Tax Relief Lawyers in Westbrook

The term "tax relief" can refer to many different things in Westbrook, 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 always 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.

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 challenging or impossible to pay back. These companies claim to have some exceptional 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 Westbrook, Maine

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

However, in many cases, these people have no ability or intent to advise their "clients," and will simply take the money and run. In order to spot a tax relief scam, there are a few things that residents of Westbrook, Maine can look for.

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 Westbrook, Maine, as well.

And if a tax relief organization demands up-front payment, this should raise a big red flag for you. Many scammers in Westbrook, whether they're promising 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 unauthorized charges to your credit card, or withdrawals from your bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Westbrook, 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 speak with a Westbrook, Maine tax lawyer.

A good Westbrook, Maine 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.