Why You Should Hire A Tax Lawyer And How To Find One
Life has its ups and downs, there are job losses, deaths, medical problems and even natural disasters that tend to disrupt things on a regular basis. However, no matter what, you still have to pay your taxes, as we all know. If you miss a year, then it’s hard to get caught up the next year, and then the next. This can go on until you get that dreaded letter from the IRS telling you that you may have committed a crime by not filing. In addition to that, sometimes they have access to the statements showing the money you earned but not the expenses that it took to earn it. That can lead them to believe that you owe far more than what you think, meanwhile you’re scared you’re going to jail. Instead, you should consider to hire a tax lawyer to help you out. Here’s why.
A Good Tax Lawyer Can Take The Pressure Off Immediately
With just a well placed phone call a tax attorney can get the IRS to give you time to get things in order and start filing your back taxes. Once they know that you’re serious, they’ll be happy to wait for your filings. You can make that same phone call yourself, but, there is already a credibility problem since you didn’t file and didn’t pay the money you supposedly owe. A lawyer, on the other hand, can almost always convince them to give you the time to file.
Not only that, but if you owe a substantial amount of money, there is a good chance that a tax lawyer will be able to get you a lower settlement. Many times a lot of what you owe is due to poor record keeping, you can file your taxes and get the amount severely reduced and get some of the penalties erased at the same time. You won’t know until you try, and most individuals don’t know how flexible the IRS is willing to be. But a good tax attorney, one with plenty of experience, will know exactly how much they’ll take, what they expect, and what not to ask for as well. Know more about the responsibilities of a tax attorney before you hire one.
Finding The Right Tax Attorney Takes A Little Effort
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The first thing to realize is that the lawyer that handled your neighbor’s divorce is not going to be the right guy for your tax problems. The tax code in the United States is over 1,000 pages long and very complicated. Having any other type of lawyer do the work is like having the guy that fixes your car program your computer. They’re two different types of education and it’s the same way with tax attorneys too.
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Check with friends, neighbors, and family to see if anyone has a good tax lawyer that they recommend. If not, check the internet by typing in “tax lawyer near [your city]” and see what comes up. Check online to see what the reviews say about the lawyers that you’re considering, if they don’t answer phone calls, are rude, or don’t fulfill their promises, skip to the next one.
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Another thing to consider is if you’re going to have to visit the attorneys office is how accessible they are with the type of transportation that you have. If you ride the bus, are they on the bus line, or if you drive a car, is their free close-in parking? And remember another factor, if they are located in a huge downtown office, the rent there is many thousands of dollars per month and their clients are paying that. On the other hand, if they have a nice office in a small neighborhood business section, they will have close parking and be paying a fraction of the rent of the big downtown guys.
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Make sure you ask them how many years of experience they have and how many cases just like yours they’ve worked on. If you have a common case, that won’t be a problem, but if your case is different in some way, look for the right tax lawyer that knows the ropes. Ask them if they have good contacts at the local IRS office that can facilitate a deal and put an end to the worry, stress, and penalties right away. Top notch lawyers always have IRS agents that they know and work with every single day. They use those contacts to bring their customers and the IRS together to reach an agreement that is workable for all concerned. That’s what you’re really paying for, experience, contacts, and a quick workable settlement.
Remember, you don’t have to hire the first tax lawyer that you meet. Set appointments with about three and ask them all the questions you can think of. How much they charge, how much they think the IRS will settle for, how much time you might have to file your late returns, everything. Then, since you’ve already checked their online reviews, if you feel comfortable with one, you should go ahead and hire them. Get started right away fixing your problems and you’ll feel better almost immediately.