Tax Court Lawyers in Mountainside

A tax court is a venue that authorizes legal disputes relating to taxes to be resolved in an orderly, efficient manner.

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

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 Mountainside, New Jersey

Claims dealing with tax law can come from any dispute that has to do with one's duty to pay taxes in Mountainside, New Jersey. This normally happens when the state or federal tax authorities allege that someone has failed to pay their taxes, and therefore owes the government money. If the taxpayer disagrees, a tax court has to resolve the issue.

Tax courts in the United States are presided over by judges who are appointed by the President. Unlike most other federal judges, who serve for life, judges on the U.S. Tax Court serve 15 year terms. However, they can serve an unlimited number of these terms, and if they do their jobs competently, they are almost always re-appointed when their terms are up, meaning that the vast majority of them effectively serve for life.

Federal tax court is somewhat unique in that individuals who are not licensed attorneys in New Jersey (or anywhere else) may represent taxpayers before the tax court, as long as they can pass an exam indicating that they have a good understanding of tax law. Licensed lawyers do not need to take this exam to practice before tax court.

Normally, a Mountainside, New Jersey resident will end up in tax court because the IRS has determined that they have not paid all of the taxes that they owe, and has sent them a notice indicating as much. When this happens, the taxpayer has 90 days to file a claim in Tax Court contesting the IRS's allegations. If you believe that the allegations against you are untrue, and wish to fight them, it's essential that you file a claim in tax court within the allotted time period. Otherwise, you could lose your right to challenge that tax bill permanently.

Do I Need a Mountainside, New Jersey Tax Attorney?

Federal law authorizes some non-lawyers to represent parties in tax court. However, tax law is a fairly complex 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.

If you have to go to tax court for whatever reason, you should almost certainly speak with a brilliant tax attorney in Mountainside, New Jersey. Even though some non-lawyers are technically permitted to represent you in tax court, there are distinct advantages to hiring a lawyer, even if a non-attorney can provide you with competent representation. The main advantage is the fact that all attorneys are tightly regulated by their state bar associations, and if they botch your case, you may have more legal recourse against an attorney than you would against a non-attorney.