Tax-related issues affect business owners and individuals. Filing timely taxes and ensuring your accounting books are in order prevent harsh penalties from the IRS. To avoid such issues, you can hire a competent tax audit lawyer to handle all the paperwork. You might be an experienced business owner, but when it comes to the IRS, taxation matters. But how do you choose a professional attorney? You need to know how to and what qualities to look out for before hiring a tax lawyer.
The following are a few factors you must consider when hiring a tax attorney:
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Reputation
You can find numerous tax attorney lawyers online that promise exceptional results. But you can’t trust anyone, no matter how genuine they seem. It is imperative to carry out due diligence and find out more about the lawyer you want to hire. Tax issues are complicated and sensitive; that is why you must research to know whether the particular law firm has an impressive reputation and has valid experience in the taxation field.
You may also ask other business owners who have first-hand experience with the firm you want to use. Moreover, the Internet is full of review sites with customer testimonials. Ensure you find out more about their work and how they handle different clients before hiring the tax firm.
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Experience
Experience is one essential factor that determines competency levels. When hiring an attorney, you have to find out how long the firm has been operational. A professional lawyer should have considerable experience up their sleeves. Therefore, make sure you pick an experienced attorney who understands the entire taxation process. Research extensively on the various cases the law firm has worked on and posted satisfactory results before making an informed decision.
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Cost
You also need to know the cost of the attorney’s services before hiring. Price is among the crucial factors that will determine whether you will use their services or not. Whether the lawyer has a flat rate or bills per hour, ensure you operate within your budget to avoid spending beyond what you can afford. Set your budget before scouting for an attorney with affordable rates. You can also consult numerous law firms before picking one that suits your budget.
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Achievements and Credentials
Any tax audit lawyer can tell you they are the best candidate for your business. However, trusting an attorney without valid proof can be costly. It’s smart to request the lawyer for a recent portfolio that showcases their credentials and detailed achievements. Since tax-related issues are quite sensitive, you need a sharp and competent person in their work with no room for mistakes. Having a highly qualified and aggressive attorney on your side is suitable for your business.
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Specialization
Lawyers have various specialization areas, and finding a specific skill-set on taxation is a perfect fit. Find out if they have represented clients in tax-related cases. You need a lawyer who can negotiate with the IRS and come up with reasonable deals if you get entangled with legal implications. Outstanding tax debts might accrue beyond your business abilities, and you might have crazy interests and penalties. Thus, you need an attorney with skills in streamlining tax-related issues without further complicating the case.
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Personality
Although a lawyer’s personality may be the last factor on your mind, it is crucial to hire someone with good interpersonal skills. You need someone you can trust with credibility and friendly nature. Since you are issuing your sensitive business documents to a stranger, you must strike a genuine rapport that enhances transparency in communication and executing duties as required.
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Customer Reviews
It is imperative to conduct independent research on the particular tax lawyer you want to hire. The Internet has numerous genuine review sites that can reveal to you whether you need to trust the law firm or not. If they have a website, go through the testimonial section and find out what the customers are saying. If an attorney has many positive reviews, the chances are high that they are good at their job. However, bad testimonials often translate to disappointments and shoddy work.
Though hiring a tax audit lawyer is a sensitive matter that does not have to be complicated. Consider the above factors and make sure you pick a competent lawyer who can handle all your tax-related issues with ease. Do not go beyond your budget but also avoid extremely cheap services. It is crucial to carry out due diligence and choose an attorney who delivers exceptional services at reasonable rates.
Veeramachineni Lalitha
I am Finance Content Writer. I write Personal Finance, banking, investment, and insurance related content for top clients including Kotak Mahindra Bank, Edelweiss, ICICI BANK and IDFC FIRST Bank. My experience details : Linkedin