Tax Relief Lawyers in Buffalo
"Tax relief" is a term used to describe a few different concepts in Buffalo, New York. It sometimes refers to actions that lower the tax rate that some taxpayers are required 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 supposedly 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, many people associate the phrase "tax relief" with individuals, corporations, or law firms that offer services claiming to reduce or eliminate one's tax liability - getting them out of their obligation to pay the taxes. Most of the time, they'll say that they have skilled negotiators on their staff who can negotiate with the tax collectors in New York or the IRS, to lower your tax bill. Some of these businesses are straightforward, and have the best interests of their customers in mind. However, many of them are scams.
Tax Relief Scams in Buffalo, New York
Scammers in Buffalo, New York often claim that they can employ some special method enabling you pay the IRS less than you really owe, or even erase your tax debt.
But buyer beware: these scammers in Buffalo, New York, and elsewhere, cannot possibly deliver on their promises, and they know it. Fortunately, most tax relief scams have a few common factors that can give them away to vigilant consumers.
One of the biggest signs of a scam is an unequivocal guarantee or promise that the company can deliver a particular result. This is simply not a promise that any tax relief professional can reasonably make. Every case is different, and in many (if not most) cases, the taxpayer will not be qualified for any legal measures that can reduce their tax liability. An honest tax relief organization in Buffalo, New York will be very upfront about this fact.
Another red flag to look for is a demand of a large up-front payment. Many tax relief scammers in Buffalo will not even pretend to try and assist you. Rather, they simply take the money and disappear, sometimes after making additional, and unauthorized, charges to your credit card or withdrawals from your bank account.
How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Buffalo, New York Help?
If you are having trouble paying the taxes that you owe in Buffalo, New York, and are seeking tax relief, you should speak with a reputable local tax attorney before you pay anyone else to help you.
A qualified and reputable tax attorney in Buffalo, New York will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A brilliant 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.