Texas Tax Lawyers

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In Texas "taxes" are monies taken from individuals or corporations by the government, at a rate set by law.

The taxes that Texas collects pay for basic public services like roads, firefighters, police, courts, schools, and many other benefits that come with living in a modern society.

Everyone who legally resides in Texas is obligated to pay their taxes. If you don't pay the taxes assessed against you, you are committing a serious criminal offense, punishable by jail time and large fines.

Sources of Tax Revenue in Texas

Taxes in Texas can be derived from a large number of different sources, and in different amounts. The most frequent sources of tax revenue nationwide are Sales Tax, Income Tax, and Property Tax.

Sales Tax: Most states collect a tax on the sales of goods. In Texas, the sales tax is calculated as a percentage of the sale price of most (but normally not all) items. Technically, the tax is assessed against the sellers of goods. However, the vast majority of vendors pass this tax onto their customers, adding it to the marked price of a product at the point of sale.

Income Tax: Income tax is, as the name implies, a tax on income. Everyone in the U.S., including in Texas, has to pay the federal income tax. Most states also have their own income tax. You are also legally required to pay the income tax of your state, though the state income tax rates are considerably lower than the federal rate. The federal tax rate ranges from 10% to 33% of taxable income. Obviously, those with a higher income are taxed at a higher rate, for the most part.

Property Tax: In Texas, a tax is levied on every piece of privately-owned land, including residential lots. The state simply appraises every piece of property in its territory, then taxes the owner a percentage of the property's value. Usually, the assessed (taxable) value of the property is considerably less than its market value. To avoid paying a large property tax bill at the end of each year, most homeowners pay it in monthly installments, commonly as part of their mortgage payment.

How Can A Texas Tax Lawyer Help?

If you engage in any economic or commercial activity in Texas, such as working, selling products, owning property, or anything else, it's a near certainty that you are going to have some tax liability.

In Texas, tax law can get pretty convoluted. There are lawyers in Texas who only practice tax law, and nothing else. This should impress upon you the fact that taxes are governed by a large and complex body of laws. For that reason, if you have an issue with your state or federal taxes in Texas, such as an audit, you should not hesitate to speak with a reliable tax attorney.

Interesting Facts About Texas

Texas has a population of over 25 million people and is the second largest state by population and geographic size. Large industries like agriculture drive the state's economy. The Texas region was previously under Spanish colonial rule; at one point its official name was "Nuevo Reino de Filipinas: La Provincia de Texas".

A popular saying is "Everything is bigger in Texas". This is true even of the state's judicial court system, which is one of the most complicated in the entire U.S. This is because at each level, courts may be subdivided into separate civil and criminal branches. For example, most states only have a Supreme Court at the highest level; however, Texas has two courts of last resort, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court for civil cases.

The state of Texas maintains a special branch of law enforcement called the Texas Ranger Division. The Texas Rangers are commonly cited in popular media and have played a major role in many famous Texas criminal cases. A famous Texas civil case is Van Orden v. Perry (2005), which involved a Constitutional challenge of "religious symbols" located in front of the capitol building in Austin.

At times it may be necessary to hire a lawyer in Texas in order to navigate the multi-layered judicial system. Texas lawyers are skilled at processing claims in the different types of state courts. Working with a lawyer can help ensure that your legal needs are properly met.