Tax Court in Elkhart, Indiana

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Elkhart, IN

Tax Court Lawyers in Elkhart

Tax courts are legal forums meant to decide legal disputes that have to do with federal or state tax law.

At the federal level, there is the United States Tax Court, which has courthouses all over the country, including one in or near Elkhart, Indiana.

U.S. Tax Courts deal with almost every legal issue that has to do with the federal tax obligations 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 authorizes 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 Elkhart, Indiana

Any legal issue that concerns federal taxes in Elkhart, Indiana, or anywhere else in the U.S., can go to tax court. It's most often the case that the IRS initiates legal action against a taxpayer, alleging that they have failed to pay all of their required taxes, or are delinquent in some other way. The taxpayer normally has 90 days to respond, which initiates adversarial tax court proceedings. Failing to respond may result in the taxpayer forfeiting their rights to contest the allegations against them.

The judges who preside over U.S. Tax Courts are appointed by the President. They serve terms of 15 years. When their terms expire, the vast majority of these judges are simply re-appointed by whichever president is in office at the time, so most tax court judges effectively serve for life, or until they retire.

U.S. Tax Courts have one feature that's almost completely unique in the U.S.: people who are not licensed attorneys in Indiana, or anywhere else, are authorized to represent clients in Tax Court. This doesn't mean, however, that anyone can walk in off the street and start practicing tax law. Before they can practice before a tax court, non-attorneys have to take and pass a written exam that tests their knowledge of U.S. tax law. People who are already licensed to practice law, on the other hand, can practice before a tax court without taking this test.

Most commonly, a resident of Elkhart, Indiana will find themselves in tax court because the relevant tax authority (usually the IRS), suspects that they have not paid all of the taxes that they are required to pay. To initiate a legal action against the taxpayer, the IRS will send them a letter laying out its allegations. Once this is received, the taxpayer has a moderate period of time (about 90 days) to go to the nearest U.S. tax court and respond. If you find yourself in this position, and want to dispute the allegations against you, you MUST file a response in a tax court in a timely manner. If you don't, you can easily lose your right to ever dispute those allegations again.

Do I Need a Elkhart, Indiana Tax Attorney?

Although the law lets certain non-lawyers represent parties before tax court, tax law is very complicated and often difficult to understand - to the point that almost all attorneys who practice tax law practice it exclusively, simply because maintaining competence leaves little time to learn any other area.

If you are going to tax court, it should be discernible by now that you should seek the advice and assistance of a good Elkhart, Indiana tax lawyer. This is not a knock against the non-lawyers who are licensed to practice before tax court; the vast majority of them are perfectly competent. However, if a licensed attorney seriously mishandles your case, you will have a great deal of legal recourse against them, more so than with a non-attorney.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Elkhart

Elkhart, Indiana is a city located in Elkhart County, just south of the Illinois border. As of the 2000 Census, it has a population of about 52,000 people. Until the early 1800s, the area now known as Elkhart was mainly populated by various American Indian tribes, including the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi. In 1829, settlers established the village of Pulaski, which consisted of little more than a post office, a saw mill, and a few homes. Modernly, Elkhart, Indiana is known as a major center for a niche industry: the manufacture of musical instruments. Several such manufacturers have set up shop in Elkhart, and have, since the early 20th Century, made up a major portion of the city's industrial base. It is also home to a highly specialized sector of the auto industry - the manufacture of recreational vehicles (RVs). Sadly, because Elkhart, Indiana's industrial base was focused largely on the manufacture of luxury items (musical instruments, RVs, etc.), its economy was particularly hard-hit by the recent economic decline experienced by the U.S., along with most of the industrialized world. However, as the economy begins to look up, with manufacturing increasing, Elkhart, Indiana has plenty of reasons for hope. If you live in or near Elkhart, Indiana, and are facing a legal issue, chances are excellent that an Elkhart, Indiana lawyer can help. Elkhart, Indiana lawyers are experienced in many diverse areas of law. There is almost certainly an Elkhart, Indiana lawyer who can help you.

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