Tax Relief Lawyers in Virginia Beach
The term "tax relief" can mean a few different things. Occasionally, it's used to refer to action that lowers the amount of taxes that people or businesses are required to pay in Virginia Beach, Virginia, or elsewhere.
When a politician or government official uses the term "tax relief," they are usually referring to tax cuts, which are simply a reduction in the tax rate for everybody, or certain people.
But, many members of the general public, particularly in recent years, associate "tax relief" with businesses or individuals who claim they can lower your tax liability - usually advertising on the Internet or the radio. These advertisements often claim that they have brilliant lawyers and negotiators who can help you get out of your duty to pay taxes. While many of these organizations are valid, and are actually interested in helping their clients, a significant percentage of "tax relief" organizations in Virginia are scams.
Tax Relief Scams in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Some con-artists in Virginia Beach, Virginia say that they have some exceptional technique that allows you to reduce the amount of taxes you're legally required to pay, or that they can erase any tax debt that you have incurred.
However, in most cases, these people have no capacity or intent to help 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 Virginia Beach, Virginia 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 explicit guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax requirement, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will prevail. And although the IRS does have programs to assist people who are truly unable to pay for their taxes, they are only available to very small subset of the population, and most Virginia Beach, Virginia taxpayers aren't eligible to participate in them.
Furthermore, you should be wary of anyone promising tax relief, but demands payment immediately, before they actually do anything. Many scammers in Virginia Beach will convince their victims to pay them upfront, and then simply take the money and run. They may even make additional, unlawful, charges to your credit card or bank account.
How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Virginia Beach, Virginia 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 talk with a Virginia Beach, Virginia tax lawyer.
A competent and reputable tax attorney in Virginia Beach, Virginia will give you objective legal advice on how to handle a tax law issue. A reputable 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.