Tax Court in Somerville, Massachusetts

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Somerville, MA

Tax Court Lawyers in Somerville

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

Almost all legal concerns having to do with federal taxes are resolved in the U.S. Tax Court, which has at least one courthouse in every state, and various courthouses in each of the larger states. This means that there is almost certainly a tax court in, or within a reasonable distance of, Somerville, Massachusetts.

Federal tax court is the place to litigate all disputes arising out of tax law, if the relevant tax obligations has not already been paid. While other federal courts, such as the U.S. District Court or the Court of Federal Claims, can hear tax matters, they can only hear tax cases after the tax has been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in Somerville, Massachusetts

Any legal issue that concerns federal taxes in Somerville, Massachusetts, 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 typically 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 Massachusetts, or anywhere else, are permitted 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 frequently, a resident of Somerville, Massachusetts 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 Somerville, Massachusetts Tax Attorney?

Federal law permits some non-lawyers to represent parties in tax court. However, tax law is a fairly intricate and specialized legal field. Most lawyers who practice tax law do not practice any other area of law, giving you an idea of how specialized it is.

So, if you plan on going to tax court, it should go without saying that you should hire a Somerville, Massachusetts tax attorney. While a non-lawyer admitted to practice before tax court may well give you skilled representation, you will have much stronger recourse against a licensed attorney if they negligently botch your case.

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Life in Somerville

Located in Middlesex County, Sommerville, Massachusetts is just two miles north from the state capital of Boston. Sommerville has a population of just under 80,000 residents and is listed as the most densely populated communities in all of New England.

Sommerville was first settled in 1630 and is now considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse communities in all of the United States, with many recent immigrants from Brazil, El Salvador, and Haiti. With over fifty spoken languages used in Somerville schools and 1/3 of the city population born i another country, it is no wonder Somerville has such an ethnic distinction.

Arts and culture is another noteworthy aspect of the New England city. Next to New York, Somerville houses more artists per capita than any other city. The city hosts many artistic events such as the Somerville Arts Council, Brickbottom Artist Association, and the ArtBeat Festival.

Diversity and culture make for the perfect location for many of New England's top lawyers to set up show. Somerville lawyers are skilled in a rage of specialties and able to help their neighbor with any legal issue he or she may encounter. There is a thriving legal community in Sommerville, many coming from top law schools located in Boston.

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