<prompt> Human: As the title says I worked at one of those places. For obvious reasons, I will not mention names.The shop I worked for was one of the cleaner shops in the industry, but that is not saying much. The shop I worked for might not have broken any laws, but there practices were not ethical. They had commissioned sales people running the company who did not really know the product they were selling. They were careful not make outright lies to the clients they signed up, but they certainly took advantage of the clients ignorance, fears, and greed.Even in the cleaner shops, the major draw backs to signing up for a resolution company are 1 they charge too much, 2 almost all the people they sign up end up paying every cent they owe in tax plus more penalties and more interest, 3 for many, they could have done everything themselves, and 4 they are driven by sales and marketing people, not professionals. Most people sign up for these services hoping to have their balances negotiated. THERE IS NO NEGOTIATION WITH THE IRS! The IRS and some states have an offer in compromise program where they will settle a tax debt for the fraction owed. However, very few delinquent taxpayers qualify. Chances are if you could afford to pay some resolution company 4000 or more, you do not qualify for that program.Even if you might qualify for the Offer in Compromise program, the resolution firm you sign up with might not file the offer in compromise. These firms work on high volume and the attorney working on your case who by the way is not your attorney, but the companys attorney, has a a heavy case load and is often getting bonuses to churn out clients as quick as possible. An offer in compromise application can take several months, while other arrangements take less time. So your attorney may not file that offer in compromise because it prevents them from churning out inventory. So if you do think you need help with your taxes, the first place to go would be your Low Income Tax Clinic LITC. This is a program for indigent tax payers to get pro bono help. If you do not qualify for the LITC, hire a Law Firm that will charge you by the hour. It will be much cheaper to pay a lawyer for an hour or two to look at your case and tell you to pay up than to hire a resolution company. Also, a Law Firm is better able to handle the complicated tax issues that require help.  <response>: I can vouch for the part about the Offer in Compromise. The IRS will specifically tell you that they do not negotiate unpaid or un-filed taxes in any manner. The OIC is the only avenue for a settlement of any kind that doesnt involve paying the full amount.I helped my mother with an Offer in Compromise. Essentially you fill out a form making an offer to settle tax years you specify for a lump sum. Part of the offer is a disclosure of all of your income and assets. Basically, the only way you qualify is if you dont have a penny to your name other than a car. Unless its a luxury model, the IRS considers a car a necessity and generally will not count the value against your net worth. In my mothers case, she had 20k in tax debt and a couple of years she didnt file because she knew she wouldnt be able to pay what she owed. After being unemployed for a couple of years and paying the IRS a few hundred bucks a month, I helped her file an Offer in Compromise. They accepted 3500 that I loaned to her along with proof her bank account was empty, she was without assets and had no job.It can be done easily and for free without the help of one of these companies as long as you qualify. 