Anthem Tax Services | Tax Relief Review
Anthem Tax Services is a tax debt resolution company with decades of experience in tax preparation and tax law. Based in California, the company is licensed to represent clients in all 50 states and is accredited by the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS) and the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA).
If you’re seeking tax relief, you should know you can — and likely should — contact the IRS directly, as the agency will work with you to find workable solutions. You may also want to get in touch with a low-income taxpayer clinic or the federal Taxpayer Advocate Service. Tax relief is an industry rife with scammy companies that make big promises without solid results.
That said, there are certain situations in which it’s useful to consult third-party tax relief firms (like Anthem Tax Services) that have expertise in negotiating with the IRS, potentially saving you time, headaches and money.
Read on for a detailed breakdown of the company’s services, qualifications and noteworthy features:
- Anthem’s services
- Anthem’s credentials
- Anthem’s accessibility
- Anthem’s customer satisfaction
- Anthem Tax Services’ tax relief overview
- Money-back guarantee
- Free consultations
- Poor communication from Anthem on cases that go on longer than a week
Anthem Tax Services handles the most common tax debt issues, including back taxes, liens and audits. The company is also qualified to pursue all available tax resolution options such as offers in compromise, installment agreements and penalty abatement if your case meets the requirements.
In advertisements, Anthem says it offers a 100% money-back guarantee.
Anthem’s services
Anthem offers every essential tax resolution service that a person might need, either as an individual or a business owner. To qualify for the service, you need a minimum debt or tax liability of $10,000.
It should also be noted that, like any other tax relief company, Anthem’s pricing will vary depending on your particular tax situation. However, the company offers free consultations with no upfront fees and only charges a $300 initial investigation fee once it has agreed to take on your case.
Below we go over Anthem’s advertised services and what they entail. For a more thorough explanation of tax debt resolution options, read our article on the best tax relief companies.
What Anthem offers
Tax debt relief
- Currently not collectible: Taxpayers are eligible for Currently Non Collectible (CNC) status when the IRS determines that they can’t pay the debt due to financial hardship. Anthem can analyze your paperwork and decide whether this option is possible for you.
- Installment agreement: An installment agreement is a payment plan for your outstanding tax debt, typically divided into monthly payments made to the IRS. Anthem can consult on your tax situation and request an installment agreement from the IRS on your behalf.
- Penalty abatement: It may be possible to reduce or eliminate your tax penalty by requesting penalty relief from the IRS. There are different types of penalties and types of abatements, and Anthem Tax Services can help you find out if you qualify.
- Offer in compromise: This is a situation in which the IRS agrees to settle your tax debt for less than the total amount owed. There are a lot of requirements, but Anthem can help you navigate the process.
Tax help
- IRS levy: A tax levy means the government enforces its right to seize your property. Anthem offers services that could help you secure a levy release to avoid having your property seized.
- IRS wage garnishment: Wage garnishments mean that a portion of your wages are automatically deducted to pay down any outstanding tax debt.
- Unfiled tax returns: Some of the most common tax problems can be traced back to unfiled returns. An unfiled tax return can lead to bigger issues such as late filing fees and even tax levies if the situation gets bad enough.
- Business help/corporate tax prep: Anthem offers corporate tax preparation services to help businesses avoid future tax issues with the IRS.
What Anthem doesn’t offer
Anthem does not handle Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) filings. This particular type of filing is mandatory for any U.S. resident with foreign bank accounts.
Anthem’s credentials
Anthem Tax Services is staffed by tax professionals licensed to work in all 50 states and is accredited by several tax professional organizations. Furthermore, the company holds a favorable A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Licenses and registrations
Anthem Tax Services is staffed by tax professionals who are licensed to operate in all 50 states. While this mainly means the company is qualified to help you with your federal tax debt, its tax professionals may also be able to advise you on certain matters of state tax debt.
Awards and certifications
- Accredited by the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP)
- Accredited by the California Tax Education Council (CTEC)
- Accredited by the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA)
- Accredited by the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS)
- Third-party ratings
Anthem Tax Services is not rated by any third-party agencies specializing in the tax resolution services industry.
Regulatory or legal actions
There is currently no record of regulatory or legal action against Anthem tax Services from agencies such as the FTC and CFPB.
Although we always try to include accurate and up-to-date information on regulatory and legal actions, this information may not be complete or entirely up to date. As always, we recommend you do your own research, as well.
Anthem’s accessibility
Anthem can be reached by phone or email.
Availability
Although Anthem Tax Services is based in California, the company’s methods of contact include phone and email.
Contact information
To get in touch with Anthem, call the company, email or fill out the contact form on its website. The company may provide alternative contact methods after you contract its services.
- Phone number: 855-749-2859
- Email for support issues: info@anthemtaxservices.com
User experience
Anthem’s website is relatively straightforward to navigate, with four tabs you can explore:
- Tax Services: A breakdown of the different tax resolution services offered.
- Resources: A selection of informative articles that answer general questions about IRS tax issues.
- About: General information about the company and customer testimonials.
- Contact: Company contact information, including phone number, support email address and fillable online form.
It also has a chat bot available in the bottom right-hand corner.
Limitations
Outside of its California offices, Anthem Tax Services has no physical locations that customers can visit.
Anthem’s customer satisfaction
Overall, Anthem Tax Services boasts high levels of customer satisfaction. No business is without its faults, but even when customers have complaints, Anthem appears to work to resolve them.
Customer complaints
Because the tax debt resolution industry lacks a dedicated regulatory agency to track customer complaints, the only available information comes from the Better Business Bureau, which has registered 83 complaints in the last three years.
Of those 83 complaints, 29 were closed within the past 12 months.
Third-party ratings
Anthem Tax Services is not evaluated by third-party organizations such as J.D. Power, which have dedicated reports on customer satisfaction metrics for various industries. However, the Better Business Bureau and aggregate customer review website Trustpilot give Anthem the following ratings:
- Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
- BBB: A+
Trustpilot’s rating is based on a total of 244 customer reviews. Be sure to read individual customer reviews and use your best judgment to decide whether a company is right for you.
How we evaluated Anthem Tax Services
We evaluated Anthem tax Services on availability, cost and credibility.
- Availability: Anthem’s availability to residents of all 50 states was one of the main factors in our decision to include them in our list of best tax relief companies.
- Cost: The cost of tax relief services varies greatly depending on each case. However, Anthem’s free consultations and lack of upfront fees made it a top candidate.
- Credibility: Like any other industry, tax relief has its fair share of bad actors willing to scam people out of their money. To verify the company’s credibility, we ensured that Anthem Tax Services was appropriately licensed.
Summary of Money’s Anthem Tax Services review
Anthem Tax Services is a tax relief company that handles common tax debt issues such as tax audits and offers more specialized services such as business tax preparation. It stands out for its money-back guarantee.
Anthem is accredited by several tax professional organizations, including the NATP, and NAEA. Overall, the company boasts positive customer reviews.