Tax Relief Lawyers in Athol

The term "tax relief" can refer to several different things in Athol, Massachusetts. But, it is normally used to refer to some action that reduces the tax liability of an individual, corporation, or a certain category of individuals.

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 hypothetically 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.

However, when most people think of "tax relief," they are thinking of an individual, law firm, or corporation that claims to offer a way to get out of paying some or all of one's back taxes. They typically claim that they will have proficient lawyers negotiate with the IRS or Massachusetts tax authorities, to reduce your tax liability. While some of these businesses are legitimate, there are also many scams in this area.

Tax Relief Scams in Athol, Massachusetts

Scammers in Athol, Massachusetts will frequently claim, for a fee of course, that they can get you out of your obligation to pay your taxes.

In the majority of cases, however, tax relief scammers in Athol, Massachusetts have no actual ability to reduce your legal liability to pay your taxes. However, these scams also have several common factors which tend to be dead giveaways of their fraudulent nature, making them fairly easy to avoid if you are extremely vigilant.

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 skilled and ethical tax relief professional will know this, and tell you as much. The unfortunate fact is that, while the IRS does have programs authorizing people to negotiate a lower tax bill, they only apply to people in extreme examples, who are unable to pay their taxes through no fault of their own. Most Athol, Massachusetts residents will not be suitable.

And if a tax relief organization demands up-front payment, this should raise a big red flag for you. Many scammers in Athol, whether they're pledging tax relief, or anything else, will take your money, and then disappear, without even pretending to try to advise you. The worst of the worst will also take the money you agreed to pay them, and then make unapproved charges to your credit card, or withdrawals from your bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Athol, Massachusetts Help?

If you owe a massive amount in back taxes, and are unable to pay them, it may well be helpful to seek the advice of an Athol, Massachusetts tax attorney.

A good Athol, Massachusetts 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.