Tax Relief Lawyers in Cook County

"Tax relief" in Cook County, Illinois can refer to a wide range of subjects. However, it almost exclusively refers to lowering the tax liability, either of an individual, or a group of individuals.

When the term "tax relief" is used in the media, it's usually in the context of a politician, or someone running for elected office, vowing that they'll reduce tax rates. Essentially, "tax relief" is, in this context, another term for "tax cut."

However, many people in the general public, particularly in these troubled economic times, often hear the words "tax relief" used in a totally different context. The phrase has become synonymous with businesses and individuals who claim they have some exceptional method to help you lower your tax liability in Illinois. While some of these offers are legitimate, many of them are scams, and if you hire them, you'll end up in a worse position than you were before.

Tax Relief Scams in Cook County, Illinois

Many scammers in Cook County, Illinois claim that they can completely relieve you of your requirement to pay your taxes - for a fee, of course.

However, in most cases, these people have no capacity 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 Cook County, Illinois can look for.

One of the strongest indications that you're dealing with a scammer is if they assure that they can deliver a specific 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 reduced tax bill, they only apply to people in extreme cases, who are unable to pay their taxes through no fault of their own. Most Cook County, Illinois 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 Cook County, whether they're vowing 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 unlawful charges to your credit card, or withdrawals from your bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Cook County, Illinois Help?

If you are in need of tax relief, or are encountering trouble paying taxes you owe, it can't hurt to talk with a Cook County, Illinois tax attorney.

A good Cook County, Illinois 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 likely doesn't use his or her real name.