Tax Relief Lawyers in South Charleston

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 South Charleston, West Virginia, or elsewhere.

When a government official or politician talks about "tax relief," they are usually talking about a tax cut, which is a reduction in a specific tax rate.

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 exceptional method to help you lower your tax liability in West Virginia. 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 South Charleston, West Virginia

It is pretty common for scammers in South Charleston, West Virginia to claim that, for a comparatively small fee, they will help you get out of paying all of your taxes.

But you should beware: no honest tax relief business in South Charleston, West Virginia will make such promises, because they know it's almost always impossible to deliver on them. Thankfully, there are several features you can look for to help you spot - and avoid - tax relief scammers.

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 South Charleston, West Virginia 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 South Charleston 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 unlawful charges to it.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in South Charleston, West Virginia 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 South Charleston, West Virginia tax attorney.

A competent and reputable tax attorney in South Charleston, West 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.