Tax Court in West Allis, Wisconsin

Find the right Tax Court attorney in West Allis, WI

Tax Court Lawyers in West Allis

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

At the national level, we have the United States Tax Court, which has locations all over the country. This means that there is an U.S. tax court in or near West Allis, Wisconsin.

The United States Tax Court handles most legal disputes that have to deal with federal, as opposed to state, taxes. These are not courts of "general jurisdiction" (courts that hear the vast majority of civil and criminal cases). Tax courts are able to hear cases where the tax bill in dispute has not yet been paid (effectively allowing a court to rule on the validity of a tax bill before the taxpayer pays it). The courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. (called the U.S. District Courts) can only hear tax cases if the tax bill has already been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in West Allis, Wisconsin

Tax court claims in West Allis, Wisconsin can arise from any tax dispute, such as when a taxpayer believes that the conclusions of a tax audit were in error, or that they do not owe as much money as the IRS claims that they do.

The judges who preside over U.S. Tax Courts are appointed by the President. They serve terms of 15 years. When their terms expire, the vast majority of these judges are simply re-appointed by whichever president is in office at the time, so most tax court judges effectively serve for life, or until they retire.

In the U.S., tax courts have some unique features. Most interestingly, individuals who are not licensed attorneys in Wisconsin, or anywhere else, are, in some cases, allowed to represent clients before tax courts. Non-attorneys who practice before tax court are almost always accountants, and any non-lawyer who wants to practice before the U.S. tax court must pass a difficult written exam that tests their understanding of American tax law. Licensed attorneys, however, may practice before the tax court without taking this exam.

Most often, a resident of West Allis, Wisconsin 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 West Allis, Wisconsin 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 have to go to tax court for whatever reason, you should almost certainly speak with a good tax attorney in West Allis, Wisconsin. Even though some non-lawyers are technically permitted to represent you in tax court, there are distinct advantages to hiring a lawyer, even if a non-attorney can provide you with competent representation. The main advantage is the fact that all attorneys are tightly regulated by their state bar associations, and if they botch your case, you may have more legal recourse against an attorney than you would against a non-attorney.

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Life in West Allis

West Allis, Wisconsin is a charming city located in the greater Milwaukee area. West Allis has a sizeable population of just under 65,000 residents and is a very popular place to visit in Wisconsin. The city is located on 11.4 square miles.

West Allis is home to the Wisconsin State Fair, and the fairgrounds are a popular place for concerts and other activities in addition to the fair. West Allis has a lot of activities for residents to enjoy including parks, trails, and movie theaters. The Root and Kinnickinnic Rivers flow through parts of West Allis, which makes for some lush landscape and beauty for residents and visitors to enjoy.

West Allis is also home to some fabulous lawyers. Lawyers practicing in West Allis are trained to help their local client in any legal matter he or she is facing. Many West Allis lawyers grew up in the city and decided to practice there and their appreciation for their community is evident. In addition to great lawyers, West Allis has a wonderful professional community which makes this city a great place to work in. Whether visiting or living, West Allis has it all!

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