Tax Relief Lawyers in Stanwood

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 Stanwood, Washington, 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.

However, many people in the general public, particularly in these troubled economic times, often hear the words "tax relief" used in a totally different context. The phrase has become synonymous with businesses and individuals who claim they have some unique method to help you lower your tax liability in Washington. While some of these offers are legitimate, many of them are scams, and if you hire them, you'll end up in a worse position than you were before.

Tax Relief Scams in Stanwood, Washington

Scammers in Stanwood, Washington often claim that they can employ some unique method enabling you pay the IRS less than you actually owe, or even erase your tax debt.

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 Stanwood, Washington 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 absolute 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 Stanwood, Washington taxpayers aren't eligible to participate in them.

Also, any demand for upfront payment, before any actual services are rendered, is another warning sign that you may be dealing with a fraudster. This is because many tax scammers in Stanwood will simply take whatever money you give them, and drop off the face of the Earth (figuratively, unfortunately), without doing anything to help you, or even pretending to. Adding insult to injury, if you pay them with a credit card, they may well make additional illegal charges to it.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Stanwood, Washington Help?

If you are in need of tax relief, or are encountering trouble paying taxes you owe, it can't hurt to talk with a Stanwood, Washington tax attorney.

Your tax lawyer in Stanwood, Washington will be able to give you real, useful advice about your tax situation. Just be ready: your tax attorney will give you honest advice, whether or not that's what you want to hear. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that a licensed tax attorney defrauds you (or attempts to defraud you), you will have significant legal recourse against that attorney through your state bar association.