Tax Relief Lawyers in Westwood

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

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.

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 typically claim that they will have skilled 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 Westwood, New Jersey

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

In the majority of cases, however, tax relief scammers in Westwood, New Jersey have no actual ability to reduce your legal liability to pay your taxes. However, these scams also have many 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 guarantee that they can deliver a particular result. When it comes to negotiating with the IRS or state tax authorities, there are simply no guarantees, and a skilled and ethical tax relief professional will know this, and tell you as much. The unfortunate fact is that, while the IRS does have programs authorizing people to negotiate a lower tax bill, they only apply to people in extreme situations, who are unable to pay their taxes through no fault of their own. Most Westwood, New Jersey residents will not be suitable.

And if a tax relief organization demands up-front payment, this should raise a big red flag for you. Many scammers in Westwood, 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 Westwood, New Jersey Help?

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

A skilled and reputable tax attorney in Westwood, New Jersey will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A knowledgeable tax attorney delivering honest advice, however, will tell you the truth, which may not necessarily be what you want to hear. The upside, of course, is that the information they're giving you is actually useful, as opposed to the "advice" given to you by a tax relief scammer, which, if followed, would put you in a worse position than you were before. Plus, you will have a good deal of legal recourse against a tax attorney, in the unlikely event that a licensed attorney defrauds you.