Tax Relief Lawyers in St. Petersburg
"Tax relief" in St. Petersburg, Florida 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 you hear the term "tax relief" used by an elected official, or someone running for office, they're almost always talking about tax cuts, which would likely apply to the speaker's target audience. A tax cut is simply a reduction in the percentage of one's income (or whatever else is being taxed) that they have to pay in taxes.
But, many members of the general public, especially in recent years, associate "tax relief" with businesses or individuals who claim they can lower your tax liability - usually advertising on the Internet or the radio. These advertisements often claim that they have skilled lawyers and negotiators who can help you get out of your duty to pay taxes. While many of these organizations are legitimate, and are actually interested in helping their clients, a significant percentage of "tax relief" organizations in Florida are scams.
Tax Relief Scams in St. Petersburg, Florida
Scammers in St. Petersburg, Florida often claim that they can employ some special method enabling you pay the IRS less than you actually owe, or even erase your tax debt.
However, in many cases, these people have no ability or intent to help their "clients," and will simply take the money and run. In order to spot a tax relief scam, there are a few things that residents of St. Petersburg, Florida can look for.
One of the strongest indications that you're dealing with a scammer is if they guarantee that they can deliver a particular result. When it comes to negotiating with the IRS or state tax authorities, there are simply no guarantees, and a competent and ethical tax relief professional will know this, and tell you as much. The unfortunate fact is that, while the IRS does have programs allowing people to negotiate a lower tax bill, they only apply to people in extreme situations, who are unable to pay their taxes through no fault of their own. Most St. Petersburg, Florida residents will not be eligible.
And if a tax relief organization demands up-front payment, this should raise a big red flag for you. Many scammers in St. Petersburg, whether they're promising tax relief, or anything else, will take your money, and then disappear, without even pretending to try to help you. The worst of the worst will also take the money you agreed to pay them, and then make unauthorized charges to your credit card, or withdrawals from your bank account.
How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida Help?
If you owe a huge amount in back taxes, and are unable to pay them, it may well be helpful to seek the advice of a St. Petersburg, Florida tax attorney.
A good St. Petersburg, Florida tax attorney can give you honest, unbiased legal advice that will be useful in handling any problem you have with your taxes. Of course, as you probably know, honest advice is, more often than not, the opposite of what one wants to hear, even if it is more useful than whatever puffery you'll hear from a scammer. Plus, in the extremely unlikely event that your tax attorney defrauds you, it will be much easier to seek legal action against a licensed attorney than against some scammer who probably doesn't use his or her real name.