Tax Relief Lawyers in Westfield

"Tax relief" is a term used to describe a few different concepts in Westfield, New Jersey. It occasionally refers to actions that lower the tax rate that some taxpayers are obligated to pay.

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 apparently 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.

However, when most people think of "tax relief," they are thinking of an individual, law firm, or corporation that claims to offer a way to get out of paying some or all of one's back taxes. They usually claim that they will have brilliant lawyers negotiate with the IRS or New Jersey tax authorities, to reduce your tax liability. While some of these businesses are legitimate, there are also many scams in this area.

Tax Relief Scams in Westfield, New Jersey

Scammers in Westfield, New Jersey often claim that they can employ some exceptional method enabling you pay the IRS less than you actually owe, or even erase your tax debt.

In the majority of cases, however, tax relief scammers in Westfield, New Jersey have no actual capacity to reduce your legal liability to pay your taxes. However, these scams also have various common factors which tend to be dead giveaways of their fraudulent nature, making them fairly easy to avoid if you are extremely vigilant.

One of the strongest indications that you're dealing with a scammer is if they assure that they can deliver a specific result. When it comes to negotiating with the IRS or state tax authorities, there are simply no guarantees, and a competent and ethical tax relief professional will know this, and tell you as much. The unfortunate fact is that, while the IRS does have programs allowing people to negotiate a reduced tax bill, they only apply to people in extreme cases, who are unable to pay their taxes through no fault of their own. Most Westfield, New Jersey residents will not be eligible.

And if a tax relief organization demands up-front payment, this should raise a big red flag for you. Many scammers in Westfield, whether they're vowing tax relief, or anything else, will take your money, and then disappear, without even pretending to try to help you. The worst of the worst will also take the money you agreed to pay them, and then make unlawful charges to your credit card, or withdrawals from your bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Westfield, New Jersey Help?

If you are in need of tax relief, or are encountering trouble paying taxes you owe, it can't hurt to talk with a Westfield, New Jersey tax attorney.

If you hire a reputable Westfield, New Jersey 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.