Tax Lawyers in Lake Forest

The government of Lake Forest, California collects taxes from its residents in order to pay for basic public services, like police and fire departments, libraries, hospitals, and public transit.

Taxes in Lake Forest, California are derived from a wide variety of sources. Regardless of the source, however, the amount that's taken is never arbitrary, and is always determined by law. A tax can come either in the form of a flat fee, or as a percentage of one's income, the value of a piece of property, or a sale.

Everyone in Lake Forest is required by law to pay the taxes they owe. If you fail to do this, you could end up facing jail time.

Sources of Tax Dollars in Lake Forest, California

A wide variety of activities are subject to taxation in Lake Forest, California, creating a large range of revenue sources. For example, cities usually impose a sales tax, charge fees for certain licenses, and collect tolls on roads and bridges.

Sales Tax: A sales tax in Lake Forest is a surcharge added to the price of most goods that are sold by retailers to the general public. The government of also imposes a sales tax, which must be paid in addition to the local tax. Typically, local sales taxes are less than one percent, while state sales taxes are in the 5% range.

Licensing Fees: In Lake Forest, licenses are required to engage in many different activities, or at least to do so legally. The most common of these are business licenses. While some professions require licenses because the state has an interest in ensuring competence in them (in law and medicine, for instance), many business licenses exist for the primary purpose of collecting revenue, and therefore serve the same purpose as taxes.

Bridge/Road Tolls: Many larger cities in the U.S. charge tolls to enter the city via major highways or bridges. This amounts to a tax paid for the privilege of entering Lake Forest if it has such toll roads. Besides being a general source of revenue, these tolls require visitors to the city, who will have many city services available to them while they visit, to pay at least some contribution to these services.

How Can a Lake Forest, California Tax Attorney Help?

Tax Law in Lake Forest, California is sometimes simple. More often than not, however, some wrinkle appears that makes determining one's tax liability more difficult than it probably needs to be. Additionally, many individuals and groups are legally entitled to tax breaks and deductions, which can make figuring out one's tax liability even more difficult.

If you have any legal issues with your taxes, you should seek legal advice from a competent and reputable tax attorney in Lake Forest, California.