A tax lawyer is a person who is qualified and authorized by a government agency to represent the taxpayers or tax payers in some type of legal proceedings. The tax law or tax legislation is an area of criminal law where public or officially sanctioned governments, including state, federal and municipal governments employ a body of laws and procedures to determine and collect taxes from citizens in a lawful context. Tax lawyers help the taxpayers to resolve or reduce their tax liabilities through legal means. Tax evasion is a serious crime. The tax debt can be very large and taxing powers are regularly abused to finance various types of popular and personal use of public resources.
There are various types of tax issues that might need professional assistance of tax attorneys. One of these is the income tax liability that can arise for an individual while working on some type of business. Income tax is calculated on a person’s net salary or total earnings. If a person is earning more money than required in his monthly salary he might need to pay extra tax on his income. He can also be taxed on certain interest and dividends he might have received. He might need to pay additional tax on buying property or selling some asset that he might own.
Tax evasion is one such type of tax problem that tax lawyers are specialized in dealing with. He can help his client to resolve or reduce his tax liability. If a taxpayer has been charged with tax evasion, he might need professional assistance to deal with the investigation and preparation of his case. Preparation of the case will be based on the nature of the case and the laws involved in the particular jurisdiction.
Taxation law and practices have become increasingly complex over the years and a layman may not have the required expertise to understand the legal aspects of tax matters. That is why tax lawyers specialize in particular areas of tax law. They can advise their clients and help them deal with the tax system in general. Many tax practitioners also offer paralegal services. They help people prepare their taxes for the IRS and help them do so in an easy to follow manner.
While many people may view tax lawyers as specialists, they actually practice before the courts, and before lower level authorities as well. Some of them practice before the IRS. A tax lawyer can take on a variety of clients, depending on his understanding of tax law and the needs of each case. Some of his practice areas will be working with clients in the federal government, or in specific agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS.
Tax law firms can get started by attending the local state university’s degree program. The local community colleges sometimes offer degree programs. Then there are online tax lawyers available. There are some full-time students who pursue a post-secondary degree as tax lawyers. With an online degree, you may also be able to work part time while you’re attending college.