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Tax Relief Industry Plagued by High Costs, Low Success Rates, and Fraud — New Platform Gives Taxpayers Tools to Audit Their Tax Relief Status
Palo Alto, CA June 24, 2025 --( )-- The tax relief industry, marketed as a lifeline for Americans drowning in IRS debt, is now facing heightened scrutiny as more cases of fraud, abuse, and predatory sales tactics continue to emerge. While promising to reduce tax liabilities and settle debts for pennies on the dollar, many tax relief firms have been accused of charging thousands of dollars upfront while delivering little or no real results.
Over the past several decades, several high-profile tax relief companies have been investigated, raided, or shut down by federal and state authorities.
In 2021, the Justice Department filed lawsuits against one of the most visible firms in the space, alleging deceptive advertising and misleading consumers about likely outcomes. Before that a once publicly traded company collapsed after the Texas Attorney General secured a nearly $200 million judgment for fraudulent practices. Another major company was permanently shut down by the FTC in 2010 after being charged with taking millions of dollars from consumers while providing virtually no tax relief services. In 2022, IRS agents raided another tax relief firm in Chicago, adding to the growing list of enforcement actions targeting the industry.
Despite these actions, hundreds of tax relief companies still operate nationally, many charging fees ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 upfront for services that may require little more than filing simple IRS petitions.
a new online platform, aims to bring transparency to an industry that has long operated in the shadows.
Unlike tax relief companies, does not sell tax resolution services, negotiate with the IRS, or charge fees based on 'settlement amounts.' Instead, it provides tax help through independent and detailed tax reports that verify exactly what taxpayers owe and what work has — or hasn't — been done by the firm they hired.
'Most taxpayers have no idea whether their tax relief company has filed the necessary paperwork with the IRS, whether their Offer in Compromise was submitted correctly, or even if their balances have been updated,' said a VerifiedProof spokesperson. 'We give consumers independent access to the facts so they can see exactly where their case stands.'
In addition to monitoring IRS records and tax relief case status, also serves taxpayers who haven't yet hired any firm. The platform allows individuals to pull their IRS records, see what they owe, and better understand the programs available — including the IRS 'Offer in Compromise,' 'Installment Agreements,' 'Penalty Abatement' and other IRS relief or payment options — without needing to pay high consulting fees or risk falling prey to fraudulent companies.
With so much outstanding IRS debt nationally, tax relief remains a massive and often misunderstood industry where desperate taxpayers are vulnerable to aggressive marketing tactics and misinformation. Platforms like give individuals a way to regain control of their tax situations without being dependent on firms whose financial interests are not always aligned with their clients.
'So many clients ask, ' how much do I owe the IRS?' and at the end of the day, we believe taxpayers deserve to know the truth,' the spokesperson added. ' puts that power back into their hands. They are tired of the lies from tax relief companies, they want the truth about what they owe the IRS. They want to trust the company they hired. We simply give them the insight so they don't have to worry. Even if the truth is not what they want to hear. Trusted tax companies use our service to provide the facts to their clients that the work is truly being fulfilled and we love the feedback from these taxpayers.'
Contact Information:
Verified, Inc.
Joseph Prado
650-391-0034
Contact via Email
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