Tax Relief Lawyers in South Portland

The term "tax relief" can refer to various different things in South Portland, Maine. But, it is typically 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 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.

Increasingly, however, the general public is being inundated with advertisements on the Internet, the radio, and in print, from companies offering "tax relief" to consumers who owe back taxes in amounts that will be difficult or impossible to pay back. These companies claim to have some unique technique that can get Maine residents out of paying their taxes, or at least negotiate their final tax bill down to a smaller amount. Some of these companies are legitimate, but many of them are total frauds.

Tax Relief Scams in South Portland, Maine

It is pretty common for scammers in South Portland, Maine to claim that, for a comparatively small fee, they will help you get out of paying all of your taxes.

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

One of the biggest signs of a scam is an explicit guarantee or promise that the company can deliver a certain result. This is simply not a promise that any tax relief professional can rationally make. Every case is different, and in many (if not most) cases, the taxpayer will not be eligible for any legal measures that can reduce their tax liability. An honest tax relief organization in South Portland, Maine will be very upfront about this fact.

Furthermore, you need to know that anyone demanding payment before they execute any services in South Portland probably doesn't have your interests in mind. If you pay a scammer up front, they'll likely just run off with your money, and you'll never hear from them again.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in South Portland, Maine Help?

If you find that you can't pay your taxes, and this is not a result of any fault or irresponsibility on your part, a tax attorney in South Portland, Maine may well be able to help you.

If you hire a reputable South Portland, Maine 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 occasionally 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.