Choosing the Best Tax Attorney

Begin your tax attorney search by asking friends and family if they know a tax attorney they trust. Also contact the State Bar Association to find certified tax attorneys where you live. To find the best tax attorney, be sure to interview more than one person. They should have a good track record and a good reputation with previous clients. The attorney should also be a member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar Association.

Another great source of information is to contact a small business CPA or professional tax service accountant.  These highly skilled professionals are an invaluable source of information, and network extensively with various tax attorneys in the local area.

The attorney should be a member of the American Bar Association and the state bar association. Find out if they have earned a Martindale-Hubbell rating. This rating indicates an attorney’s ethics and professional stature. A BV rating is an exceptional rating for an attorney with experience. An AV rating is a momentous accomplishment and indicates that an attorney’s peers rank them at the highest level of professional distinction.

Attorneys need to be up to date on tax laws since they are constantly changing. For complicated tax issues, find an attorney who is also a CPA or has a Master of Laws in Taxation in addition to having a Juris Doctorate degree. This shows that the attorney has supplementary training in tax laws. Inquire if they have ever published a legal or tax assessment article. This indicates that the attorney is committed to good practice procedures. Sound advice can only be given by a tax attorney that is current with the tax laws.

It is important to find out what their experience level is. A tax attorney should be experienced dealing with the IRS, debt management situations, and working with taxpayers. Ask if your attorney will attend all the hearings or will assign non-lawyers to this task. Tax attorneys are authorized to do this in most jurisdictions.

Be sure you can afford the representation. A tax attorney’s rates depend on location, severity of the case, and their hourly rate. Other common rate structures are a flat rate or a contingency fee. You do not want to face any unexpected charges, so be sure to get a fee schedule in writing.

Lastly, find out how many cases the attorney has won. What is their ratio of cases that were settled out of court versus those that went to trial. Tax attorneys should have excellent communication skills and of course, be a great negotiator.