Tax Relief Lawyers in Valparaiso

The term "tax relief" can refer to numerous different things in Valparaiso, Indiana. But, it is typically used to refer to some action that reduces the tax liability of an individual, corporation, or a certain category of individuals.

When a politician or government official uses the term "tax relief," they are usually referring to tax cuts, which are simply a reduction in the tax rate for everybody, or certain people.

Increasingly, however, the general public is being inundated with advertisements on the Internet, the radio, and in print, from companies offering "tax relief" to consumers who owe back taxes in amounts that will be difficult or impossible to pay back. These companies claim to have some secret technique that can get Indiana residents out of paying their taxes, or at least negotiate their final tax bill down to a smaller amount. Some of these companies are legitimate, but many of them are total frauds.

Tax Relief Scams in Valparaiso, Indiana

Some con-artists in Valparaiso, Indiana 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 most cases, these people have no capacity 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 Valparaiso, Indiana 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 absolute guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax requirement, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will prevail. 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 Valparaiso, Indiana 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 Valparaiso 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 illegal charges to it.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Valparaiso, Indiana Help?

If you are in need of tax relief, or are encountering trouble paying taxes you owe, it can't hurt to talk with a Valparaiso, Indiana tax attorney.

A good Valparaiso, Indiana tax attorney can give you honest, unbiased legal advice that will be useful in handling any problem you have with your taxes. Of course, as you probably know, honest advice is, more often than not, the opposite of what one wants to hear, even if it is more useful than whatever puffery you'll hear from a scammer. Plus, in the extremely unlikely event that your tax attorney defrauds you, it will be much easier to seek legal action against a licensed attorney than against some scammer who likely doesn't use his or her real name.