Tax Relief Lawyers in Lackawanna

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

When the term "tax relief" is used in the media, it's usually in the context of a politician, or someone running for elected office, pledging that they'll reduce tax rates. Basically, "tax relief" is, in this context, another term for "tax cut."

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 proficient lawyers negotiate with the IRS or New York 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 Lackawanna, New York

Scammers in Lackawanna, New York will often claim, for a fee of course, that they can get you out of your obligation to pay your taxes.

In the majority of cases, however, tax relief scammers in Lackawanna, New York have no actual ability to reduce your legal liability to pay your taxes. However, these scams also have several 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 biggest warning signs that one should look for is an indisputable 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 assist people who are truly 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 Lackawanna, New York don't qualify for them.

And if a tax relief organization demands up-front payment, this should raise a big red flag for you. Many scammers in Lackawanna, whether they're pledging 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 unapproved charges to your credit card, or withdrawals from your bank account.

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

If you find that you are unable to pay your taxes, through no fault of your own, you may be tempted to answer an advertisement for a "tax relief" company. Before that, you should speak with a Lackawanna, New York tax lawyer.

A good Lackawanna, New York tax attorney can give you honest, unbiased legal advice that will be useful in handling any problem you have with your taxes. Of course, as you probably know, honest advice is, more often than not, the opposite of what one wants to hear, even if it is more useful than whatever puffery you'll hear from a scammer. Plus, in the extremely unlikely event that your tax attorney defrauds you, it will be much easier to seek legal action against a licensed attorney than against some scammer who probably doesn't use his or her real name.