Is Hiring A Tax Attorney Worth It?

Running into problems with the IRS is every American’s worst nightmare, for a good reason. People have gone through major financial challenges just to resolve their tax issues and even lost their homes because of an IRS lien.

Whatever the magnitude of your tax problems, your best course of action is to hire a tax attorney. These legal professionals provide a wide range of services that can help individuals experiencing tax difficulties resolve them and return to good standing with the IRS. 

If push comes to shove, a tax attorney can also help you with complex tax litigation.

Before hiring anyone, you should first do your research and determine whether you even need an attorney, and ultimately, how much do tax attorneys charge for their services.

When should you hire a tax attorney?

While you’re legally free to represent yourself in issues with the IRS, that doesn’t mean you should. Here are some situations where hiring an attorney will be helpful and increase your chances of achieving the best possible outcome:

• IRS is auditing you
• You want to negotiate a settlement with the IRS
• You’ve received an IRS notice that you don’t fully understand
• You were informed the IRS is pressing charges against you
• You’re uncomfortable communicating with the IRS agents on your own

Types of Issues Tax Attorneys Can Handle

Before going over how much do tax attorneys charge, you should learn more about the issues these legal professionals can assist you with. The biggest ones include:

1. IRS Audits

Although it sounds scary, an IRS correspondence audit may not be a big deal. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a professional on your side, regardless of the type of audit. If you were notified about a correspondence audit, contact a tax attorney who can review all audit materials and assist you by taking over all communications with the IRS. 

Alternatively, it’s also wise to have an attorney if you have to take part in a Taxpayer Compliance Measurement Program audit. 

Complexity of the matter at hand notwithstanding, having a tax attorney on your side will alleviate your stress. Since attorneys deal with the IRS every day, negotiating with the agency and supporting you during the audits is second nature to them at this point.

Best of all, because of their experience, they can not only lock down the best settlement possible, but can also offer valuable legal advice that may stop you from agreeing to a deal that isn’t in your best interest. 

2. Negotiating settlements

There are many tax relief options available to you if you hire an experienced tax attorney. For instance, there is the Fresh Start Program that offers alternative payment options for those who are unable to pay their tax debt. 

However, the most popular by far is the offer in compromise, which allows the taxpayer to settle a tax debt for less than the full amount they owe. This is where the skills of the attorney representing you play a key role as the IRS will only accept an offer in compromise if they believe that you’ll pay your debt in full. 

An attorney can determine if you qualify for this option, create the optimal offer, and present it to the IRS. Since they’re deeply familiar with the process, they will have a better chance of demonstrating to the IRS why they should accept your offer in compromise.

In addition, a tax attorney can help you explore other options. For example, they may negotiate for a lesser amount or even have you pay the full amount in installments. The last option is very beneficial as it helps you settle your debt without falling into financial trouble, while also avoiding penalties and fees. 

3. Interpretation of IRS communications

Many people have trouble fully understanding IRS notices. Fortunately, an attorney is more than capable of explaining both their meaning and intent. More importantly, they can advise you on the best next step to handle the notice in the most efficient way possible.

4. Helping you with criminal charges

If the IRS suspects you are guilty of tax evasion or fraud, they will pursue criminal charges against you in a court of law. The charges are very serious and come with hefty financial penalties, or in the worst-case scenario, lead to incarceration. 

This is where hiring an attorney is an absolute necessity as they’ll be able to protect your rights and represent you in federal court, while also helping frame your narrative in a positive light.

How Much Do Tax Attorneys Charge?

There are too many factors at play to exactly quantify how much do tax attorneys charge. Each case is different, and some, like ones involving criminal charges, require a lot more work than negotiating a settlement. 

Next, the price also depends on the experience of the attorney. Naturally, an attorney who’s been practicing for 20 years will cost more than their peer who just started a law practice.

Furthermore, when looking around for information on how much do tax attorneys charge, you can expect to see two billing models: a flat fee and hourly. 

Paying hourly is the most common practice, and it’s simply fairer than a flat fee. This is primarily because some attorneys base fees on the maximum amount of hours they believe it will take them to resolve your tax issue - which may take less depending on the circumstances. 

Alleviate Your Tax Problems With Attorneys at Law Offices of Mary E. King

Whenever you run into any tax trouble, a tax attorney can help you handle all your communications and negotiations with the IRS. When dealing with a government agency on your own, the cards are stacked against you. Having a legal professional providing support and working with the IRS on your behalf will help ensure that your rights are protected and get out of this trouble with the least amount of financial damage possible. 

Since dealing with the IRS is no laughing matter and making just a few small mistakes could have a significant impact on your life, you need legal services of the highest caliber - such as the ones offered at the Law Offices of Mary E. King.

As one of the most respected tax attorneys in Florida, we helped clients from all walks of life come up with the most efficient strategies for resolving their tax debt - and we can do the same for you. 

Schedule a free consultation and inquire about our pricing options by filling out our contact form or dialing 941-906-7585. 

Note: 

The information in this blog post is for reference only and not legal advice. As such, you should not make legal decisions based on the information in this blog post. Moreover, there is no lawyer-client relationship resulting from this blog post, nor should any such relationship be implied. If you need legal counsel, please consult a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction.