Questions to Ask Your Tax Attorney

By Adam Godoi


Being familiar with the intricacies of taxes can be exceptionally challenging. Moreover, the IRS is filled with individuals who will try to extort you to get more money from you than you might really need to pay (if you even have to shell out anything). That's the reason if a taxpayer finds himself in over his head where the IRS is involved, he should certainly check with a tax attorney. Tax charges often grow out of control, and it is usually in the taxpayer's best interests to get issues resolved while they're only somewhat small ones. Procrastinating until the last minute to get a tax attorney could very well be tremendously costly, and can bring about time in jail for the taxpayer, and also higher legal fees.

Many individuals are worried about whether hiring an attorney will be worth the cost. In other words, why not just pay off the IRS debt? Even so, many of taxpayers with IRS debt qualify to have their tax debts diminished for merely a small percentage of the amount owed. In many cases it is a financially reasonable choice to appoint a tax lawyer.

Others wonder if combatting with the IRS is a lost cause. True tax professionals who discover, and take advantage of, all the options that a taxpayer may have, can be highly effective in wiping out or decreasing tax debt. In nearly all cases they are able to have wage garnishments (levies) released. Keep in mind, the IRS doesn't want you to be represented or have any third party aid or legal counsel. They want you to be vulnerable, like a sheep going to the slaughter.

So why not just go to a CPA (certified public accountant) for help? Because only with an attorney do you have the important Attorney-Client privilege which makes an attorney legally exempt from being commanded to testify against you should the IRS take legal action against you criminally. This means that your discussions with your tax attorney are private. Attorneys (not CPA's) are exempt from having to repeat to the IRS what you've said, which aids you in court. Regrettably, your CPA or tax preparer can be obligated to testify against you in a criminal court.

Don't be worried about being kept in the dark about your choices. Not every one of the available options are suitable for everyone. True experts don't use a "one-size-fits-all" method to force a single solution on every case. Some IRS Offer in Compromise "mills" do just that. While an Offer in Compromise is an excellent option, it won't fit every case. Any strategy, or combination of strategies, if they don't fit your case, can cause more problems than good, and set you back unneeded costs as well. Just as with medication, the incorrect prescription can make you even sicker.

A frequently asked question that attorneys often hear is "I just got a notice from the IRS, what should I do?" This will depend on which letter or notice you received. Each letter has a different reaction according to which approaches are used in your specific case. After the case is evaluated there are many aspects to consider like how much longer the IRS can lawfully pursue you to collect tax debt. The earlier you speak to a tax attorney the better.




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