Tax Relief Lawyers in Cumberland County

"Tax relief" is a term commonly used to discuss a few different concepts. It often refers to any action that would reduce the tax rates, either for everyone, or for particular groups of people in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, or anywhere else.

When a politician or government official uses the term "tax relief," they are typically referring to tax cuts, which are simply a reduction in the tax rate for everyone, or some people.

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 distinct technique that can get Pennsylvania 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 Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

Some con-artists in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania say that they have some distinct technique that permits you to reduce the amount of taxes you're legally obliged to pay, or that they can erase any tax debt that you have incurred.

However, in many cases, these people have no ability or intent to advise their "clients," and will simply take the money and run. In order to spot a tax relief scam, there are a few things that residents of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania can look for.

There is one warning sign that virtually guarantees that the tax relief company you're dealing with intends to defraud you: if they make an unequivocal guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax obligation, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will succeed. And although the IRS does have programs to advise people who are really unable to pay for their taxes, they are only available to very small subset of the population, and most Cumberland County, Pennsylvania taxpayers aren't suitable to participate in them.

Additionally, you should be wary of anyone promising tax relief, but demands payment immediately, before they truly do anything. Many scammers in Cumberland County will convince their victims to pay them upfront, and then simply take the money and run. They may even make additional, unauthorized, charges to your credit card or bank account.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania 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 Cumberland County, Pennsylvania tax lawyer.

A skilled and reputable tax attorney in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania 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.