Tax Relief Lawyers in Burlingame
"Tax relief" in Burlingame, California can refer to a wide range of subjects. However, it almost always refers to lowering the tax liability, either of an individual, or a group of people.
When a politician or other government official uses the term "tax relief," they're mostly often talking about tax cuts, or some other actual or recommended government action which would reduce the tax liability of some individuals or corporations.
However, many people associate the phrase "tax relief" with individuals, corporations, or law firms that offer services claiming to reduce or eliminate one's tax liability - getting them out of their obligation to pay the taxes. Most of the time, they'll say that they have proficient negotiators on their staff who can negotiate with the tax collectors in California or the IRS, to lower your tax bill. Some of these businesses are honest, and have the best interests of their customers in mind. However, many of them are scams.
Tax Relief Scams in Burlingame, California
It is pretty common for scammers in Burlingame, California to claim that, for a relatively small fee, they will help you get out of paying all of your taxes.
But buyer beware: these scammers in Burlingame, California, and elsewhere, cannot possibly deliver on their promises, and they know it. Luckily, most tax relief scams have a few common factors that can give them away to vigilant consumers.
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 indisputable guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax obligation, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will succeed. 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 Burlingame, California taxpayers aren't eligible to participate in them.
Another red flag to look for is a demand of a large up-front payment. Many tax relief scammers in Burlingame will not even pretend to try and help you. Instead, they simply take the money and disappear, sometimes after making additional, and unapproved, charges to your credit card or withdrawals from your bank account.
How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Burlingame, California Help?
If you find that you are unable to pay your taxes, through no fault of your own, you may be tempted to answer an advertisement for a "tax relief" company. Before that, you should speak with a Burlingame, California tax lawyer.
A competent and reputable tax attorney in Burlingame, California will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A good tax attorney delivering honest advice, however, will tell you the truth, which may not necessarily be what you want to hear. The upside, of course, is that the information they're giving you is actually useful, as opposed to the "advice" given to you by a tax relief scammer, which, if followed, would put you in a worse position than you were before. Plus, you will have a good deal of legal recourse against a tax attorney, in the unlikely event that a licensed attorney defrauds you.