Guide to Finding California Tax Lawyer

All About Tax Lawyers California

Taxes are one of the inevitable elements of modern life and also famously one of the most infuriating. It is very simple to have trouble filing taxes and even easy to make mistakes, but those mistakes can cost you dearly. Thankfully, California tax lawyers exist to help you file your taxes and to assist you with any legal concerns related to taxes.

What Do Tax Lawyers CA Do?

Since contemporary American tax law is so complex, even byzantine, CA tax lawyers have adapted to master a whole battery of different skills to better serve their clients. Some CA tax lawyers handle business planning while others get involved with helping individuals plan their tax filings so as to legally maximize their exemptions and their savings. Others represent clients being accused of tax fraud or tax evasion and may help clients in petitioning the IRS for abatement of tax penalties inflicted for tax crimes. Some deal with inter-state or international tax laws.

Hiring a CA tax lawyer is seldom required but because of the high cost of filing your taxes incorrectly, looking up tax lawyers CA may be the best way to help you save money.

Specializations for a Tax Lawyer California

Law school trains students in every different area of law and then the bar examination which qualifies students to become lawyers tests them to make sure that they’re competent in every area of California law. Therefore, any California lawyer is a California tax lawyer, but that doesn’t mean that every California lawyer is an excellent or an experienced California tax lawyer. In general, most lawyers practice in only one or two areas of law—most criminal lawyers work mainly in criminal law and seldom get involved with civil litigation, probate law or tax law.

If you want a California tax lawyer well versed in every area of the California tax system and with years of experience to back up their knowledge, you may want to search for a lawyer with a “legal specialization” in taxation law. These specializations are given out by The State Bar of California after a lawyer meets several very tough requirements. These include at least five years of experience in one area of tax law, active participation in tax opinions, administrative tax examinations, and tax litigation, and then additional educational and testing qualifications.

To find a California tax lawyer with a specialization, you should look on the State Bar’s website. Located there is a database of all lawyers with taxation law specializations, and you can look for CA tax lawyers in your county. Find the site here.

Types of Tax Lawyers

While most tax lawyers CA that you find have experience in different areas of taxation law, some have specialized knowledge about specific branches of taxation. These lawyers may not be helpful if you want a variety of taxation assistance, but if you have one particular need and want to be sure that your CA tax lawyer can handle it, getting one of these specialized CA tax lawyers could easily prove to be in your best interest. Here are just a few:

• Corporate tax lawyers: Businesses and corporations have special tax needs since the tax laws affecting them can be so complex and voluminous. Though large businesses will employ corporate CA tax lawyers just to deal with their affairs, this isn’t possible for most smaller companies. They’re better off putting a corporate CA tax lawyer on retainer so that they can ask the lawyer to assist in all of their tax law needs while the lawyer is still able to work with other clients.

• Property tax lawyer: The taxies levied against people who own any significant real estate can be absolutely deadly. California in particular has some of the highest property tax rates in the country, so it helps to have a CA tax lawyer who knows a significant amount about property law to help you avoid losing your home or business because you couldn’t afford the property taxes.

• Tax lien and tax evasion lawyers: Liens are imposed on individuals and businesses who don’t pay their taxes. Liens can be placed on homes, businesses, cars or instruments of capitol that are then vulnerable to government seizure. Losing these things can cut off a person’s livelihood, and a CA tax lawyer should be able to help their client retain most of their possessions. Tax evasion can be an even more serious problem with potential jail time for those found guilty of it, so a CA tax lawyer who specializes in tax evasion should be contacted as soon as an accusation of it appears.

If You Have a Problem with a Tax Lawyer, California

Taxes are infamous for the amounts of stress they cause for filers, and those individuals who hire California tax lawyers are under even more stress due to the criminal charges or the significant payments or liens required of them. In such conditions, arguments are bound to erupt between clients and legal representation, and this is often a symptom that both parties simply care quite a bit about the legal issues and both parties are deeply involved in the matters at hand.

However, if after serious reflection you are concerned that your California tax lawyer has committed an ethical violation in their dealings with you, then you should contact the State Bar of California. Resources are available to help you file a complaint and to better understand what examples of complaints are. Visit The State Bar of California’s website here to learn more.

You should not file a complaint if your conflict with your CA tax lawyer regards your lawyer’s fees. However, some relief is still available through The State Bar, which offers a Fee Arbitration service to help California tax lawyers and their clients discuss their dispute in a semi-formalized setting under the supervision of trained arbitrators. To learn more, call 415-538-2020.