Tax Relief Lawyers in Barnstable County

The term "tax relief" can refer to many different things in Barnstable County, 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 presumably 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 skilled 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 Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Scammers in Barnstable County, 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 Barnstable County, Massachusetts have no actual ability to reduce your legal liability to pay your taxes. However, these scams also have many common factors which tend to be dead giveaways of their fraudulent nature, making them fairly easy to avoid if you are extremely vigilant.

Probably the strongest indication that a tax relief organization is a scam is a guarantee that they can deliver a specific result. If anyone makes an unequivocal promise that they can absolve your tax debt, they are lying to you, plain and simple. This is because it is impossible to honestly make such a promise. The fact is, most people are not suitable for any IRS programs that let some taxpayers reduce their tax liability. This goes for most people in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, as well.

Another red flag to look for is a demand of a large up-front payment. Many tax relief scammers in Barnstable County will not even pretend to try and advise you. Alternatively, they simply take the money and disappear, sometimes after making additional, and unauthorized, charges to your credit card or withdrawals from your bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Help?

If you are having trouble paying the taxes that you owe in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and are seeking tax relief, you should speak with a reputable local tax attorney before you pay anyone else to help you.

If you hire a knowledgeable Barnstable County, Massachusetts tax lawyer, your attorney will be able to provide you with honest advice about your legal situations vis-à-vis your taxes. Fair warning: honest legal advice sometimes doesn't involve telling you what you want to hear. However, the advice of an attorney will be far more useful than anything most "tax relief" companies tell you. Plus, in the very rare event that your attorney tries to defraud you, you have much more legal recourse against them than you would have against some fly-by-night "tax relief" company.