Tax Court in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Altoona, PA

Tax Court Lawyers in Altoona

Tax Courts serve the same purpose as any other court: they're there to resolve legal disagreements in a fair and orderly fashion. Tax courts are simply specialized to take tax disputes.

At the federal level, there is the United States Tax Court, which has courthouses all over the country, containing one in or near Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Tax courts in America handle the vast majority of legal issues that concern federal tax commitments of a person or other legal entity, such as a corporation. There are many procedural rules that are meant to funnel tax contentions into tax courts, without strictly requiring them to be heard there. For instance, only tax courts can hear tax cases where the tax in question has not yet been paid. The courts of general jurisdiction - known as the U.S. District Court - can also hear tax cases, but they can only hear tax cases if the disputed tax bill has already been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Tax law claims can arise out of any disagreement having to do with one's legal requirement to pay their taxes in Altoona, Pennsylvania. 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.

U.S. Tax Court judges are assigned by the President. Their terms of office are legally set at 15 years. Nonetheless, the vast majority of tax court judges are simply assigned again when their terms run out, and there is no limit on the number of 15-year terms they can serve. As a practical matter, thus, Tax Court judges effectively serve life terms.

Federal tax court is somewhat distinct in that individuals who are not licensed attorneys in Pennsylvania (or anywhere else) may represent taxpayers before the tax court, as long as they can pass an exam indicating that they have a good understanding of tax law. Licensed lawyers do not need to take this exam to practice before tax court.

Most commonly, a resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania will find themselves in tax court because the relevant tax authority (usually the IRS), suspects that they have not paid all of the taxes that they are required to pay. To initiate a legal action against the taxpayer, the IRS will send them a letter laying out its allegations. Once this is received, the taxpayer has a moderate period of time (about 90 days) to go to the nearest U.S. tax court and respond. If you find yourself in this position, and want to dispute the allegations against you, you MUST file a response in a tax court in a timely manner. If you don't, you can easily lose your right to ever dispute those allegations again.

Do I Need a Altoona, Pennsylvania Tax Attorney?

Federal law authorizes some non-lawyers to represent parties in tax court. However, tax law is a fairly complex and specialized legal field. Most lawyers who practice tax law do not practice any other area of law, giving you an idea of how specialized it is.

So, if you plan on going to tax court, it should go without saying that you should hire an Altoona, Pennsylvania tax attorney. While a non-lawyer admitted to practice before tax court may well give you qualified representation, you will have much stronger recourse against a licensed attorney if they negligently botch your case.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Altoona

Altoona is located in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Per the 2010 census it has a population of 46,320 people.

Some popular attractions include the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, Horeshoe Curve, the Railroaders Memorial Museum, the Juniata Shops of the Altoona Works, Mishler Theatre, Jaffa Shrine Center and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

Earlier, Altoona's economy was primarily dependent on the railroad industry. This changed with time as the city began to urbanize. Now, the city depends more on local businesses. In fact a top employer is Sheetz. Sheetz is a large convenience store and gas station chain that is present in many states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia. There are many Sheetz locations (approximately twenty) in Altoona. Therefore it is one of the city's top employers. To support Sheetz and other businesses, the legal force in Altoona is strong. It has many competent attorneys who practice law in various fields. Thus, they are able to help local businesses and residents with their legal needs.

Some famous residents of Altoona include Janet Blair, Brad Benson, Michael Behe, Rob Boston, Sam Cohn, Ripper Collins, Henry Kloss, Star Jones, Tommy Irwin, and Mike Luzzolino.

Clients Rate LegalMatch Attorneys
(click to read reviews)

Joel C.
Joel C.

Tax Law

Davidson, TN

Edwin L.
Edwin L.

Tax Law

Fayette, TN

Tax Defense N.
Tax Defense N.

Tax Law

Ohio, TN