Tax Court in San Luis Obispo, California

Find the right Tax Court attorney in San Luis Obispo, CA

Tax Court Lawyers in San Luis Obispo

Tax Court is a legal forum designed particularly to resolve claims and disputes that arise under federal and (sometimes) state tax law.

Federal tax issues are overseen by the United States Tax Court, which has branches all over the U.S. So, the U.S. Tax Court almost certainly has a courthouse in or around San Luis Obispo, California.

U.S. Tax Courts deal with almost every legal issue that has to do with the federal tax commitments of an individual or corporation. The U.S. District Courts are the courts of "general jurisdiction" in the U.S., meaning that they can hear almost any type of civil or criminal case under their jurisdiction. This includes tax cases, but the law only permits them to hear such cases if the tax in question has already been paid. Tax courts can hear cases before the tax has been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in San Luis Obispo, California

Tax law claims can arise out of any conflict having to do with one's legal requirement to pay their taxes in San Luis Obispo, California. Most often, they occur when the IRS alleges that a taxpayer has not paid all of the taxes that they owe, and the taxpayer disagrees. The court has to resolve this dispute.

In the U.S., tax court judges are assigned by the President of the United States. Unlike judges on most other federal courts, who typically serve for life (or until they retire), tax court judges serve terms of 15 years. But, there is no limit to the number of terms that they are permitted to serve. If a tax court judge has been doing his or her job competently, the President will typically re-appoint them whenever their term expires, effectively giving them life tenure.

U.S. Tax Courts have one feature that's almost completely distinct in the U.S.: people who are not licensed attorneys in California, or anywhere else, are permitted to represent clients in Tax Court. This doesn't mean, however, that anyone can walk in off the street and start practicing tax law. Before they can practice before a tax court, non-attorneys have to take and pass a written exam that tests their knowledge of U.S. tax law. People who are already licensed to practice law, on the other hand, can practice before a tax court without taking this test.

Normally, when the IRS sends a taxpayer in San Luis Obispo, California a notice of deficiency, indicating that they owe back taxes, the taxpayer has 90 days to file a claim in federal tax court to dispute this notice. If a claim is not filed in a timely manner, the taxpayer could lose his or her right to contest the tax bill at issue.

Do I Need a San Luis Obispo, California Tax Attorney?

Federal law permits some non-lawyers to represent people before U.S. Tax Courts. Nonetheless, the tax laws are very convoluted. In fact, most tax attorneys don't practice any other area of law.

If you are going to tax court, it should be evident by now that you should seek the advice and assistance of a good San Luis Obispo, California tax lawyer. This is not a knock against the non-lawyers who are licensed to practice before tax court; the vast majority of them are perfectly competent. However, if a licensed attorney seriously mishandles your case, you will have a great deal of legal recourse against them, more so than with a non-attorney.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, California is a city in San Luis Obispo County. It is the county seat of, and largest city in, San Luis Obispo County. It has a population of about 42,000, as of a 2006 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is located on California's central coast, almost exactly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

San Luis Obispo is home to the California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, which iscommonly referred to as "Cal Poly" or "Cal Poly SLO." Many of its degree programs, particularly argiculture, engineering, and architecture, are consistently ranked among the best in the United States.

Thanks to the presence of a large, nationally-renowned university, San Luis Obispo definitely has a "college town" feel to it. And its proximity to the ocean, and the mountains further inland, provide a wealth of outdoor recreational activities. The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is located on the outskirts of San Luis Obispo provides most of the electric power for the area, and is also a major employer for professionals in a wide range of fields, particularly engineers. This power plant creates several thousand well-paying jobs, and is crucial to the local economy.

If you live in San Luis Obispo, California and need an attorney, you should be able to find one. There's almost certainly a San Luis Obispo, California lawyer who can help you with whatever legal issue you might have.

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