where to look for a tax lawyer

1. Decide whether you need an attorney or another tax professional. ...
2. Ask friends or professionals you trust for recommendations. Start by talking to your banker, accountant, or other lawyer to find out if there's a particular tax attorney they'd recommend.
3. Research online. There are many websites dedicated to helping people find an attorney who specializes in tax law, including your state or local bar association.
4. Look for an attorney who is board certified. There are national and state programs that certify experienced lawyers as experts in their chosen specialties, including tax law.
5. Visit websites of attorneys and law firms you find. Study the information on the site to learn more about the personal background, education, and experience of the attorneys you've ...
6. Check the bar records of the attorneys on your list. ...

Full Answer

How to find the best tax attorney?

Tax Lawyers in Top Metros. Chicago Metro, IL; Los Angeles-Long Beach Metro, CA; New York Metro, NY; Washington Metro, DC-MD-VA-WV

How to become a tax lawyer?

Feb 04, 2011 · Where to look Start looking for a tax attorney by asking professionals you trust. Check with your banker, accountant or a lawyer you’ve worked with …

What is the job description of a tax attorney?

Mar 18, 2020 · You need someone who's licensed to practice in the court (s) that will hear your case, which could mean state court, federal court, U.S. Tax Court, or others. It's not unusual for people with IRS problems to also have state tax problems, …

How much does a tax attorney cost?

Jan 17, 2018 · The U.S. Tax court allows attorneys and certain non-attorneys, including qualified accountants, to represent clients in cases. The differences. The training of attorneys, which includes an emphasis on studying case law, legal writing and research, may equip attorneys with an edge on specialized tax litigation and appeals and issues related to ...

What do tax attorneys need?

Are they qualified? At a minimum, a tax attorney must have a Juris Doctor, known as a J.D., and a license to practice. You can check both credentials with your state bar. However, many practitioners also have a Master of Laws in taxation, so it may be a good idea to look for a specialist with extra training.

What to ask a lawyer before signing on?

That might mean paying a consultation fee and explaining your situation in some detail. After that, the lawyer should be able to tell you if they have experience in this area.

What can a tax lawyer do?

Tax lawyers can help you through a tax controversy, or help you avoid one. To get the right lawyer for your needs, you need to know what to look for. To reduce the high anxiety associated with hiring a lawyer and to help you avoid making snap decisions, we've put together a list of seven tips on what to ask a tax lawyer to ensure ...

What does a tax attorney do?

They may negotiate your tax debt or other issues with a government agency, find ways of settling your tax debt, advise you about how best to respond to an investigation, defend you in court, and more. They also handle communications with the government for you.

What are the two types of tax law?

As the personal finance website The Balance explains, there are roughly two types of tax law: tax planning and tax controversies. Tax planning lawyers help businesses and people with high net worths arrange their financial affairs in a way that minimizes their tax burdens and helps them avoid a tax audit. You might want to talk to this kind of tax ...

Who to Contact for Tax Questions: Tax Lawyer or Accountant?

Once you know you want to seek professional tax advice, you'll next have to consider whether to approach a tax attorney or an accountant. Answering this question will likely depend on what type of assistance you need. Of course, there's no prohibition against speaking with both a tax lawyer and an accountant.

Factors to Consider

The similarities. Knowledgeable accountants and tax attorneys will be able to provide tax advice and planning strategies to individuals and businesses. The U.S. Tax court allows attorneys and certain non-attorneys, including qualified accountants, to represent clients in cases.

Additional Resources

Knowing who to contact with tax questions is the first step. However, it's just as important to know what questions to ask when you meet with a tax professional. You can find out more about U.S. tax law and procedures to help guide your questions by reviewing the additional resources below.

Get Legal Help with Your Tax Questions

As you are figuring out how to address your tax issues, you should always be armed with the most updated legal information and how the law can impact your specific situation. A skilled tax attorney can answer your questions about tax laws or would like information legal advice about your specific situation.

What do tax lawyers do?

Of course, they specialize in helping people file tax returns and responding to IRS audits, but take a look at all of the ways in which a tax lawyer could assist you! 1. When You Owe Back Taxes.

When do you need to hire a tax lawyer?

1. When You Owe Back Taxes. Not everyone who owes taxes needs to hire a tax lawyer. However, if you find yourself in a position where you owe the IRS an excessive amount of money, you may need to look into. This includes if you owe the IRS money from the year or years below.

What is the penalty for not filing taxes?

The penalty for failing to file is 5% of what you owe for up to five months. After that, the IRS can choose to come after you with criminal or legal charges.

What is IRS field audit?

It is a thorough investigation of your tax records. There are three types of audits: Field audits are the most invasive and occur when the IRS sends an actual IRS agent to your home or business to perform the audit.

Why don't people file taxes?

Most people who don’t file their taxes fail to do so because they know or suspect they’re going to owe money to the IRS and don’t want to pay it.

How long is a tax refund valid?

However, that refund has an expiration date and will only be valid for three years.

What happens if you don't pay taxes?

At this point, if you don’t pay, the IRS will send you a final notice, giving you 30 days to request a hearing with a settlement officer.

What do people think of tax lawyers?

When someone is considering being a lawyer they often think of going up in front of court and arguing a case. They think law and order or even nowadays it can be shows like suits.

What can a tax lawyer do?

Tax lawyers can do just about anything that any tax professional does. They can be a tax accountant and work on the tax side of a financial statement audit. They can work in mergers and acquisitions and perform due diligence. This includes sorting through the returns of the target. Another major responsibility of a tax lawyer during due diligence ...

Why is it important to have a tax lawyer?

Lawyers are specialized in research and writing necessary to support those positions. If a position is challenged by the IRS, legal action might be required to support the position. Lawyers are required to defend a position, so it is once again important to have a tax lawyer if you need to defend a tax position.

What is the role of a tax lawyer during due diligence?

Another major responsibility of a tax lawyer during due diligence is to read through any major tax position that the target might have and tell whether it is a strong position. This depends on if the tax position reaches the more likely than not threshold.

How much do tax lawyers make?

It’s often overlooked because people do not like taxes, but tax lawyers do really well for themselves. At the outset, many tax lawyers can make up to $100,000 as an associate at a big 4 accounting firm. Many tax lawyers end up making $400,000 or more as tax directors.

Why do tax researchers go to school?

They went to school to learn how to research law. Therefore, they make for excellent tax researchers. Their research abilities are used primarily in writing opinions. This includes writing opinions for tax positions that their clients or their company takes on a tax year.

Do tax lawyers focus on the accounting side?

Tax lawyers often normally only want to get into the legal side of tax and don’t focus on the accounting side at all. Being that most CFO’s and CEO’s only care about the financial numbers, I think tax accountants are more valuable.