Do Tax Attorneys Really Help? How to Solve Tax Problems.

Do Tax Attorneys Really Help? How They Resolve IRS and State Tax Problems

Hiring an attorney might sound intimidating, expensive, or confusing. But if you’re facing a tax problem, a tax attorney is the best choice.

Tax attorneys can guide you through the full gamut of tax problems, including unfiled returns, large tax debts, tax disputes, audits, appeals, and collection actions. They help with individual and business taxes on the state and federal levels – and if needed, they can take your case all the way to U.S. Tax Court.

An attorney provides a higher level of service, experience, and transparency than a nationwide debt relief company, and regardless of what you’re facing, a tax attorney can develop a customized solution that works with your goals and budget.

Read on to learn more about how they can help you. Or, to get help now, contact our IRS tax attorney at the Timothy S. Hart Law Group today.

Key takeaways

• Tax attorneys can represent you in front of the IRS or help with state tax issues.
• They can help protect your assets, reduce your tax debt, and get your life back on track.
• They leverage their knowledge and experience to customize a solution for your unique tax problems.
• Their focus is on customer satisfaction and real results – not sales like the big tax debt relief firms.
• Attorneys provide legal protection, negotiation, and peace of mind.

What a Tax Attorney Actually Does

A tax attorney helps you resolve your tax problems in the most effective way possible. When you hire an attorney, they:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of your tax situation – They do a full work-up to learn where you are with unfiled returns, unpaid taxes, disputed balances, collection actions, and so on.
• Explain the options – They outline the cost, timing, and long-term implications of the options so you can decide which is best for your situation.
• Stop pending collection actions – If you’re facing collection actions, such as garnishments or levies, the attorney will help get that under control right away.
• Represent you in front of the IRS – Whether you’re dealing with IRS revenue officers, auditors, or appeals, your attorney will negotiate with the IRS on your behalf.
• Protect your rights – Your attorney knows how the IRS works, how the laws apply to your situation, and they’ll always make sure your rights are protected.

Tax attorneys have extensive experience representing the full range of taxpayers in front of the IRS or state agencies like the New York Department of Taxation and Finance. They are bound by ethical guidelines and complete continuing education to stay up-to-date on code and procedural changes. If you’re facing IRS and state tax problems, a tax attorney helps you understand each agency’s collection processes and how to develop the best strategy.

What’s the difference between hiring an attorney and a nationwide debt relief company?

The main differences include the quality of service, the education and experience of the tax pro working your case, and the company’s approach to client relationships.

Tax Attorney Vs. Nationwide Tax Debt Relief Companies	Tax Debt Relief Companies	Tax Attorney
Initial contact	Sales call, typically involving a hard sell to sign up for services	Consultation to go over options; you get time to decide if you want to hire the attorney
Point of contact	Salesperson with minimal training and no professional credentials	Tax attorney or a highly trusted staff member who works directly with the attorney
Tax professional	A small handful of professionals work all of the cases with minimal to no contact with clients	A tax attorney handles the case personally with direct contact with the clients
Business model	High sales and marketing budgets; churn-and-burn style of quick customer acquisitions and rapid turnover	Budget focused on services, supported by marketing; careful customer acquisition strategy with a focus on maintaining relationships
Cost	High upfront fees, with limited explanations	Costs vary based on the services, but are always explained up front
Experience	Mainly focused on resolving uncomplicated IRS tax debt; limited knowledge of complex tax problems	Able to resolve all tax problems, including state tax debt, business tax problems, audits, and collections

Ultimately, an attorney offers more experience, transparency, and a higher level of ethics and customer care. Before hiring anyone, always check out their reviews, make sure you know who’s working your case, and before paying anything, ensure you understand what you’re paying for and how much it’s going to cost throughout the whole process.

When Legal Representation Makes the Biggest Difference

Tax attorney representation is especially important when the stakes are high and the laws are complicated. In particular, their experience can be critical if you’re facing:

• IRS audits – especially eggshell audits with potential criminal exposure.
• Collections enforcement – such as tax liens, garnishments, or levies.
• Large IRS debts – especially disputed taxes, trust fund tax debt, debt with multiple collection expiration dates, and other complicating factors.
• Unfiled or complex business taxes – such as corporate income, state franchise, payroll, excise, or sales tax returns or payments.
• Trust fund recovery penalties – representation through trust fund recovery interviews, assessments, appeals, and resolutions.
• Innocent spouse cases – relief from your spouse’s tax liability, separation of liability, or equitable relief.

In all cases, you need a tax attorney who has experience solving your tax problem and providing real results for clients.

Real Results: What Success Looks Like

So, what should you expect when you hire a tax attorney? How can they help you resolve your IRS or state tax problems? Ultimately, the solution depends on what you’re facing, but here’s what they accomplish for clients:

• Liens subordinated, discharged, withdrawn, or released.
• Levies released or stopped.
• Payments set up that work with your budget.
• Settlements negotiated through offers in compromise or partial payment installment agreements.
• Penalties reduced or abated.
• Businesses saved by resolving payroll or other business tax issues.

Here are reviews from real taxpayers showing real results from the Timothy S. Hart Law Group, P.C.

Stopping wage garnishments, resolving a tax dispute

“Tim was outstanding! Had myself in quite a bind with both unpaid taxes and garnishment issues. He not only worked diligently to get my taxes prepared and paid, but he also worked to resolve a dispute I had with the state on a year’s old tax error (made by the state) regarding deductions that resulted in considerable savings and finalization of my dispute.”

– John M. review on TaxCure.com

Resolving $50,000+ state tax debts

“I can’t thank Timothy enough for the incredible job he did helping me resolve a $60,000+ tax bill with New York State. From start to finish, he was knowledgeable, responsive, and truly dedicated to getting the best possible outcome.”

– Bryan Lam, Google Reviews

Stopping bank levies, winning New York residency audits

“Tim helped me after the state of New York levied my bank account for taxes that they thought I owed when I had, in fact, been on an expatriate assignment during the year in question. He helped me get the levy released, and my funds returned, and he also helped me file a back return to show that I was not a New York resident.”

– Anonymous Reviewer on TaxCure.com

Amending returns to correct an inflated tax debt

“Timothy is great at what he does. He helped me amend an old tax return that incorrectly had me owing an absurd amount in taxes. Once he amended and refiled it, the state of NY accepted the amendment, and my owed tax debt was gone!”

– Laura Steel, Google Reviews

Negotiating a settlement to pay less than 10% owed

“Timothy was extremely professional and was able to negotiate my 30k in taxes owed to the IRS by doing an offer in compromise, and I ended up having to pay $2,500. I’m very thankful to him. I appreciate how extremely attentive he was and how he followed up with me on a regular basis. Highly recommend him in any tax situation.”

– Jennifer Jackson, Google Reviews

To learn more about our firm’s experience, check out our client testimonials or our success stories.

Why Credentials and Experience Matter

Tax attorneys stand above other tax professionals for several different reasons, including:

• Attorney-client privilege
• U.S. Tax Court representation
• Unparalleled ethical standards

An attorney knows the system – they know how to follow procedures, how to communicate with the IRS, and most importantly, how to resolve your tax problems.

What to Expect When You Hire a Tax Attorney

The process may vary depending on the tax attorney you hire and the nature of your tax problem. However, here’s what usually happens:

• Initial consultation – You talk with the attorney of a trusted staff member about your concern and how they can help. You can provide them with IRS notices or other documents to explain your case.
• Proposal – You learn how the attorney can help, the options, and the potential costs of each one. They provide realistic expectations, not promises that are too good to be true.
• Retainer – You engage the attorney and pay a retainer or an upfront fee for their services. Attorneys typically charge a flat fee for the job or an hourly rate.
• Service – The attorney works on resolving your tax problem. They provide regular updates so you always know what’s happening.
• Resolution – The case is resolved, and you can move forward.

Unlike tax debt relief firms, attorneys are transparent. They don’t have to “trick” you into signing up for their services. They know they bring value to the table. That means you can always ask questions – and you should. You deserve to know exactly what’s happening with your case and why.

Get Tax Attorney Help Now

Ready to solve your tax problem? Want to utilize the best strategy for your situation? Then, you need an experienced tax attorney who’s also a CPA. To get help now, contact us at the Timothy S. Hart Law Group today.

FAQs: Tax Attorney Help

Do I need a tax attorney or CPA for IRS tax debt?

Ultimately, you need a pro with relevant experience. CPAs and tax attorneys can both represent you in front of the IRS. CPAs are often the best option if dealing with unfiled returns or tax planning, while attorneys tend to be the best for complicated litigation. But you don’t always have to choose – Timothy S. Hart is both a tax attorney and a CPA.

How long does it take a tax attorney to resolve a case?

It depends on the case and the IRS’s processing times. Sometimes, you can resolve a tax debt or penalty in a week or two, but navigating an innocent spouse claim, an offer in compromise, an audit appeal, or a Tax Court case may take up to a year or more.

What’s the difference between a tax attorney and a tax relief company?

A tax attorney is a professional who runs a firm focused on helping taxpayers. They work directly with their clients to provide customized, sustainable solutions. A tax debt relief company is a business designed to make as much money as possible by bringing in high numbers of clients and working their cases quickly with a very limited number of tax pros. Tax debt relief companies focus on one-size-fits-all solutions, large sales teams, and minimal communication.

Is a tax attorney more expensive than a tax debt relief company?

It depends. In some cases, an attorney may be more expensive, while in other cases, they cost less than a tax debt relief company. But in all cases, an attorney brings more experience to the table. You can trust them to provide transparency and real solutions to your tax problems.

Is it worth getting a tax attorney?

Yes, but not always. When you’re dealing with a complicated tax problem, unable to resolve a dispute, or facing enforced collections, a tax attorney can be indispensable. However, if you have a small problem that you’re comfortable resolving on your own (for example, setting up payments on $10,000 or less in tax debt), you may be fine on your own – but even then, you may want their help for the peace of mind.