Tax debt can be a real downer. Some consumers were so burdened by their debt that they paid hefty fees to try to have their bill lowered.
If you happen to be one of the customers that recently sent a payment to American Tax Relief, LLC, hoping that they could ease your pain, you might have some money coming to you.
The Federal Trade Commission will be mailing refund checks of more than $16 million to roughly 18,000 consumers who paid a fee to American Tax Relief. The company is accused of taking advantage of consumers by making erroneous claims that it could lower their tax debts.
If you have a high tax bill, know that you have options.
You don’t have to pay someone to get you out of tax debt. In fact, you can work with the IRS directly to devise a payment plan. You may be able to get an installment agreement or an offer in compromise.The FTC says consumers affected by the scam will receive about 16% of the money they lost to the scammers. If you have questions about the refund checks, visit the FTC website and read about its refund program.