Tax Court in Menlo Park, California

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Menlo Park, CA

Tax Court Lawyers in Menlo Park

Tax Court is a legal forum designed particularly to resolve claims and disputes that arise under federal and (sometimes) state tax law.

Federal tax issues are overseen by the United States Tax Court, which has branches all over the U.S. So, the U.S. Tax Court almost certainly has a courthouse in or around Menlo Park, California.

U.S. Tax Courts deal with almost every legal issue that has to do with the federal tax commitments of an individual or corporation. The U.S. District Courts are the courts of "general jurisdiction" in the U.S., meaning that they can hear almost any type of civil or criminal case under their jurisdiction. This includes tax cases, but the law only allows them to hear such cases if the tax in question has already been paid. Tax courts can hear cases before the tax has been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in Menlo Park, California

Tax court claims in Menlo Park, California 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 assigned by the President. They serve terms of 15 years. When their terms expire, the vast majority of these judges are just re-appointed by whichever president is in office at the time, so most tax court judges effectively serve for life, or until they retire.

Tax courts in the U.S. have a few distinct features. Perhaps most notably, people who are not admitted to practice law in California, 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, when the IRS sends a taxpayer in Menlo Park, California a notice of deficiency, indicating that they owe back taxes, the taxpayer has 90 days to file a claim in federal tax court to dispute this notice. If a claim is not filed in a timely manner, the taxpayer could lose his or her right to contest the tax bill at issue.

Do I Need a Menlo Park, California Tax Attorney?

Federal law allows some non-lawyers to represent parties in tax court. However, tax law is a fairly complicated and specialized legal field. Most lawyers who practice tax law do not practice any other area of law, giving you an idea of how specialized it is.

If you have to go to tax court for whatever reason, you should almost certainly speak with a reputable tax attorney in Menlo Park, California. 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 Menlo Park

Menlo Park, California is a city in San Mateo County, in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as "Silicon Valley," due to the large number of high-tech companies located in the area. Menlo Park currently has a population of about 32,000 people.

Menlo Park first got its name in the 1850s, when some of the original settlers to found the city named it after Menlo, Ireland, their hometown. Many people assume that, because Menlo Park is home to many innovative high-tech companies, it is named after Menlo Park, New Jersey, where inventor Thomas Edison did much of his work. However, the name predates much of Edison's work, and the fact that both cities are known for technological innovation and share the same name is a coincidence.

Many large law firms have offices in Menlo Park, thanks to the presence of a large number of high-tech companies.

Thanks to its vibrant and sophisticated business environment, there are many Menlo Park, California attorneys who can handle a wide range of complex cases. If you are in need of legal services, there's almost certainly at least one Menlo Park, California lawyer who can help you with whatever legal issue you might face.

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