Tax Relief Lawyers in Decatur
"Tax relief" in Decatur, 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 normally in the context of a politician, or someone running for elected office, assuring 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 unique 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 Decatur, Illinois
Many scammers in Decatur, Illinois claim that they can completely absolve you of your requirement to pay your taxes - for a fee, of course.
In most cases, however, these people have absolutely no legal means to really help their "clients" ("victims" is the more accurate term), and will simply take your money and disappear. Luckily, these scams in Decatur, Illinois normally have a few elements that are dead giveaways, which you should always be on the look out for if you're contemplating hiring someone offering "tax relief."
One of the biggest warning signs that one should look for is an absolute promise that someone can eliminate your tax debt. This is simply not a promise that anyone can honestly make. While the IRS does have programs to help people who are honestly unable to pay their back taxes, through no fault of their own, they only apply in the most extreme cases, so the vast majority of taxpayers in Decatur, Illinois don't qualify for them.
Furthermore, any demand for upfront payment, before any actual services are rendered, is another warning sign that you may be dealing with a fraudster. This is because many tax scammers in Decatur will simply take whatever money you give them, and drop off the face of the Earth (figuratively, unfortunately), without doing anything to help you, or even pretending to. Adding insult to injury, if you pay them with a credit card, they may well make additional illegal charges to it.
How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Decatur, Illinois 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 Decatur, Illinois may well be able to assist you.
A qualified and reputable tax attorney in Decatur, Illinois will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A seasoned 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.