Tax Relief Lawyers in Lompoc

"Tax relief" in Lompoc, 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 commonly 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 skilled 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 straightforward, and have the best interests of their customers in mind. However, many of them are scams.

Tax Relief Scams in Lompoc, California

Scammers in Lompoc, California often claim that they can employ some special method enabling you pay the IRS less than you really owe, or even erase your tax debt.

But buyer beware: these scammers in Lompoc, California, and elsewhere, cannot possibly deliver on their promises, and they know it. Fortunately, 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 unequivocal 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 help people who are absolutely unable to pay for their taxes, they are only available to very small subset of the population, and most Lompoc, California taxpayers aren't qualified to participate in them.

Another red flag to look for is a demand of a large up-front payment. Many tax relief scammers in Lompoc will not even pretend to try and assist you. Rather, they simply take the money and disappear, sometimes after making additional, and unauthorized, charges to your credit card or withdrawals from your bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Lompoc, California Help?

If you find that you can't pay your taxes, and this is not a result of any fault or irresponsibility on your part, a tax attorney in Lompoc, California may well be able to assist you.

A qualified and reputable tax attorney in Lompoc, California will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A brilliant 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.