How to Find an IRS Tax Lawyer: 5 Tips to Remember

Taxes are one of the things in life you can’t avoid. There are times in life when you owe the IRS money or you got audited.

You want to make sure that you have a good attorney by your side to handle any IRS situation. The IRS is making an effort to increase taxpayer compliance, which increases the chance that you may need an IRS tax lawyer.

Keep reading to find out how you can hire the right tax attorney for your needs.

1. Specializations

IRS tax lawyers have different areas of specializations. Some specialize in areas where they help you manage past tax debt. They may help you with an offer in compromise or through a tax audit.

Another area of specialization is in foreign income and holdings. For all U.S. corporations and citizens, even if you live abroad, you’re required to fill out an FBAR to report foreign bank accounts that have more than $10,000 at any point in the year.

If you have one bank account at $5,000 and another one at $5,001, you need to fill out the foreign bank account form.

You want to make sure that your tax lawyer specializes in what you need help with.

2. Experience

Another important tip is to look for the level of experience an attorney has. The more experience they have in handling cases like yours, the more likely you are to have a positive outcome.

In some cases when dealing directly with IRS agents, attorneys may already have relationships with case managers. You also want to know the results they’ve had for their clients in these cases.

3. Client Communications

You have to make sure you have the right set of expectations when you higher an IRS tax lawyer. You should make sure that you have an attorney who regularly provides updates on your case, even if there’s no news.

You shouldn’t have to chase your attorney and wait days to get a response from them.

4. Billing & Payment

How will you get billed for your case? You should ask if it’s a flat fee or an hourly rate. If it’s an hourly rate, will you get billed for every email and phone call?

Be sure to ask about how they bill and when payment is expected.

5. Who Handles Your Case?

This is an important question to ask. You may be hiring a legal firm or attorney to address your tax issues with the IRS. You may find out later that the bulk of the work is being done by a paralegal.

You want to make sure that if you’re paying top-dollar for an attorney’s time and attention, then they better be heavily involved in your case.

Hire the Right IRS Tax Lawyer

How can you make sure that you hire the best IRS tax lawyer? You have to know what to look for. That starts by matching your needs with an attorney’s specialization and experience.

You also have to get a clear understanding as to how much you’re billed and who is actually working on your case.

If you want more legal tips, be sure to come back to this site often.