Tax Court in Arlington, Virginia

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Arlington, VA

Tax Court Lawyers in Arlington

Tax courts execute roughly the same function as any other court: they present a forum to resolve legal disputes in an orderly, fair, and efficient manner. The only difference with tax courts is that they specialize in solving disagreements that have to do with tax law.

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

The U.S. Tax Court is where disagreements arising under federal tax law are resolved, if the tax debt in question has not already been paid. The U.S. District Court, which is the federal court of general jurisdiction, can only hear tax cases after the tax has been paid. This rule is meant to guarantee that as many tax issues as possible are actually decided in tax court, rather than the overworked District Courts.

Tax Court Procedure in Arlington, Virginia

Claims dealing with tax law can come from any disagreement that has to do with one's duty to pay taxes in Arlington, Virginia. This usually happens when the state or federal tax authorities allege that someone has failed to pay their taxes, and therefore owes the government money. If the taxpayer disagrees, a tax court has to resolve the issue.

Federal tax courts are presided over by judges who are assigned by the President of the United States. These judges serve 15-year terms. Judges whose terms expire are consistently re-appointed by the sitting President, so most tax court judges effectively serve for life.

Tax courts in the U.S. have a few distinct features. Perhaps most notably, people who are not admitted to practice law in Virginia, or in any other jurisdiction, are allowed to represent clients in tax court. However, non-lawyers must take, and pass, a fairly challenging exam to demonstrate that they have an in-depth understanding of U.S. tax law. If someone is already a lawyer, however, they can practice before a tax court without taking this exam.

Typically, residents of Arlington, Virginia will end up in tax court because the IRS, or another tax agency, has alleged that they have failed to pay all the taxes that they owe. In the interest of due process, the IRS will send the taxpayer a letter informing them that they owe back taxes. At this point, the taxpayer will have something like 90 days to go to Tax Court to fight these allegations, if they so desire. If you do not file a response within the allotted time, the tax bill will become final, and you will have no legal means to contest it.

Do I Need a Arlington, Virginia Tax Attorney?

As mentioned earlier, federal law lets some non-attorneys practice before U.S. Tax Courts. But tax law can be extremely complicated, and the practice of this area of law is highly specialized - so much so that most lawyers who practice tax law do not practice in any other field.

If you are going to tax court, it should be obvious by now that you should seek the advice and assistance of a good Arlington, Virginia 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 Arlington

Arlington is located in Arlington County, Virginia. It is located south of the Potomac River, across from Washington D.C. Per the 2010 census, Arlington's population had reached 207,627 people.

Being so near Washington D.C., sites such as the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, and the White House are not too far away. Other landmarks in Arlington include the Arlington National Cemetery, the United States Air Force Memorial and the marine Corps War Memorial.

Top employers include the Virginia Hospital Center, US Airways, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, SRA International, SAIC, CACI, Boeing, Towers Watson, and Jacobs. Although the legal industry is not included, Washington D.C. is filled with many top-notch law firms that train attorneys from top law schools. Further, in Arlington itself, there are many small firms and law offices to tend to the legal needs of residents who do not want to travel to D.C.

All in all, Arlington offers a quaint atmosphere with a location central to the "big city attractions and advantages."

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