Tax Relief Lawyers in Crescent City

"Tax relief" in Crescent City, California can refer to a wide range of subjects. However, it almost always refers to lowering the tax liability, either of an individual, or a group of people.

When a politician or other government official uses the term "tax relief," they're mostly often talking about tax cuts, or some other actual or proposed government action which would reduce the tax liability of some individuals or corporations.

However, many people associate the phrase "tax relief" with individuals, corporations, or law firms that offer services claiming to reduce or eliminate one's tax liability - getting them out of their obligation to pay the taxes. Most of the time, they'll say that they have skilled negotiators on their staff who can negotiate with the tax collectors in California or the IRS, to lower your tax bill. Some of these businesses are honest, and have the best interests of their customers in mind. However, many of them are scams.

Tax Relief Scams in Crescent City, California

Some con-artists in Crescent City, California say that they have some secret technique that allows you to reduce the amount of taxes you're legally required to pay, or that they can erase any tax debt that you have incurred.

However, in many cases, these people have no ability or intent to help their "clients," and will simply take the money and run. In order to spot a tax relief scam, there are a few things that residents of Crescent City, California can look for.

There is one warning sign that virtually guarantees that the tax relief company you're dealing with intends to defraud you: if they make an unequivocal guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax obligation, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will succeed. And although the IRS does have programs to assist people who are truly unable to pay for their taxes, they are only available to very small subset of the population, and most Crescent City, California taxpayers aren't eligible to participate in them.

Also, any demand for upfront payment, before any actual services are rendered, is another warning sign that you may be dealing with a fraudster. This is because many tax scammers in Crescent City will simply take whatever money you give them, and drop off the face of the Earth (figuratively, unfortunately), without doing anything to help you, or even pretending to. Adding insult to injury, if you pay them with a credit card, they may well make additional unauthorized charges to it.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Crescent City, California Help?

If you are in need of tax relief, or are having trouble paying taxes you owe, it can't hurt to speak with a Crescent City, California tax attorney.

A competent and reputable tax attorney in Crescent City, California will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A good tax attorney delivering honest advice, however, will tell you the truth, which may not necessarily be what you want to hear. The upside, of course, is that the information they're giving you is actually useful, as opposed to the "advice" given to you by a tax relief scammer, which, if followed, would put you in a worse position than you were before. Plus, you will have a good deal of legal recourse against a tax attorney, in the unlikely event that a licensed attorney defrauds you.