Complaint Review: Innovatine Tax Relief

I decided to use this company in early 2007. I spoke with a gentleman who was quick with solutions to my tax problems and insistent about the fact that this could not be resolved without assistance. We agreed on a price of $3000. A form authorizing a payment of 3K was faxed for me to sign and return.

Later I received a large packet of forms and requirements culminating with an agreement stating among other things that ITR had already provided me with adequate legal advice and services and that if I had any complaints they would be (arbitrated) in California by an arbitrator of their choosing the costs of which I would agree to pay in the event the outcome wasn't in my favor.

Basically I was being forced in advance to say their service was adequate and surrender my rights to a refund before they even lifted a finger and after they had already accepted my money. My signature on this form would have also given them the right to use my bank information to take additional money from my account should they choose. When I didn't comply they charged my checking account $750 anyway without informing me or securing my approval.

When I called and complained I was told that since the paperwork was in two parts that another $750 charge was coming and when I made a big deal about not giving consent, Jennifer Arnold said that if I wanted them to continue with my case I would have to fax permission for both these charges ($1,500).

To date I have seen nothing for this money except the preparation of two tax returns for which I assembled all information ($100 service at H&R Block). In nearly two years I have only had two conversations with actual representatives one of which was to complain about the unauthorized debit to my account. The other fifty plus calls either ended in voice mails that were never returned or empty excuses by receptionists for why I couldn't be helped. In some cases they didn't even know who I was. It's convenient that they have no problem identifying me when they want money.

Just so everyone who reads this knows, the Better Business Bureau has over 80 complaints on file for this company and has given them a score of "F"... Just incase you are like me and have been out of school for a while that is as low as it gets. Never before have I dealt with a company that takes your money, promises a service and then uses your billing information like an ATM machine, provides nothing and then acts like your bothering them when you call.

This payday the government finally got tired of waiting and levied $1,555 from my check of 1,832. Of coarse when I called ITR I could speak to no one. After an entire morning of contact attempts and being told that no one could help me because the one packet with the agreement had not been received (even though a mountain of paperwork, all personal information needed, was sent a year ago excluding this document) I finally called the IRS myself. I'll admit it wasn't a simple process and took talking to a couple different people but it ended with a suspension of the levy and a payment agreement of $200 per month.

Innovative Tax Relief's tactics are to scare you into thinking that the IRS will never deal with you personally then use this fear to extort their own pound of flesh. As it stands now I have given these people $4,500 to resolve what turned out to be a $9,500 tax debt and in return I got neglect, belittlement and condescension... and oh yea, the completion of two 1040s that I had to mail myself.

P.S. If you are thinking about doing business with a company called Progressive Tax Group DON'T It's the same company. I was with ITR when they changed names. I wondered why they did that at the time but after my conversation with the BBB, now I understand. If my company had that many complaints perhaps I would try to clean the slate with a new name as well. Don't be fooled it's the same old company with the same old agenda.

John from louisiana
Denham Springs, Louisiana
U.S.A.