Tax Defense Network Tax Relief Review
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If you owe money to the IRS due to unpaid taxes, you may have considered hiring a tax relief company. These businesses assist taxpayers with issues related to tax debt. And while the tax relief industry tends to attract bad actors, legitimate companies can shave thousands of dollars off your tax bill.
In its more than 15 years of service, Tax Defense Network has built up a reputation for providing quality service at a competitive price. In this guide, we'll dive into Tax Defense Network's service options, strengths, weaknesses, pricing and more. Continue reading to learn if Tax Defense Network is the right tax relief company for you.
Best for bilingual services
Many bilingual people feel more comfortable communicating in their native language regardless of their English speaking abilities, especially for complex, high-stakes issues like tax debt.
Tax Defense Network maintains a dedicated bilingual support staff to assist both English- and Spanish-speaking customers. Spanish speakers can interact with bilingual tax relief professionals, including CPAs and tax attorneys, and switch between English and Spanish on the company website.
Tax Defense Network tax relief pros and cons
In this section, we'll cover the advantages and drawbacks of using the Tax Defense Network.
- Extensive variety of services
- Bilingual customer service
- Free initial consultation
- Short, three-day money-back guarantee
Pros, explained
Some of Tax Defense Network's strengths include its wide range of services, bilingual support staff and free consultations.
Extensive variety of services
Tax Defense Network offers a variety of services that go beyond general tax relief. With Tax Defense Network, you can access an array of niche services like small business tax help and payroll tax assistance. You can also use Tax Defense Network to help you navigate IRS audits and appeals.
The company also offers a tax preparation service. While you likely qualify to file your taxes for free, those with complex tax needs, such as the self-employed or high-income individuals, may benefit from professional tax preparation services.
Fully bilingual customer service
Tax Defense Network offers fully bilingual customer service. You can also switch the website from English to Spanish using a toggle feature at the top of the website.
Free initial consultation
Tax Defense Network offers a free consultation so you can figure out whether the company is right for you. During your consultation, a tax professional will ask about your debt obligations and personal information, such as your income, assets and other debts.
Then they’ll outline possible repayment strategies and discuss how Tax Defense Network can help you manage your tax burden. By the end of your consultation, you should have a good idea of what options and potential strategies you have available. The service representative should also present you with a quote.
Cons, explained
Drawbacks to using Tax Defense Network include its short money-back guarantee period.
Short, three-day money-back guarantee
Once you commit to using Tax Defense Network, you have just a three-day window to request a full money-back guarantee. By contrast, many competitors let you request a refund for anywhere from two weeks to up to six months. But keep in mind that not all tax relief firms offer this perk.
Longer money-back guarantee periods give you a chance to explore other options. They also let you see how the service works in action.
Tax Defense Network’s credentials
Tax Defense Network is accredited by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Tax Professionals, American Society of Tax Problem Solvers and the National Association of Enrolled Agents.
Tax Defense Network tax relief offerings
Tax Defense Network offers a full suite of tax-related services. In this section, we'll explore five of them.
Tax relief
If you need help navigating a tax burden, you can take advantage of Tax Defense Network's array of tax relief offerings. These include:
- IRS tax relief
- State tax relief
- Tax settlement
- Tax debt forgiveness
- Tax negotiation
- IRS fresh-start initiative
- IRS appeals
- IRS payment plan
- Offer in compromise
- Innocent spouse relief
- Currently not collectible
- IRS penalty abatement
Some of these relief methods are quite common. You can find any number of tax relief firms that provide IRS tax relief. Others represent more unique specialties since they target a more specific customer segment. For example, not all companies of this type provide innocent spouse relief, which helps husbands and wives whose partners incorrectly filled out their joint tax returns.
Applying for one of these programs does not guarantee acceptance. Even if you do qualify for a tax relief program, the IRS may simply defer your payments until a later date. If that occurs, you may have to pay interest and late fees.
Tax help
Tax Defense Network can help you with various tax difficulties. These include:
- Unfiled tax returns
- Delinquent taxes
- Back taxes
- IRS tax levy
- IRS tax lien
- IRS penalty reduction or removal
- IRS wage garnishment
- Individual tax preparation
- IRS notice management
- Tax offsets
- Crypto taxes
Sorting out your delinquent, unfiled or back tax situation with the IRS can prevent you from experiencing more severe problems down the road. Other solutions include installment agreements that let you pay down your owed taxes on a regular schedule.
Tax Defense Network can stop future difficulties at the source with its individual and small business tax preparation service. Its personalized services work best for individuals with complex tax returns. You may benefit from Tax Defense Network if you’re a business owner or if you have investment income, self-employment income or itemized deductions.
If you have something more complex than a straightforward personal tax return, it may be worthwhile to use a tax preparation service as opposed to tax software.
Tax audit
While you can go through a tax audit by yourself, you might want to seek outside help. Audits are inherently complex processes with a lot of moving parts, and mistakes can lead to steep financial penalties. Tax Defense Network has audit representatives who will work on your behalf to find a solution with the IRS such as an offer in compromise, a payment plan or even appeal if appropriate.
Small business help
Tax Defense Network offers an array of tax-related services for small businesses. Most of these deal with tax preparation and planning. However, you can also receive help if your business is behind on its taxes or if you've run into other tax-related issues. Here's a full list of the services offered:
Business tax preparation
- Bookkeeping
- Payroll taxes
- Startup plans
- Sales tax nexus
- Close corporate filing
- Tax debt resolution
- Tax planning
- Self-employment taxes
TaxSafe
TaxSafe is a paid program offered by Tax Defense Network that provides ongoing tax services, credit monitoring and more after your tax resolution case is complete. Calling it “an insurance policy for your tax resolution”, these programs are meant for the 24 months after your tax case wraps up and provide you with ongoing assistance with the IRS, discounted tax preparation and credit protection.
You can choose from three plan options:
- Basic: This plan costs $27.99 a month and offers assistance with IRS notices and balance monitoring, discounts for tax preparation and resolution, credit protection and a free credit consultation.
- Standard: This plan costs $49.99 a month and provides the same features as the basic plan, but you'll also gain access to additional tax services and credit protection services including help from a dedicated tax specialist and a $1 million ID theft insurance policy.
- Pro: This plan costs $128.99 a month. Its comprehensive slate of services is ideal for self-employed individuals and business owners. You'll receive everything that you'd get with the standard plan along with other services such as ID theft monitoring and quarterly estimated payment alerts.
Tax Defense Network tax relief pricing
Tax Defense Network doesn't publicize its prices for tax relief. A spokesperson told Money that fees vary based on the complexity of the case and estimated time for completion, though the average fee for its services is $3,500.
To learn how much it’ll cost for you, consider getting a free consultation. Tax Defense Network staffers will ask you for personal information, such as your total tax burden, to create a customized quote.
Tax Defense Network accessibility
Availability
Tax Defense Network offers virtual and over-the-phone assistance in all 50 states. However, if you'd prefer a face-to-face meeting, your options will be more limited. You can find branch offices in 32 states. (Note that some states have several locations while others have only one or two.)
You may not qualify for assistance from Tax Defense Network if you don’t meet its minimum tax debt of $5,000 or it believes you won’t receive value from its services.
Contact information
You can contact Tax Defense Network in one of the following ways:
- Phone: Tax Defense Network operates a phone line at 844-703-4276.
- In person: Look up your nearest branch office online for a face-to-face consultation.
- Online form: Fill out the form at the bottom of Tax Defense Network's contact page for general inquiries.
- Email: info@taxdefensenetwork.com
- Snail mail: Send a letter to 9000 Southside Blvd., Bldg 100, Suite 1900, Jacksonville, FL, 32256.
User experience
Based on customer reviews sent to the Better Business Bureau, Tax Defense Network has an A+ grade with the Better Business Bureau and a 4.33 out of 5 stars rating from customers.
You receive a free consultation from a tax professional, and Spanish speakers can expect to work with a bilingual staff member.
Tax Defense Network customer satisfaction
On the Better Business Bureau website, Tax Defense Network holds a 4.33/5 star rating average with 712 customer reviews. Many positive reviews praised the company for its professional and courteous staff. However, multiple reviewers complained about poor communication and failure to provide useful assistance.
Over on Trustpilot, Tax Defense Network is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars with about 400 reviews.
Tax Defense Network primarily helps individuals and small businesses with various issues related to unpaid taxes including liens and levies, innocent spouse relief, audits, wage garnishments and back taxes.
In addition, it also provides conventional tax preparation services much like H&R Block or TurboTax.How we evaluated Tax Defense Network tax relief
We evaluated the Tax Defense Network using several key metrics. These included:
- Range of services
- Pricing
- Customer reviews
- Third-party recognition
- Accessibility and availability
- Quality of service
Summary of Money's Tax Defense Network tax relief review
Tax Defense Network provides a comprehensive set of tax-related services. These go beyond standard tax relief assistance to encompass tax preparation and planning. After your case is complete, you can even buy a monthly subscription with Tax Defense Network’s TaxSafe to provide you with ongoing tax, audit and credit monitoring assistance.
TaxSafe provides IRS balance monitoring and audit assistance for individuals and business owners. Depending on your plan choice, you may also gain access to helpful features like free credit consultations, credit monitoring and free consultations with a dedicated tax specialist.
While Tax Defense Network is active in all 50 states, it only has brick-and-mortar branches in 32 states. Another potential drawback is its short three-day money-back guarantee.
Before contacting any tax relief company, you should get in touch with the IRS, as the agency will work with you. And before you select a tax relief service, do your due diligence by shopping around. Getting a variety of quotes will enable you to make an informed purchasing decision.