Keystone Collections Group
Reviews and Complaints

I recently received a delinquent tax payment notification for 2017. Preemptively, I payed for township taxes for 2018, as I did not want to receive a random notice in 2021. I arranged to make payments for 2017, but did not receive any documentation for proof of the arrangement. I called the number listed on the website and on the notice several times, and received a message stating the number was disconnected. I blocked my caller id, and miraculously the number was in service. This is not the practice of a legitimate business. These people are criminals, and need to be shut down.

Watch out this is a scam company. They tried to get me to pay local back taxes for a town I moved into in December (they assumed I lived there the entire year without doing any research on their own) . They tried to make it seem like I lived there the entire year and owed them thousands of dollars. I complied with all their requests for additional data and they sent a letter stating that everything was resolved. A couple weeks later they contacted me AGAIN telling me I owed them money despite their previous letter stating everything was resolved. I'll be contacting my attorney to see what action can be taken against this harassing scam company.

They are hitting me for back dated "local" taxes to a municipality that I only lived in for half of what they claim. Dating back to [protected]. The fees are outrageously unexplained. I always file my taxes properly with my employer and come tax season. Local is supposed to be handled by our employers, so how can this company get away with what they do and claim? The only question I have is this - can they actually garnish our wages from where we work? How can they do that if they are not a state or federal company?And stemming from that, since contacting them and fighting it is SO complicated , is there anyone I could hire or ask for help to get them to cease and desist?

Sent me a delinquent tax notice for 2015! Fee was for local tax, I called and *** told me that they get info from *** of *** that I filed a tax return in Bucks County and I live in Bristol Twp so I owe fee for Bristol Twp. I advised her I didn't live in Bristol Twp till 2021 so no way I owed. She said they didn't know where I lived but I had to prove it. I asked to proceed to local Court and so Bristol Twp could appear and prove I owed this money, she informed me that they don't work for Bristol Twp. That was the red flag for me, you are collecting taxes on behalf of a Twp that didn't contract you? I don't have record from more than three years ago so this was going to be hassle, they are scam artists and thieves.

If I could give this company negative stars I would! I have been dealing with these people for 2 years now trying to show them that my husband did not live in lower chichester school district in 2016. I've sent bank statements *** every document they have asked for i've sent it. Been on calls with them multiple times and every time I get well we still cant verify is address or we are reviewing the documents. How?! How can this company get a away with garnishing wages without notifying you is beyond my understanding. I have never been so disgusted with how a company is being run than I am with this one. especially since my husband and I did not get married until 2017 and did buy our house until 2017 and we have proved this over and over again! "

Terrible company.Since my TWP in *** county began using them they have: Claimed payments weren't made until proof of a cashed check was provided Failed to issue refunds until they received a complaint Failed to carry refund (over pay) from one spouse to the other to cover under pay Sent us back tax notification from towns I have never lived in, and blamed *** for the discrepancy, and refusing to provide any proof of their claims After sending them 5 years of proof of residency, proof of taxes and proof of income to disprove above claims, they followed up with another evidence free claim for the town we do live in Honestly, they are lucky that they are hours away so that I cannot make the trip to camp out in their offices to give them the chance to "p_ss on my shoes" in person

How in the world does this "business" have an A rating? First, Keystone Collections Group accused me of not paying taxes in 2017 for working in *** (sent my w-2 to them as proof I paid), Then a month later I get an accusation for the same thing in 2016. I just sent my tax return to prove I did not live or work in *** in 2016. They are harassing people for no reason. I told them if I ever receive another letter from them I will bring legal action against them. They are preying on people that might not comprehend what is going on (the elderly, or people with a language barrier). Keystone Collections Group should be ashamed of themselves, they are the lowest of the low. Get a real job!TO ALL, BEWARE and WARN YOUR FELLOW NEIGHBOR. P.S. ComplaintsBoard.com, How can we shut this shady "business" down.

This company needs better training. And it needs to provide the services in which it is hired for. I do not wish to get into specifics here, but it is regarding local earned income taxes. They are altering bills while not giving me any specific information about whether my debt has been fulfilled to the municipality in which it is owed. I received a delinquent tax ***. I filed my taxes with the wrong company. So I paid the amount due knowing full well I was not responsible for the entire tax year as I only lived in the municipality for 30 days. Submitted all the proof they requested and now am getting a refund of what I paid but no explanation as to where the several hundred dollars of credit went and why the ACT 192 and interest all disappeared. It appears they would like to keep the money owed back to me as they alter bills rather than explaining the original one and where the ACT 192 and interest went after it being explained to me that I was responsible for these amounts.that I was responsible for these amounts.

I was selling my house this last April . When it came time to close , I was informed that there was EIT owed from 2015 , and before I could sell the property it had to be paid . At the time , I had to pay it , as I live in *** and my documents were in PA where the house I owned was being sold . I was assured that as soon as I got to my house in PA , I could provide documentation, and get my money back . I sent documentation in and they said they never received it . Then , I mailed it in again and they said they required more documents . Finally I uploaded my entire tax return from 2015 and after waiting two months I contacted them and they again said they didnt receive it . This is a scam company making money on extorting money not owed . This income they are taxing me on is not earned income , it was dividend income and was always dividend income for the 11 years I lived at the house . They are literally in business to steal other peoples money and then they hope that you will just let it go , because they make it almost impossible to get the money back once paid .

Keystone is a rogue collection agency that buys personal data from data brokers. They then try to scam you into paying any *** they decide to attach. Don't call or respond in any way if the information they've sent you isn't 100% accurate. If you respond they will ask for personal information to verify it's you. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANYTHING BUT THE ACCOUNT NUMBER THEY SENT TO YOU! They didn't have this information from the start, you just gave it to them. Do not correct the spelling of your name, do not give them your address, do not give them your SS# or the last four digits. If you call, block your phone number (*67). I have a name that's somehow attached to my address. It's followed me around since the mid 90's. Many rogue collection agencies have bought this name and tried to collect imaginary bills. Examples are taxes in ***, a Credit Card in *** or ***. Now it's taxes in ***. Everything you say WILL be used against you. They will try to lie their way out of being called out as a scammers. There's a reason they're not accredited with the ComplaintsBoard.com. Keystone and Rogue companies like them are no better than a *** Prince.

I'm not sure how this business isn't flunking the ComplaintsBoard.com scores here. Based on everything I've read on this site, this company does not shy from unethical (and barely legal) actions to scrape money from any avenue they are allowed. I was told I received notices in July , January 2022 and March 2022 of my per capita school tax. Is it possible these notices made it to my mailbox? Maybe. My wife claims to never have seen all three notices. I've lived at this address for 3 years now and this is the first time this has been an issue. Seems more like I was targeted and my notices were withdrawn or illegally tampered with after being postmarked in order to generate revenue.How is a collections agency able to garnish wages through my employer when they aren't a state or federal entity? This doesn't make any sense and seems extremely illegal. I will be taking this up with my school district and elected officials. Maybe there is a more reputable agency they can use for this.For the record, I've paid the amount I was invoiced. I even paid the delinquency fee. Truthfully though, I would have much rather have paid my school district where my kids attend school than pay these grifters.

This company garnished my wages for [protected] local school taxes. The issue is I relocated in 2014, which is clear since I filed my 2014 taxes elsewhere. To claim exemption, I had to prove my non-residency in the district. Luckily, I have utility bills and tax returns from the past 5 years, but I understand the difficulty for those who don't. Even after submitting proof, their review process is slow, and inquiries are met with vague responses. They seem to scam people by insisting on payment of unowed taxes, likely benefiting from the interest accrued. If they're government-contracted, that should end, and I plan to inform the governor and state legislators. I wish I could give a negative one-star review, but that's not an option.

I made an honest mistake on our 2017 taxes in regards to whether or not we had to claim an amount on a 1099R. At any rate, we received a delinquent notice for that tax year. When I went over what I had filed I saw the error right away and promptly paid the delinquent amount along with the penalties and interest amounts. I wrote the check and mailed it the same day from our post office, this was 10 days ahead of the due date which was the 17th of the month. I just received another delinquent notice for late fees of over $60. So, I called Keystone and was told that because it was 2 days late, this was the late fee. They posted my check on the 19th. I told the woman I was talking to that I was going to contest this as I had no control over the postal system. She placed me on hold so she could "look into it" and came back on the line shortly and stated that they had received my check on the 15th, but didn't post it until the 19th and she would "open" an "investigation". REALLY? You hold my check for 4 days and charge me a late fee? Today I received a letter stating my account has been reconciled and no additional balance is due. I just wonder how many people just assume they were late and pay the additional fees without looking into it. Especially senior citizens. Someone should investigate them.

I received a short but threatening letter from the Keystone collections group regarding the fact that they need a specific tax form in order to finish processing "the final return". The form they requested, or I should say required since they stated "the tax officer requires further documentation to process the final return", they identified by its form number which meant nothing to me since I don't know all of the specific PA tax forms. So, I had to look up the tax form to understand what they actually needed from me. In addition, the bottom of their letter has a notice that states "You must return this form along with all of the documents requested above within ten (10) days. Failure to fully comply will result in processing delays and potential penalties." My issue with this entity is who do they actually represent? What gives them the authority to act so threatening without even explaining who they are and who they are working for? This is the kind of overreach that many taxpayers are tired of. I have paid my taxes on time for well over 50 years now and to have a company like this contact me in this manner unacceptable and just plain rude. I will be contacting my state legislature to investigate this company further and based on the amount of complaints, but more importantly their lack of satisfactory responses, I suspect that they will have to answer to a higher power than us lowly taxpayers!

This company sent me a delinquent tax letter for taxes for a school district and local earned income tax for a city I don't even live or work in. The people that work there have a third-grade education at best. They are so stupid I cannot believe people can be so stupid but, somehow, they managed to hire the cream of the crop when it comes to stupid people.

This company sent me a "Delinquent Tax Notice", falsely claiming that I owe 2017 earned income taxes to the West Chester Area School District and Westtown Township. However, I do not, and could not possibly, owe any taxes in West Chester or Westtown Township for the year 2017, because I did NOT live in West Chester or Westtown Township at all in 2017. I moved to West Chester for the first time in 2018. Keystone knows this, and yet they are still claiming (falsely) that I owe them delinquent taxes. Furthermore, even if I had lived in West Chester or Westtown Township for some part of 2017 (which I did not), I still would not owe any local earned income tax to West Chester or Westtown Township, because I worked in, and paid local taxes to, the City of Philadelphia for 2017 (and, by Keystone's own admission, that would exempt me from any West Chester or Westtown Township local income tax). Again, Keystone already knows this, but - again - they are still trying to claim that I owe delinquent taxes. Keystone also accused me of not properly filing my tax returns for 2017, which is an outright lie. I filed all required federal, state, and local tax returns for 2017, Keystone's allegation that I didn't is completely untrue. They simply failed to properly check their own records, and now they are trying to blame their failure on me. In my opinion Keystone is engaging in dishonest, if not outright fraudulent, business practices. I believe that their actions constitute harassment, which is intended to intimidate me into paying taxes that I absolutely do not owe.

I recieved a delinquent Earned Income Tax notice in the mail around May 31st dating back to 2017. It stated in the letter that I had been previously notified of this delinquent account and had failed to reconcile it, so if I didn't remit full payment - my wages would be garnished by 6/23/22. As soon as I turned the letter over I noticed they had me marked down as Grossing DOUBLE what I earned that year. I know I definitely would have addressed this if it had been brought to my attention before. Directly, I searched and found my W-2 from that year and emailed it to them. They responded that this wasn't enough, they needed my PA-40. So I immediately searched through papers and then remembered it was done online through H & R Block, it took me awhile to remember the password, and thank goodness I paid H&R Block that year to do my taxes online, so the record was still saved. (Normally they don't keep the free version more than 2 years I believe). I have sent them all the information they need and have inquired twice about a result but only get a "We'll contact you if we need more information. We need time to look over the documents.". In all honesty, it's not very hard to see that I paid the correct amount in, and they are trying to charge me extra on an income I did not receive. Meanwhile, this is continuing to gain interest. From what I understand, there is no statue of limitations on what they are claiming, and I cannot afford for them to drag this out, in any way to garnish my already low wages. Especially for something I do not owe. I believe I will have attached all of the documentation you need. However, if you should need email correspondence, I can send that also. (But it's really them saying the same reply as I stated above). Their last reply to me was on June 07, 2022.

For two years, Keystone Collections Group has tried to bill us for 2017 Local Earned Income Taxes (EIT) in Swatara Township, PA, where we did not live. Keystone has no proof we lived here, because there is none. We moved to the Swatara Township in 2018. The only reason they give for suggesting we owe 2017 EIT taxes in Swatara is because we filed 2017 state PA taxes but paid no EIT. The reason we paid no 2017 EIT, which we have told them repeatedly, is because our prior borough did not have EIT. The absence of paying a tax that is not required should not give them authority to assert they have a right to taxes when we did not live in the applicable township. We have repeatedly provided Keystone documents proving our prior residency, and the 2018 purchase of our Swatara home. We have provided them with our 2018 settlement documents, partial year tax documents for 2018 showing when we moved, and a letter from our accountant. Yet still, they persist in hounding us, suggesting we owe 2017 EIT taxes. There is absolutely zero proof that we lived in Swatara in 2017, yet we are stuck having to try to find some piece of evidence that will satisfy their ridiculous claims. Taxpayers should not have to try to prove a negative in order to stop harassing collections agencies. If they think we lived in Swatara and owe taxes, it should be THEIR BURDEN to offer proof that we lived there before threatening to take us to collections. Additionally, having now had numerous conversations with their staff, we have requested that, when we again file this paperwork showing that we don't owe these taxes, they follow up with a letter confirming we have satisfied our obligation and we do not owe anything. They refuse and say they will only confirm via phone call, which will leave us in exactly the same position we have been the last two times we submitted paperwork showing we did not live in Swatara in 2017. There needs to be a serious change in their policies.

I received a delinquent notice in the mail from Keystone Collections Group dated 08/31 (Account number ***). This was immediately after moving back to Woodland Hills School District that I lived in 2015 from February to December for that year. The letter indicated that my earned income tax liability was $499.94 and I paid $411.44 for 2015 tax year to Edgewood Borough, PA. I called and explained to them that I do not have my W2s or returns for that tax year, they referred to the Pennsylvania Office of the State Treasurer, which I called and they referred me to the IRS, I called the IRS also and they told me that they do not have my W2s since I filled electronically. Therefore, my only option was to provide proof of address that I did not live in Woodland Hills School District in January . In my response I provided Keystone Collections Group with my monthly Bank of America statements for the whole of 2015, and clearly on my January statement my address was in Upper Darby, PA rather than Edgewood, PA. They sent me another letter dated October 15 asking that I provide my W2 or 1099, which I had explained to them that I do not have, and have made fruitless efforts to obtain. I called again to explain after the second letter, and the person essentially told me that I would have to pay if I do not provide my my W2 or 1099 forms. I do not think I should be liable to pay money I do not owe, especially after I have provided evidence that I did not live in the school district. The fact remains that, my current employer (the Commonwealth of PA) pays all of my taxes and I have never been delinquent. My previous employer, when I lived in Upper Darby, PA, also paid all of my taxes and I was never delinquent. I believe I have provided adequate residential information to prove that I did not live in the borough in Jan. 2015, and therefore not delinquent for earned income tax to the Woodland Hills School District. I look forward to redress.

Received an occupation tax "notice of intent to garnish wages" and called this "business" on 2/2/2022. I first spoke to "***" (first indication that this *** biz is less than reputable was "***" failing to provide his last name) and requested a written explanation of the alleged delinquent tax for 2020 and 2021 be mailed to me as required by statute and as printed on the notice itself. I informed "***" that I'd received no prior notice. I further indicated that I'd read the statute and demanded an explanation as to where in the statute the $100 "Act 192 Costs" and a $25 "Statutory Cost" were authorized. "***" hung up the phone. I called *** d/b/a Keystone Collections immediately thereafter and asked to talk to a manager. That request was refused by "***." I informed "***" that I was recording the call and, again, demanded a written explanation of this threat to garnish wages, and specifically, the provision in the statute authorizing a $50 per year "Act 192 cost" and an additional $25 "Statutory Cost." I reiterated to "***" that I'd read the statute and summarized the sections of it - and nowhere did it provide for these amounts. It was clear that she failed to even understand that Title 53 of the PA Statutes is the enabling act and repeatedly confused it with "local" tax laws. The "penalty" amount of the local tax notice is already calculated as $14.40 for each year over the discount amount and the face amount is $120.00. As part of the written explanation that I am entitled to, I demanded Keystone send me documentation as to mailing of the prior notices - "***" told me that a "***" signed certified mail for the delinquent notice and that the prior notice was "not delivered." I reiterated repeatedly that I am not "***" and that I expect a written explanation of all "fees and costs" and supposed prior mail sent to "***." "***" refused and hung up.

I received notification in the form of a bill from Keystone Collections in NOV22 demanding tax payment for my 2020 taxes (Inv. #***). I had submitted the taxes in APR21 using the REFUND DUE label. After adjusting for my husband's underpayment, I was owed a refund of $520.00. The income amount listed on the bill does not match my 1040 or my PA taxes, so I have no idea where they found the amounts. I contacted Keystone immediately but they will not answer their phone. I got an email response three days later explaining they did not receive my 2020 tax form. I then had to send another email if they had my husband's taxes for 2020 since the demand letter was only for me. Three days later I got another email saying they hadn't received his either, eliminating a keying error. They also requested the tax form and W-2s. On 11/23/2022, I emailed the tax form and W-2 for both me and my husband along with a summary, including the fact that they owed me money, to the email address presented on their website. I heard nothing until I received another bill in DEC22 with higher penalties and interest. I sent another email requesting a status, but was ignored. I received another bill in JAN23, with even higher interest and penalties, still showing an incorrect income and tax due. I sent another email and was again ignored. They continue to refuse to answer the phone. I opened a complaint with Leanne K's office on 1/23/23 for assistance and they have not gotten a response either. They suggested the ComplaintsBoard.com case. On 1/27/2023, I received a notice from my employer (***) of a wage garnishment for the JAN23 amount, which is based on inaccurate income numbers. I received no notice from Keystone they had processed a garnishment. They have the tax form and the W-2s and can clearly see that they owe me money. I want my taxes processed, my refund plus interest from 4/15, the wage garnishment removed, any money they took returned, and my credit report fixed.

My husband and I have been having issues with this agency for months. We received a notice showing taxes owed from 2017 and 2018 the beginning of June (why it was taking this long for us to receive a notice of this length is beyond me). We emailed that notice to our CPA who provided us with proper documentation to be mailed to Keystone to resolve the notice showing no taxes to be owed based on our filings and the fact we were a partial year owner of the home in 2017, purchasing the home in July. These documents, including W2's were mailed to their PO Box on their website at "PO Box 549" for individual tax returns. Our understanding was this would resolve any issues but we again received a notice now of delinquency and intent to garnish wages recently dated August 28. I called and was told the PO Box I sent the documents to does not exist and therefore no one would see them or review them, but it's on their website clearly stating to mail them there. I was then provided a link where I submitted the documents again and this time including my full tax returns for both years. No one had called me or emailed me to confirm receipt or approval so I called again today. I was now told today the PO Box does exist but that they would not get to our paperwork because it's for previous years so it would take weeks to look at and they'll just be sitting somewhere but who knows where, then I was told no one reviewed our online submission and maybe it would be done today or tomorrow but the due date on garnishing of wages is 09/10. We are beyond upset about this, this affects many things having a tax issue against us that is not valid whatsoever since we file properly every year, if indeed they cannot do their job properly and resolve this for us. We will also be filing a complaint with our local representative on this matter as they have yet to try and help us. Phone calls do nothing and we would very much appreciate a response and resolution of this matter.

My issue is with the Keystone Collections Group. I have been paying my property taxes with a cashier's check from my bank. I sent 2 payments on March 7th $361.10 which was cashed March 14 the other was for 167.33 cashed March 29th. A payment on July 11 $596.00 cashed on July 21. I sent a check on September 7 $297.93 which they cashed and sent back to my bank, the Bank teller informed that they did this nobody from Keystone ever called and said there was a problem. I sent another check October 3 $298.00 which they cashed and also sent back to the bank. The informed them that they have nothing to do with my property tax and they should send the refund to me. I called keystone got a very nasty individual who informed they are just tax collectors and it's not their job to call taxpayers to pay their taxes. I was livid. I called back talked with a Jessica and she stated that I needed to pay $2,383.47 by November 15 or I would get a penalty, she also stated the check I sent on September 7 and October 3 will be sent back to me. I called back spoke with Cynthia who informed me the checks was mailed October 27. I have not received any check as of yet. I am a disabled veteran with honorable discharge from the United Staes Army I received a disability check on the first of each month, I'm not working I go to school. I got my disability check on November and went to the Penn Hills office keystone has and gave them a check for the $2,383.47 that was all the money that was in my account. I called and spoke with Elle who told me that the checks mailed out on the 27 its the Nov3 and I have not gotten nothing, I explained to her and broke down crying because I gave them my mortgage and those return check I need it to pay my mortgage which is due on Nov 6. I explained that I need the money today or tomorrow to pay it on Monday. I asked for a supervisor who was nasty to me stated that the check was not sent out and there is nothing she can do till they get the return checks from bank.

On 9/30, I discovered a letter from Keystone Collections Group in my mailbox, with no PO Box number. It's dated 9/20/2022 with a due date of 10/20/2022. I've never been notified of overdue taxes or collections before. It claims I owe $205.68 from 2020 income tax, but I filed for bankruptcy in 2021. I shouldn't owe this post-discharge. I've consistently filed taxes without any notice of debt. They sent a bill for $205.68, received on 9/30/22, due 10/20/2022, which is incorrect. They waited until after my bankruptcy discharge to contact me. I listed all debts during my bankruptcy and hadn't heard from them until now. I was debt-free as of my 9/30 discharge. Their sudden claim during a recession is suspicious. I file taxes annually; this should've surfaced earlier and been included in my bankruptcy. I can't afford this unexpected bill. They must either drop the charge or provide a valid reason and extend the due date without late fees, offering a payment plan, as I can't pay until November.

Initial Contact: In late February I received a letter in the mail from Keystone Collections Group. It identified itself as a FINAL NOTICE from the SHALER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT and MILLVALE BOROUGH about unpaid taxes from 2015. The letter demanded $211.35 in unpaid taxes, $25.36 in penalty fees, $6.34 in interest, $60.00 in unexplained fees, and a $50.00 ACT 192/ACT 511 penalty fee for a total of $353.05. Additionally this letter threatened me with a $500 daily fine for non-compliance and the intent of this company to file a lawsuit against me if I did not pay the entire balance to them within ten (10) days. I called them because I was very confused. What was going on? Why had it taken them 3 years to contact me? Why was this a final notice when I'd never heard from them previously? I thought, clearly there must be some mistake because I paid my taxes. I spoke with a person named Debbie who told me that I needed to fax them a copies of both my local tax returns (I'd lived in 2 places that tax year and worked for 2 different companies), a copy of my W-2's, a copy of the first page of my state tax return and that I had fifteen (15) days before they would take action against me. I went to my local tax office still confused. I learned that because I lived in 2 places the filings were done differently. I still didn't fully understand it, however I obtained the required documents and faxed everything to Keystone Collections on March 1st. I also provided them my phone number and an email address in the event that they needed more information. I never heard from them again. I considered the matter resolved. Present: On September 17th, I received a notice of intent to garnish my wages from Keystone Collections Group for unpaid taxes from 2015. This letter demanded $136.89 in taxes, $16.42 in statutory penalty fees, $4.10 in statutory interest, $60.00 for Act 192 Costs and an additional $81.80 for Court and statutory costs (PA Acts 192 and 511). On September 18th, I called Keystone Collections and spoke with someone named Mike. Mike told me that the company "just found my documents on July 7th". Mike also told me at this point "there was no way for them to stop the wage garnishment against me" but instructed me to find my W-2's from 2015 and look at box 19 and call them back on Monday. This is the first time since Feb 2018 that I have been contacted from this company regarding this matter. Why has it taken them over 2 years to process my paperwork about this tax error? My phone number and email have never changed. Why did they not contact me about this matter before filing a court action? How do I get a copy of the judgement against me? Why are they charging me multiple Act 192 fees? Why did they feel it necessary to involve my current employer before giving me a chance to resolve this matter? How can I repair my credit? I will be contacting the borough office to see if I can resolve this with them before the wage garnishment begins. I will also be contacting my state representatives to complain about this company. I am a law abiding citizen and I do not appreciate the predatory practices this company is using. This should have been resolved back in 2018 when I faxed them all of the paperwork they asked for.