Tax Relief Lawyers in Freeport

The term "tax relief" can refer to numerous different things in Freeport, Maine. 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 exclusively talking about tax cuts, which would likely 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.

But, many members of the general public, particularly in recent years, associate "tax relief" with businesses or individuals who claim they can lower your tax liability - typically advertising on the Internet or the radio. These advertisements frequently claim that they have experienced lawyers and negotiators who can help you get out of your duty to pay taxes. While many of these organizations are valid, and are actually interested in helping their clients, a substantial percentage of "tax relief" organizations in Maine are scams.

Tax Relief Scams in Freeport, Maine

Scammers in Freeport, Maine often claim that they can employ some unique method enabling you pay the IRS less than you truly owe, or even erase your tax debt.

But buyer beware: these scammers in Freeport, Maine, and elsewhere, cannot possibly deliver on their promises, and they know it. Thankfully, most tax relief scams have a few common factors that can give them away to vigilant consumers.

There is one warning sign that virtually guarantees that the tax relief company you're dealing with intends to defraud you: if they make an absolute guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax requirement, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will prevail. And although the IRS does have programs to advise people who are really unable to pay for their taxes, they are only available to very small subset of the population, and most Freeport, Maine taxpayers aren't suitable to participate in them.

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

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Freeport, Maine Help?

If you find that you are unable to pay your taxes, through no fault of your own, you may be tempted to answer an advertisement for a "tax relief" company. Before that, you should talk with a Freeport, Maine tax lawyer.

A skilled and reputable tax attorney in Freeport, Maine will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A reliable 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.