Short answer
Put both quotes on one sheet and compare the same lines: who will represent you and their credential, the total fee, when each part is due, the refund terms, what is excluded, whether your IRS transcripts are reviewed first, any monthly fees, and which IRS fees you pay on top. Get every answer in writing before you pay anything.
Key takeaways
- The FTC says not to do business with anyone who tells you to pay their whole fee upfront, and to ask how you will be billed and whether fees are refunded if you don’t get the promised service.
- Enrolled agents, CPAs and attorneys have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Check the person who will sign your Form 2848, not just the company.
- IRS charges, such as a payment plan setup fee or the $205 (IRS.gov, 2026) offer in compromise application fee, are paid to the IRS on top of any professional fee.
- A settlement figure quoted before anyone has reviewed your IRS transcripts is a guess. The FTC says no company can promise a particular result.
- If either quote is for something you could do yourself on IRS.gov, the best value may be neither.
How to use this worksheet
Ask each company for its quote in writing, then fill in one line at a time for both. A blank line is an answer too: it means the company didn’t say. The sheet compares terms, not companies, and it works the same for any firm, including ours.
- Get both quotes in writing. An engagement letter or written fee agreement, not notes from a sales call.
- Fill in every line for both offers. Write “not stated” where a quote is silent.
- Check the representative. Look up the person named on line 1, as explained below.
- Add the IRS fees. Line 9 is money you pay the IRS whoever you hire.
- Compare with doing it yourself. Line 11 asks whether either company told you that you could handle it alone.
The ten questions to ask a tax relief company explain the thinking behind most lines. This page is the fill-in sheet.
The worksheet: copy or print it
Use the buttons to copy the text into a document or print it, then replace each bracket with that company’s answer.
Tax relief quote comparison
Date: [date]
Offer A: [company, date of the written quote]
Offer B: [company, date of the written quote]
1. Who will represent me before the IRS, and what is their credential (enrolled agent, CPA or attorney)?
Offer A: [name, credential, enrollment or license number]
Offer B: [name, credential, enrollment or license number]
Credential checked: A [yes/no] B [yes/no]
2. Total professional fee, and how it is charged (flat, hourly or in stages)
Offer A: [ ]
Offer B: [ ]
3. When each part of the fee is due
Offer A: [before work starts, at milestones, or monthly]
Offer B: [ ]
4. Refund terms, in writing
Offer A: [what happens if the case can’t be resolved, or if I cancel]
Offer B: [ ]
5. What the fee includes and excludes
Offer A: [unfiled returns, appeals, Tax Court, state tax, later years]
Offer B: [ ]
6. Will my IRS transcripts be reviewed before any strategy or number is proposed?
Offer A: [yes/no]
Offer B: [yes/no]
7. Monthly or “maintenance” fees
Offer A: [amount, or none]
Offer B: [amount, or none]
8. Who signs Form 2848, and will I get copies of everything sent to the IRS?
Offer A: [ ]
Offer B: [ ]
9. IRS fees I pay on top (setup fee, offer application fee, offer payments)
Offer A: [listed or not stated]
Offer B: [listed or not stated]
10. Anything promised (an amount, a percentage, a result)
Offer A: [ ]
Offer B: [ ]
11. Did they say what I could do myself or get free?
Offer A: [ ]
Offer B: [ ]
12. Complaint record checked (FTC, state attorney general, Better Business Bureau)
Offer A: [ ]
Offer B: [ ]
Total I would pay (professional fee plus IRS fees)
Offer A: [ ]
Offer B: [ ]
What a good answer looks like, line by line
| Line | A good answer | A red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Representative | A named enrolled agent, CPA or attorney who will sign your Form 2848, with a credential you can look up | Only a salesperson or “case manager” is named, or the representative is called “IRS certified” or described as working with the IRS |
| 2. Fee | One total, or a price for each stage, in writing before work begins | A fee you only hear on the phone, or “we’ll know once we start” |
| 3. When it’s due | Payments that line up with the work being done | The whole fee upfront |
| 4. Refunds | Written terms that say what counts as delivered and what is refundable | No refund terms, or terms given only by phone |
| 5. Included or not | A list of what is in and out, such as unfiled returns or an appeal | Nothing said about exclusions, then new charges mid-case |
| 6. Transcripts first | Your IRS transcripts reviewed before any strategy or figure | A settlement amount or “percent off” quoted on the first call |
| 7. Monthly fees | None, or a clear amount for a clear service | Pricey monthly “maintenance fees” |
| 8. Form 2848 and copies | Copies of the Form 2848 and of everything filed for you | No copies, so you can’t tell what has been filed |
| 9. IRS fees | The quote lists the IRS fees you will pay and says they are separate | IRS fees not mentioned |
| 10. Promises | Options explained after a review, with no promised result | A promise that you “qualify” or of a set reduction |
| 11. Doing it yourself | Says so if a plan you can set up online would do | A full package sold for a balance you could put on an online plan |
| 12. Complaint record | No pattern of unresolved complaints | Repeated complaints about fees or missed deadlines |
Where the red flags come from: the FTC tells consumers not to pay a whole fee upfront, to steer clear of companies that charge pricey monthly maintenance fees, to ignore promises that they “qualify” for a program, and that only the IRS or the state can decide what you must pay (FTC: tax relief companies). Treasury’s Circular 230 bars misleading claims by people who practice before the IRS, and says enrolled agents may not call themselves “certified” or imply that they work for the IRS (31 CFR 10.30).
How to check line 1
The IRS says enrolled agents, like attorneys and CPAs, have unlimited practice rights before the IRS (IRS: enrolled agent information). Anyone with a Preparer Tax Identification Number can be a paid return preparer, so preparing returns is not the same as being able to represent you. The IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications lists preparers who currently hold an IRS-recognized credential (IRS: choosing a tax professional). Attorneys can also be checked with their state bar, and CPAs with their state board of accountancy. Our guide to enrolled agents, CPAs and tax attorneys explains which credential fits which problem.
IRS fees come on top of any professional fee
Whoever you hire, some charges go to the IRS, not to the firm:
- Payment plan setup fees. $0 (IRS.gov, 2026) for a short-term plan; $29 (IRS.gov, 2026) for a direct debit plan set up online ($107 (IRS.gov, 2026) by phone or mail); $69 (IRS.gov, 2026) online for other long-term plans ($178 (IRS.gov, 2026) by phone or mail). The direct debit fee is waived (IRS.gov, 2026) for low-income taxpayers (IRS: payment plans).
- Offer in compromise. The $205 application fee plus a first payment with the application, which for a lump-sum offer is 20% (IRS.gov, April 2026) of the amount offered, unless you qualify as low income.
- Interest and penalties. They keep adding up until the balance is paid. Interest runs at the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points (IRS.gov, 2026), reset quarterly.
Circular 230 lets practitioners publish fixed fees, hourly rates, fee ranges and the fee for a first consultation. A published fee must be honored for at least 30 calendar days, and fee information for matters where costs may come up must say whether the client pays those costs (31 CFR 10.30(b)). Ask each company to say the same in your written quote. For the IRS side in more detail, see what Fresh Start relief costs.
Example: two quotes on one sheet (assumed facts)
Example (assumed facts). Dana owes the IRS for three tax years and gets two written quotes.
- Offer A names a “senior tax advisor” but no enrolled agent, CPA or attorney. It asks for the full fee before work starts, adds a monthly maintenance fee, and promises to “cut the balance” before anyone has looked at a transcript. There are no refund terms in writing.
- Offer B names an enrolled agent whose listing Dana finds in the IRS directory. It quotes one flat fee, says the firm will pull Dana’s transcripts under a Form 2848 before recommending anything, lists preparing unfiled returns as extra, and says IRS setup fees are separate.
On the sheet, Offer A fails lines 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 10 before price even comes up. Offer B leaves line 3 (when the fee is due) and line 4 (refunds) blank, so Dana asks for both in writing before signing. Dana also checks whether a professional is needed at all: with every return filed and a balance under the online limit, a plan Dana sets up alone might be enough. The facts are illustrative only.
After you compare
- Neither offer clears the bar? Start with free help. The Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS, is always free and helps when an IRS problem is causing financial difficulty (877-777-4778 (IRS.gov, 2026); IRS: TAS). Low Income Taxpayer Clinics represent eligible taxpayers for free or a small fee.
- Already paying a company? See how to get a second opinion and the letter to request your file.
- Weighing routes rather than firms? Do it yourself, use free help or hire a firm lays the options side by side.
You can put every line on this sheet to Global Gate Tax Relief too. The consultation is free and carries no obligation. If Global Gate takes a case, it quotes a flat fee before any work begins, does not bill by the hour, and you don’t have to accept the quote. It won’t quote a settlement figure before reviewing your IRS transcripts, does not guarantee outcomes, and declines cases where it can’t add value. Ask for lines 3, 4 and 5 in writing as you would with anyone. See how Global Gate’s process works, or request a free consultation and bring the sheet.
Frequently asked questions
Get each quote in writing and compare the same lines: who represents you and their credential, the total fee, when it is due, refund terms, what is excluded, whether your transcripts are reviewed first, monthly fees and IRS fees. Blank answers count against a quote.
Not the whole fee. The FTC says not to do business with anyone who tells you to pay their whole fee upfront. Knowing the full fee before work starts is good; paying all of it before any work is done is the warning sign.
The name and credential of the person who will represent you, the total fee and how it is charged, when each part is due, refund terms, what is included and excluded, and which IRS fees you will pay separately.
Search the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications. You can also check attorneys with their state bar and CPAs with their state board of accountancy.
No. The FTC says no company can promise a particular result, and only the IRS or your state can determine what you must pay. Treat a guaranteed reduction as a red flag.
No. Many people set up a payment plan themselves in their IRS Online Account. Free help is available from the Taxpayer Advocate Service and, if you qualify, from a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.
Sources
- FTC Consumer Advice: Tax relief companies (April 2023; read 11 Nov 2026)
- IRS: Enrolled agent information (reviewed 29 Jan 2026)
- IRS: Choosing a tax professional (reviewed 21 Aug 2026)
- IRS: Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications
- 31 CFR 10.30, Solicitation (Circular 230)
- IRS: Payment plans; installment agreements (reviewed 13 Aug 2026; fees updated 3 Mar 2026)
- IRS: Offer in compromise
- IRS: The Taxpayer Advocate Service is your voice at the IRS (reviewed 14 Oct 2026)
- IRS: Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (reviewed 2 Apr 2026)
We check every figure against IRS.gov and log changes on the key figures page.
Bring this worksheet to your free consultation
Free consultation, no obligation. If we take your case, the flat fee is quoted upfront before any work begins. If you can handle it yourself through IRS.gov, we will tell you. No outcome is guaranteed.
This page is general information about IRS rules, not tax or legal advice for your situation. IRS figures change; each one links to its official source and the date we last checked it.