Tax Relief Lawyers in Wheeling

The term "tax relief" can mean a few different things. Sometimes, it's used to refer to action that lowers the amount of taxes that people or businesses are obligated to pay in Wheeling, West Virginia, or elsewhere.

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

However, many people in the general public, especially in these troubled economic times, often hear the words "tax relief" used in a completely different context. The phrase has become synonymous with businesses and individuals who claim they have some distinct 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 Wheeling, West Virginia

Many scammers in Wheeling, West Virginia claim that they can completely absolve you of your obligation to pay your taxes - for a fee, of course.

However, in many cases, these people have no ability or intent to assist 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 Wheeling, West 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 indisputable guarantee that they can lower your tax bill. While there are some legal ways to try and reduce your tax obligation, including negotiating with the IRS, there is no guarantee that they will succeed. And although the IRS does have programs to help people who are absolutely unable to pay for their taxes, they are only available to very small subset of the population, and most Wheeling, West Virginia taxpayers aren't qualified to participate in them.

Additionally, you need to know that anyone demanding payment before they perform any services in Wheeling probably doesn't have your interests in mind. If you pay a scammer up front, they'll probably just run off with your money, and you'll never hear from them again.

How Can a Tax Relief Attorney in Wheeling, West 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 speak with a Wheeling, West Virginia tax lawyer.

A good Wheeling, West Virginia tax attorney can give you honest, unbiased legal advice that will be useful in handling any problem you have with your taxes. Of course, as you probably know, honest advice is, more often than not, the opposite of what one wants to hear, even if it is more useful than whatever puffery you'll hear from a scammer. Plus, in the extremely unlikely event that your tax attorney defrauds you, it will be much easier to seek legal action against a licensed attorney than against some scammer who probably doesn't use his or her real name.