Tax Lawyers in Oakland County

To pay for basic services like police, schools, firefighters, libraries, and hospitals, the government of Oakland County, Michigan collects taxes.

In Oakland County, Michigan, taxes are derived from several sources. Regardless of where a particular tax comes from, it is always collected in an amount dictated by law. Most often, taxes are calculated as a percentage of income, sales, or property value. Sometimes, typically in the context of licensing fees or car registration fees, taxes are set at a flat rate.

Residents of Oakland County are legally required to pay their taxes. Failure to do so can result in civil penalties, criminal fines, and even imprisonment.

Sources of Tax Dollars in Oakland County, Michigan

There are a large number of different sources of tax revenue in Oakland County, Michigan. They include, among many others, sales tax, licensing fees, and road tolls.

Sales Tax: Mostly cities in the U.S., as well as most states, charge a sales tax. In Oakland County, the sales tax is calculated as a percentage of the sale price of most goods and services. The rate varies from state to state, and city to city.

Licensing Fees: The city of Oakland County may require business owners to obtain a license from the local government before they begin operating within city limits. Typically, the main hurdle involved in obtaining one of these licenses is paying a fee to the city government. Although these payments are called "fees" as opposed to "taxes," they operate in the same way, and serve largely the same purpose, as taxes.

Bridge/Road Tolls: Most major cities have tollbooths on all the major roads or highways that go into them. This effectively amounts to a tax paid to enter Oakland County, ensuring that visitors to the city make at least a small contribution to paying for the city services that they will enjoy while there.

How Can a Oakland County, Michigan Tax Attorney Help?

In Oakland County, Michigan, many different laws and regulations govern taxes, making the theoretically simple task of determining one's tax liability pretty convoluted. On top of that, there are many different breaks and exemptions that apply to specific types of groups and individuals, further complicating things.

Accordingly, it's very important that you seek the advice of a qualified Oakland County, Michigan tax attorney if you have any type of issue involving local taxes.