Tax Relief Lawyers in Johnson City

"Tax relief" is a term used to describe a few different concepts in Johnson City, New York. It occasionally 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 exclusively talking about tax cuts, which would hypothetically 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.

Increasingly, however, the general public is being inundated with advertisements on the Internet, the radio, and in print, from companies offering "tax relief" to consumers who owe back taxes in amounts that will be challenging or impossible to pay back. These companies claim to have some unique technique that can get New York residents out of paying their taxes, or at least negotiate their final tax bill down to a smaller amount. Some of these companies are legitimate, but many of them are total frauds.

Tax Relief Scams in Johnson City, New York

Many scammers in Johnson City, New York claim that they can completely discharge you of your requirement to pay your taxes - for a fee, of course.

But buyer beware: these scammers in Johnson City, New York, and elsewhere, cannot possibly deliver on their promises, and they know it. Thankfully, most tax relief scams have a few common factors that can give them away to vigilant consumers.

One of the biggest warning signs that one should look for is an absolute promise that someone can eliminate your tax debt. This is simply not a promise that anyone can honestly make. While the IRS does have programs to advise people who are really unable to pay their back taxes, through no fault of their own, they only apply in the most extreme cases, so the vast majority of taxpayers in Johnson City, New York don't qualify for them.

Additionally, any demand for upfront payment, before any actual services are rendered, is another warning sign that you may be dealing with a fraudster. This is because many tax scammers in Johnson City will simply take whatever money you give them, and drop off the face of the Earth (figuratively, unfortunately), without doing anything to help you, or even pretending to. Adding insult to injury, if you pay them with a credit card, they may well make additional illegal charges to it.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Johnson City, New York Help?

If you are encountering trouble paying the taxes that you owe in Johnson City, New York, and are seeking tax relief, you should speak with a knowledgeable local tax attorney before you pay anyone else to help you.

A skilled and reputable tax attorney in Johnson City, New York will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A reliable 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.