Tax Court in Yakima, Washington

Find the right Tax Court attorney in Yakima, WA

Tax Court Lawyers in Yakima

Tax courts perform roughly the same function as any other court: they provide a forum to resolve legal disputes in an orderly, fair, and efficient manner. The only difference with tax courts is that they specialize in resolving disputes 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, including one in or near Yakima, Washington.

U.S. Tax Courts deal with almost every legal issue that has to do with the federal tax obligations of an individual or corporation. The U.S. District Courts are the courts of "general jurisdiction" in the U.S., meaning that they can hear almost any type of civil or criminal case under their jurisdiction. This includes tax cases, but the law only allows them to hear such cases if the tax in question has already been paid. Tax courts can hear cases before the tax has been paid.

Tax Court Procedure in Yakima, Washington

Any legal issue that concerns federal taxes in Yakima, Washington, or anywhere else in the U.S., can go to tax court. It's most often the case that the IRS initiates legal action against a taxpayer, alleging that they have failed to pay all of their required taxes, or are delinquent in some other way. The taxpayer usually has 90 days to respond, which initiates adversarial tax court proceedings. Failing to respond may result in the taxpayer forfeiting their rights to contest the allegations against them.

The judges who preside over U.S. Tax Courts are appointed by the President. They serve terms of 15 years. When their terms expire, the vast majority of these judges are simply re-appointed by whichever president is in office at the time, so most tax court judges effectively serve for life, or until they retire.

U.S. Tax Courts have one feature that's almost completely unique in the U.S.: people who are not licensed attorneys in Washington, 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.

Most often, a resident of Yakima, Washington will find themselves in tax court because the relevant tax authority (usually the IRS), suspects that they have not paid all of the taxes that they are required to pay. To initiate a legal action against the taxpayer, the IRS will send them a letter laying out its allegations. Once this is received, the taxpayer has a moderate period of time (about 90 days) to go to the nearest U.S. tax court and respond. If you find yourself in this position, and want to dispute the allegations against you, you MUST file a response in a tax court in a timely manner. If you don't, you can easily lose your right to ever dispute those allegations again.

Do I Need a Yakima, Washington Tax Attorney?

Although federal tax court allows, under some circumstances, non-lawyers to represent taxpayers, the practice of tax law is extremely complicated and specialized. Many attorneys who practice tax law do not practice in any other area.

If you are going to tax court, it should be obvious by now that you should seek the advice and assistance of a good Yakima, Washington tax lawyer. This is not a knock against the non-lawyers who are licensed to practice before tax court; the vast majority of them are perfectly competent. However, if a licensed attorney seriously mishandles your case, you will have a great deal of legal recourse against them, more so than with a non-attorney.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Yakima

Yakima is located in Yakima County, Washington. Per the 2010 census, it is home to 91,067 people.

Popular sites include Mount Rainier National Park, West Valley and Terrace Heights, and the Yakama Indian Reservation.

Top employers include the Sports Center Tavern, The Hilton Garden Inn, the Speakeasy Bar, Grill Nightclub, Kana Winery, Donitelia Winery, Yakima Cellars Winery, and the Barrell House.

Yakima is also home to many small law offices. Very competent attorneys are able to tackle the legal needs of residents with the help of their wonderful support staff. Therefore, Yakima residents never have trouble tending to their legal needs.

Overall, Yakima is a small, quaint area that hosts a small-town charm and humility. It is a wonderful place to visit and call home!

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