Tax Court in Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Pottstown, PA

Tax Court Lawyers in Pottstown

Tax Courts serve the same purpose as any other court: they're there to resolve legal disagreements in a fair and orderly fashion. Tax courts are simply specialized to handle tax disputes.

At the national level, we have the United States Tax Court, that has locations all over the country. This means that there is an U.S. tax court in or near Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

The United States Tax Court handles most legal disagreements that have to deal with federal, as opposed to state, taxes. These are not courts of "general jurisdiction" (courts that hear the vast majority of civil and criminal cases). Tax courts are able to hear cases where the tax bill in dispute has not yet been paid (effectively allowing a court to rule on the validity of a tax bill before the taxpayer pays it). The courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. (called the U.S. District Courts) can only hear tax cases if the tax bill has already been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Any claim dealing with federal tax law in Pottstown, Pennsylvania can end up in tax court. Most often, a dispute ends up in tax court when the government claims that someone has not paid all of the taxes that they are legally obligated to pay. If the taxpayer disputes the factual basis of the allegation, or believes the IRS has misinterpreted the law, U.S. Tax Courts have to determine those issues.

Federal tax courts are presided over by judges who are assigned by the President of the United States. These judges serve 15-year terms. Judges whose terms expire are consistently re-appointed by the sitting President, so most tax court judges effectively serve for life.

In the U.S., tax courts have some distinct features. Most interestingly, individuals who are not licensed attorneys in Pennsylvania, or anywhere else, are, in some cases, allowed to represent clients before tax courts. Non-attorneys who practice before tax court are almost always accountants, and any non-lawyer who wants to practice before the U.S. tax court must pass a challenging written exam that tests their understanding of American tax law. Licensed attorneys, however, may practice before the tax court without taking this exam.

Most often, when the IRS sends a Pottstown, Pennsylvania resident a "notice of deficiency," which alleges that they owe back taxes, the taxpayer has 90 days to go to tax court, and file a claim in tax court to fight this allegation. If you don't file this claim within the allotted time, you can lose your right to dispute the tax bill in question, in any forum, permanently.

Do I Need a Pottstown, Pennsylvania Tax Attorney?

Federal law allows some non-lawyers to represent people before U.S. Tax Courts. Nonetheless, the tax laws are very convoluted. In fact, most tax attorneys don't practice any other area of law.

So, if you need to go to tax court, for whatever reason, you should seek the counsel of a good tax attorney in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. While a non-lawyer who's licensed to practice before the tax courts may well give you perfectly competent representation, there are still advantages to hiring a lawyer. The main advantage is that lawyers are far more regulated in their profession than most non-lawyers. So, if a tax attorney severely damages your case due to negligence or incompetence, you will have significant legal recourse against them.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Pottstown

Pottstown is a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania borough that is located just 40 miles from Philadelphia and 20 miles from Reading. The area was planned in 1752 and named for the founder, John Potts. Originally dubbed Pottsgrove, the boundaries of Pottstown were extended and it was renamed. Today, Pottstown is the epicenter of one of the most productive farming and dairy regions in the State of Pennsylvania. Pottstown was once interested in iron and steel mills, machine shops, and other manufacturing plants of textiles and goods such as bricks, hosiery, silks, shirts, nails, and furnaces. The borough rests on a total of 4.9 square miles but plays host to 21,900 residents. Pottstown is governed in a city manager form with a mayor and seven-member borough council. The residents are reasonably diverse both ethnically and economically. Most households utilize the transportation and education systems offered by Pottstown, Montgomery County, and Pennsylvania.

Pottstown Area Rapid Transit Inc. offers low cost public transportation throughout Pottstown and surrounding communities. Pottstown also offers two small airports and a passenger rail service called SEPTA. There's lots of options when it comes to schools in Pottstown. Pottstown residents, depending on where they live, are sent to the Pottstown School District, Pottsgrove School District, and Owen J. Roberts School District. There are also nine private institutions, both grammar school and high school, serving the area too. The Montgomery County Community college is the only institution of higher learning. A number of lawyers also live in Pottstown Borough. Pottstown lawyers can help you navigate any legal questions you may have and are well acquainted with the local court systems and procedures.

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