Fortress Tax Relief Review
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Overview
Fortress Tax Relief is an Oregon-based tax relief service providing its services to 49 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. It specializes in both Federal and State tax relief and distinguishes itself from competitors by handling every case with a licensed tax attorney.
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Best For:
This company is particularly good at settling complex tax relief cases that require frequent communication with IRS agents. The company has experience with nearly every category of tax resolution services, thanks to its nearly 20 years in business and its staff of licensed tax attorneys who do nothing but handle tax resolution cases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Tax attorneys on staff to handle cases
- Good reputation
- Negotiates tax burdens and settlements
Cons
- Minimum tax debt requirement is slightly above average
- Does not offer tax preparation services
Credentials
Fortress Tax Relief employs only licensed tax attorneys to deal with each and every case. There are no CPAs and bookkeepers handling complex IRS regulations, and their salesmen are considered honest and will not try to hook you on unnecessary services. After deciding to hire Fortress, clients deal exclusively with licensed tax attorneys. Moreover, a 24-hour money-back guarantee ensures that there will be no overblown promises or miscommunications.
Getting Started
Onboarding at Fortress is rather easy and handled by two professionals from their team.
Whether you fill out a form online, send an email requesting a consultation, or place a call to FTR you will be transferred to speak with one of their tax salesmen. Depending on the complexity of your case, your initial consultation will last between 10 and 60 minutes. After identifying a solution, a fee will be quoted, and a proposal will be sent for your approval.
In some more complex instances, Fortress may accept the case for a small down payment. Then, they will bill hourly for the additional steps required to provide you with a solution. As a general rule, if you request that they stop working on the case, all future work will be halted, and billing will cease.
If you decide to hire Fortress, you will be provided with a consultation with one of their tax attorneys. During this meeting, the tax attorney will review the signed contract, ask questions, and confirm that the services sold are deliverable and indeed offer the best possible resolution.
Fortress offers a money-back guarantee for the first 24 hours following that initial consultation if for any reason you should change your mind about working with them.
Requirements & Fees
Fortress Tax Relief requires a minimum tax debt of $10,000, which is comparable to many other tax relief agencies. They offer to take on your case with no retainer fee, and also offer a money-back guarantee, if you request it within 24-hours of the initial consultation
Tax Relief Requirements
The requirements for becoming a client at Fortress Tax Relief are straight-forward:
- At least $10,000 in back taxes owed.
- Any employment status is accepted.
- U.S. residency is not mandatory, but business should be based in the country.
Fees
Of course, fees are an important consideration. The fees are considered to be a bit higher than competing tax relief firms, but that’s offset by the use of licensed tax attorneys for every case, and no surprising additional fees. Fees begin at $500 and the average fee, based on customer testimony, is $3,100. Fortress charges a flat fee or a retainer based on the prospect’s needs and the clarity of their tax issue, although in most cases they offer to take your case with no retainer fee.
The firm offers a money-back guarantee for those who request it within 24-hours of the initial consultation, and flexible payment options are available for those who are unable to pay all at once for the service,
Privacy & Security
Fortress Tax Relief has high ratings on every review site we visited, with most reviews being 4 and 5 star. The Better Business Bureau rates the firm with 4.81 stars out of 5 and has given it an A+ accredited rating since 2003. There are no customer complaints listed on the BBB website in the past 12 months.
Customer Service
Obviously, customer service is important when matters such as tax relief are considered, and Fortress gets good marks here too. Because each client is assigned a tax attorney to handle their case there are few customer service issues, and most reviews agree that the attorney is very responsive and communicates each step of the process clearly and transparently. There are a number of ways you can contact them, provided on their website.
Final Thoughts
Fortress Tax Relief seems to do an excellent job in resolving tax-related issues, likely due to having licensed tax attorneys represent each client, and this is where Fortress really delivers on its promises. Although they may seem more expensive than their competitors, they make an effort to stay transparent and provide you with the total amount of fees you’ll pay ahead of time. While it is a bit off-putting that Fortress is not very transparent about their fees and requirements on their website (much like other tax-relief services), their customized price proposals are rather informative, and you can receive one easily by providing your information. Finally, they are well-reviewed across the web and seem to provide satisfactory service to their clients.
Address
1011 SW Emkay Drive, Suite 201
Bend, OR 97702