| ully you will never require the services of a tax | | | | larger fraction of the taxes they owe than do people |
| attorney, although it’s never a bad idea to | | | | who get the help of a tax attorney. Because the |
| consult with one on a regular basis in order to have | | | | information you provide to your attorney is privileged, |
| him or her review your files and make | | | | you can confide in your attorney about exactly why |
| recommendations. But if you do in fact require the | | | | you didn’t pay taxes in the first place. With that |
| services of a tax attorney, make sure you spend | | | | information, the attorney can work to get you the best |
| some time interviewing various attorneys in order to | | | | possible outcome. |
| find one who can address your unique needs and with | | | | 3. Business Ownership. If you own your own business, |
| whom you feel comfortable. And before you choose | | | | a tax attorney can help ensure that you set up your |
| to use the services of a CPA or bookkeeper instead | | | | assets in accordance with tax laws. This means that |
| of a tax attorney, remember that a tax attorney is | | | | you can potentially save thousands of dollars in |
| required to keep all of your information confidential | | | | deductions and can help you rest easy knowing that |
| while a CPA is not. Here are some situations in which | | | | you’re doing everything by the book. |
| you may find yourself that require the services of a | | | | If you find yourself in one of the above three |
| tax attorney: | | | | categories, you should enlist the services of a tax |
| 1. Audits. This is the most obvious reason for hiring a | | | | attorney right away. There is no way to overestimate |
| tax attorney. If you find yourself subjected to an audit, | | | | the help that they can provide and the good that they |
| the IRS has noticed a problem with your tax return. | | | | can do on your behalf. Whether they simply answer a |
| Whether you prepared your taxes yourself or hired | | | | few phone calls for you and respond to a few letters |
| someone to do it for you, now is the time to hire an | | | | or actually defend you in court, the services they |
| attorney. An attorney can help you navigate the audit | | | | provide can save you a lot of money and heartache. |
| process and can advocate on your behalf. | | | | Audits and back taxes aren’t the end of the |
| While the IRS would like you to believe that tax laws | | | | world, but they can sure seem like it when you find |
| are black and white, they really aren’t. A tax | | | | yourself in the middle of one of these sticky situations. |
| attorney knows this and can ensure that those various | | | | They can be overwhelming and cause you to feel like |
| shades of gray work on your behalf by using | | | | the whole world suddenly has access to the details of |
| loopholes and an intimate, up-to-date knowledge of tax | | | | your life. But a tax attorney can mitigate that awful |
| laws. A tax attorney will also field any correspondence | | | | feeling for you, and you’ll just feel more at ease |
| and phone calls from the IRS, which can remove a lot | | | | when you realize that you have a professional |
| of stress from you and free up a lot of your time. IRS | | | | advocating for you. And even if you haven’t |
| agents are intimidating and use strong language to | | | | had any IRS trouble, consider consulting with a tax |
| scare taxpayers into simply giving them everything | | | | attorney anyway just to make sure you avoid any |
| they ask for without putting up a fight. Tax attorneys | | | | potential trouble in the future. The cost of using a tax |
| aren’t intimidated by auditors, however, and can | | | | attorney is minimal compared to the cost that you |
| talk to the auditor in your stead. | | | | might accrue by representing yourself in front of the |
| 2. Back Taxes. People who try to work with the IRS | | | | IRS. |
| without the help of attorney typically end up paying a | | | | |