Ideal Tax has been named as a defendant in two federal lawsuits, both filed under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and both ending in voluntary dismissal without any ruling on the merits. Beyond those Ideal Tax lawsuits, the Irvine, California, tax relief firm has drawn dozens of consumer complaints through the Better Business Bureau, most of them focused on fees, communication, and unmet expectations about tax debt reduction. No federal or state agency has taken enforcement action against the company.
The Two TCPA Lawsuits
Both federal cases against Ideal Tax Solution, LLC alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal statute that restricts telemarketing calls, auto-dialed calls, and unsolicited text messages. Neither reached a decision.
Calbo v. Ideal Tax Solution, LLC was filed on June 14, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Plaintiff Arlene Calbo alleged the company violated the TCPA’s restrictions on telephone equipment use. On October 2, 2023, Calbo filed a notice of voluntary dismissal, and Judge James S. Moody Jr. dismissed the case without prejudice, with each party paying its own fees and costs.1CourtListener. Calbo v. Ideal Tax Solution, LLC A dismissal without prejudice leaves the plaintiff free to refile, though the docket shows no further activity as of mid-2026.
Morton v. Ideal Tax Solution, LLC was filed on May 22, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Plaintiff Jan Morton brought similar TCPA claims. On September 18, 2024, Morton filed a notice of voluntary dismissal, and on September 23, 2024, Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong dismissed all individual claims with prejudice.2PACER Monitor. Jan Morton v. Ideal Tax Solution, LLC A dismissal with prejudice is final and bars the plaintiff from bringing the same claims again.
Neither case produced a public settlement, judgment, or consent decree. Because both ended before substantive proceedings, no court has found that Ideal Tax actually violated the TCPA. Voluntary dismissals can reflect private settlements, strategic decisions, or other factors that the public record does not disclose.
BBB Complaints About Fees and Service
The larger body of grievances against Ideal Tax concerns its core business rather than its telemarketing. The company’s Better Business Bureau profile lists 92 complaints over the most recent three-year period, with 19 filed in the last 12 months.3Better Business Bureau. Ideal Tax Complaints
The complaints cluster around a few recurring themes:
- Trouble reaching assigned case managers, frequent turnover of those managers, and unreturned calls and emails.
- Outcomes that clients say contradicted what they were told at signup, including monthly IRS payment plans when they believed their debt would be reduced or eliminated.
- Repeated requests for the same paperwork, or claims that documents were never received despite being uploaded to the company’s own portal.
- Refund denials citing non-refundable contract clauses or work already performed, such as account monitoring or document review.
Reported fees range from about $2,200 paid in installments to as much as $15,000, with many complaints falling in the $6,000 to $11,700 range.3Better Business Bureau. Ideal Tax Complaints In one April 2026 case, a consumer who had paid $11,700 reported that Ideal Tax refused a refund after failing to complete the case; after a BBB complaint, the company agreed to a refund that the customer confirmed receiving in May 2026.
Ideal Tax generally responds that fees cover work already performed, that delays stem from incomplete client documentation, or that IRS collection actions fall outside its control. The BBB categorizes 85 of the 92 complaints as “answered” and 7 as “resolved.”3Better Business Bureau. Ideal Tax Complaints
No Government Enforcement Action
The tax relief industry has a long enforcement history: the Federal Trade Commission won a $103.3 million judgment against American Tax Relief in the Central District of California, and California district attorneys secured a $400,000 stipulated judgment against Tax Network USA in August 2025 over deceptive mailers.4Federal Trade Commission. FTC Settlement With Tax Relief Scammers5Sonoma County District Attorney. Settlement of Consumer Protection Lawsuit Against Tax Network USA No federal or state agency has filed a comparable action against Ideal Tax. The company holds an A+ BBB rating and was named a finalist for the bureau’s 2025 Torch Award for Ethics, even as the complaint volume shows a meaningful number of customers who say they did not get what they paid for.6Better Business Bureau. Ideal Tax BBB Profile
Identifying the Company
Ideal Tax began operating on March 18, 2010, and incorporated in California on May 24, 2013. It is headquartered at 240 Progress, Suite 250, in Irvine, California, and operates under several names including Ideal Tax Group Inc. and Ideal Tax Solution LLC.6Better Business Bureau. Ideal Tax BBB Profile The CEO is Faris Khatib, with Murad Khatib listed as a partner. The company does not publish pricing; consumer reports estimate typical fees between $1,000 and $7,000 or higher depending on case complexity, and Ideal Tax does not offer a money-back guarantee.