleviate works on state and federal taxes in all 50 states and claims to have settled over $400 million in tax debts for its clients.

Who's this for? In addition to resolving tax issues, CuraDebt also works with clients with credit card debt, medical bills and other unsecured debt. It's one of our top picks for debt settlement.

Standout benefits: CuraDebt offers a lowest-fee guarantee and accepts clients with as little as $5,000 in eligible debt.

Who's this for? Founded in 1967, Precision Tax has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, with BBB reviews averaging 4.76 out of 5 stars. Clients can talk with a tax expert via phone, text or live online chat.

Standout benefits: The company boasts a 94% success rate with offer-in-compromise agreements and claims to have helped clients resolve more than $58 million in tax liability.

You'll get a free consultation, a flat-rate quote for all tax resolution services and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Who's this for? If you want face-to-face help, Tax Defense Network has offices in 32 states with Spanish-speaking CPAs, tax attorneys and support staff at most branches.

Standout benefits: Tax Defense Network handles state and federal taxes and provides audit representations, services not all companies offer. Payment plans start at $99 a month, and there is a three-day money-back guarantee.

Who's this for? While some tax relief agencies are only licensed in some areas, Anthem Tax Services represents clients in all 50 U.S. states.

Standout benefits: Anthem offers a free consultation and advertises a money-back guarantee if it doesn't save you money or rework your payment schedule. It also has years of experience helping truck drivers and owner/operators with their specific tax issues.

Who's this for? Instant Tax Solutions has over a dozen years of experience working on tax relief for 1099 workers, including contractors, gig workers and real estate agents.

Standout benefits: Instant Tax Solutions can help with business and payroll tax relief, offers in compromise, installment agreements, penalty abatements and innocent spouse relief.

Who's this for? If you don't want to get bogged down with phone calls and emails, Optima lets you start the application process on its mobile app, where you can also file a free tax extension, request help from a tax resolution specialist and analyze collection notices from the IRS.

Standout features: Optima offers three tiers of tax ID theft protection, complete with audit defense and fraud alerts.

Tax relief companies approach the IRS or your state revenue office to reduce or eliminate your tax liability.

That can involve a variety of strategies, including:

• Establishing an installment agreement to pay your full balance in smaller increments over a longer period.

• Requesting an Offer in Compromise to settle for less than the full amount, often based on your income, expenses and your ability to pay, among other factors.
  
• Applying for Currently Not Collectible status due to financial hardship.

• Requesting a penalty abatement to reduce/remove wage garnishment and other financial penalties imposed for underpayment, late filing or other forms of noncompliance.

• Applying for innocent spouse relief if you owe extra taxes because your spouse underreported income on your joint tax return.

Many settlement companies offer other tax and accounting services, including tax prep, back-return filing and bookkeeping.

How much you'll be charged by a tax relief service depends on the size of your debt, the level of assistance you need and the complexity of your situation.

Most companies offer a free consultation, followed by an initial investigation phase that can cost between $300 and $500 for individuals. Once the full financial picture is established and your representative contacts the IRS, the resolution phase can run anywhere from $2,000 to more than $10,000 beyond what you owe.

Many of the companies we listed offer a limited money-back guarantee. Some charge a flat fee, while others have hourly or monthly rates.

You could be a good candidate for a tax relief company if you have a major tax debt and don't think you can untangle it yourself.

1. If you owe more than $10,000 in back taxes. Most tax relief companies require clients to have a minimum tax debt of $5,000 to $10,000. You also want to make sure the fees you pay don't eat up any savings you see..

2. You can't pay what you owe. If paying your tax liability would cause financial hardship, a tax relief company may be better positioned to get you approved for Currently Not Collectible status (temporarily pauses collections) or an Offer in Compromise (settle tax debt for less than the amount owed) than trying on your own.

3. You're facing collections. If you owe enough, the IRS can garnish your wages, seize money from your accounts or even place a lien against your home. A professional can negotiate a deal or stop enforcement more quickly.

4. Your tax situation is "messy."  If you have years of missing returns, are disputing claims by the IRS or have complicated self-employment or business income issues,

You're probably not a good candidate for a tax relief company if your debt is very recent or small (under $5,000-$7,000), if you have the money to pay off the balance in full or if you qualify for one of the IRS's automatic payment plans.

A tax relief company is a type of debt relief service and comes with the same caveat: There are many legitimate ones, but scam artists and predatory practices are something to be aware of.

The Federal Trade Commission says consumers should avoid working with any tax relief company that:

• Contacts you first
• Requires payment in advance
• Promises a specific outcome
• Claims you're eligible for a special IRS tax relief program

Evaluate any tax or debt relief company carefully. Many of the companies we've selected are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and are members of the American Institute of CPAs, the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers or the National Association of Tax Professionals.

You can always apply for a settlement plan or offer in compromise on your own at no cost. If you owe federal taxes, the IRS's Taxpayer Advocate Service provides free services and helps filers with financial hardship.

But a paid tax settlement plan can be worth it if you've been unsuccessful in working with the IRS or are overwhelmed by the process. That's especially if you owe more than $10,000, the cutoff for the IRS Guaranteed Installment Agreement, an automatic, no-questions-asked payment plan.

Tax settlement companies also know the system well and may be able to navigate it more effectively and suggest different options.

If you haven't had success negotiating with the IRS or your state comptroller directly, it might make sense to turn to a tax relief company to get out from under your tax debt.

To choose a tax relief company, start by understanding what you owe. Get an idea of whether you owe state or federal taxes, or both. You'll also need to know your balance, as many brands require a minimum of $7,500 in tax debt to qualify for their programs, though some help with lower balances.

Then gather information on how much it would cost to resolve your tax issue with a few companies. Dive deeper by reading reviews and seeing where companies operate.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are a few red flags to look out for in a tax relief company you're considering. Avoid companies that charge their full fee up front, or require a monthly subscription.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every tax relief review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of tax relief products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

To find the best debt relief companies, CNBC Select analyzed more than a dozen U.S. debt relief companies.

When narrowing down and ranking the best debt relief companies, we focused on the following features:

Better Business Bureau accreditation: To be BBB accredited, companies must meet standards for transparency, honest advertising, trustworthiness, responsiveness and privacy, among other things.

Customer satisfaction ratings: The BBB measures customer satisfaction through ratings left on its website. We considered both the rating and the number of reviews received.

History. We considered the number of years a debt relief company has been operating.

Nationwide availability: We considered the number of states where the service is available, prioritizing those with broader availability.

Types of tax debt: We considered whether companies worked on both federal and state tax debt.

We also considered the CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools. 

We sorted our recommendations by the best for affordability, customer service, nationwide availability, money-back guarantee, in-person assistance, for multiple debts and for freelancers and gig workers.

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