Tax Court in Hopewell, Virginia

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Hopewell, VA

Tax Court Lawyers in Hopewell

Tax courts execute roughly the same function as any other court: they present a forum to resolve legal disputes in an orderly, fair, and efficient manner. The only difference with tax courts is that they specialize in solving disagreements that have to do with tax law.

At the federal level, there is the United States Tax Court, which has courthouses all over the country, containing one in or near Hopewell, Virginia.

The U.S. Tax Court is where disagreements arising under federal tax law are resolved, if the tax debt in question has not already been paid. The U.S. District Court, which is the federal court of general jurisdiction, can only hear tax cases after the tax has been paid. This rule is meant to guarantee that as many tax issues as possible are actually decided in tax court, rather than the overworked District Courts.

Tax Court Procedure in Hopewell, Virginia

Any claim dealing with federal tax law in Hopewell, Virginia 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.

In the U.S., tax court judges are assigned by the President of the United States. Unlike judges on most other federal courts, who usually serve for life (or until they retire), tax court judges serve terms of 15 years. But, there is no limit to the number of terms that they are permitted to serve. If a tax court judge has been doing his or her job competently, the President will usually re-appoint them whenever their term expires, effectively giving them life tenure.

U.S. Tax Courts have one feature that's almost completely distinct in the U.S.: people who are not licensed attorneys in Virginia, or anywhere else, are allowed to represent clients in Tax Court. This doesn't mean, however, that anyone can walk in off the street and start practicing tax law. Before they can practice before a tax court, non-attorneys have to take and pass a written exam that tests their knowledge of U.S. tax law. People who are already licensed to practice law, on the other hand, can practice before a tax court without taking this test.

Typically, when the IRS sends a taxpayer in Hopewell, Virginia a notice of deficiency, indicating that they owe back taxes, the taxpayer has 90 days to file a claim in federal tax court to dispute this notice. If a claim is not filed in a timely manner, the taxpayer could lose his or her right to contest the tax bill at issue.

Do I Need a Hopewell, Virginia Tax Attorney?

Federal law allows some non-lawyers to represent parties in tax court. However, tax law is a fairly complicated and specialized legal field. Most lawyers who practice tax law do not practice any other area of law, giving you an idea of how specialized it is.

If you have to go to tax court for whatever reason, you should almost certainly speak with a reputable tax attorney in Hopewell, Virginia. Even though some non-lawyers are technically permitted to represent you in tax court, there are distinct advantages to hiring a lawyer, even if a non-attorney can provide you with competent representation. The main advantage is the fact that all attorneys are tightly regulated by their state bar associations, and if they botch your case, you may have more legal recourse against an attorney than you would against a non-attorney.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Hopewell

Hopewell is found in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia and is incorporated into the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical area. The city is home to 24,000 suburban residents who live on a bluff overlooking the James River and Appomattox River. The city was developed by the DuPont Company in 1914 which manufactured dynamite, however, during World War I the factory switched to creating guncotton for soldiers and allies. Hopewell was burnt nearly to the ground in 1915 but rose from the ashes and quickly rebuild with help from local companies. The Tubize Corporation established a plant in Hopewell in 1923.

Today the city's manufacturing plants are primarily focused on chemical processing with large corporations like Honeywell, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, and Hercules Chemical providing the bulk of employment in the area. The City Point Historical District of Hopewell offers outstanding lodging and culinary accommodations but many flock to see the collection of Sears Catalog Homes. Sever of them are available for self guided tours. Lawyers and firm offices are also located in Hopewell. Hopewell lawyers take a diverse selection of cases and are well acquainted with advising their clients on local courts as well.   

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