Top Tips For Hiring the Best Tax Attorney in Atlanta
Are you being investigated by the IRS? Then, you certainly need professional assistance by an expert in the field of tax law, capable of handling your accounting issue at court. Although accountants are believed to be specialists in resolving tricky accounting problems, you can’t hire one to be your legal representative.
In fact, you need the assistance of a tax attorney who is proficient in both accounting and tax law. These professionals help their clients to avoid criminal charges as well as potential problems with the IRS. You are only required to schedule a consultation, present the necessary paperwork and explain your financial situation.
Nowadays, there is a myriad of trusted tax attorneys in Atlanta, GA , aiding both businesses and individuals to resolve their legal issues. Your job is to hire a professional who is experienced and trustworthy so as to expect a positive outcome.
The following tips will help you hire the best one in your local area.
Conduct a research
In order to hire such an attorney, you need to conduct a research for potential candidates. Commence your search by asking for referrals from professionals who are familiar with your financial problems, such as your accountant. These professionals know the most reputable tax attorneys in your local area, thus being able to recommend one that is suitable for your situation.
Another efficient way of looking for candidates is visiting the website of your local bar association, which provides you with a list of all licensed tax law professionals in the place where you live. The following step would be checking the official website of each lawyer on this list, as it’s the simplest way to learn more about its experience and expertise.
Moreover, make sure you look for online reviews of the most promising lawyers on the list. There is a plethora of online business reviews that reveal useful information about the candidates’ reputation. However, you shouldn’t base your ultimate decision solely on these reviews, as the opinion of some former clients isn’t supposed to be trusted. Bear in mind that people aren’t always willing to write positive reviews, but they wouldn’t hesitate to leave a negative one.
Schedule interviews
Once you’ve completed your research, it’s high time to select minimum three favorable candidates in order to commence the interview phase. Get in touch with the offices of these tax attorneys to schedule consultations, which are usually free of charge. Although some lawyers prefer telephone consultations, make sure you schedule a face-to-face encounter so as to get a better impression of the candidates.
Furthermore, the interviews would be more successful and productive, provided that you bring the necessary paperwork, requested by the lawyers over the phone. You’d probably need to provide an insight into your financial records, tax returns, as well as every single document that the IRS sent you. Click here to learn more about the role and importance of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Ask relevant questions
Since the area of tax law is rather extensive, it’s paramount for the attorney you’ll hire to have worked on cases like yours beforehand. Therefore, you are expected to be incredibly curious about the candidates’ record of experience, number of cases, and case results. Make sure you don’t hire a lawyer who has no experience in the aspect of tax law you need.
In addition, you should get more information about the professionals that will be assigned to your case. When hiring a big law firm, it’s extremely likely for a junior lawyer to work on your case, in spite of having an interview with one of the senior attorneys. Conversely, tax lawyers who work independently would handle your case personally.
Discuss about fees
Legal services are infamous for being rather costly, which is why you need to plan your budget in advance. Therefore, initial consultations are the perfect opportunity to discuss candidates’ fees, as not all lawyers bill their clients in the same way.
Some attorneys use a flat fee billing method, charging fixed prices for particular services. Anyhow, most lawyers charge by the hour, which often turns out to be a costlier alternative. Also, remember to inquire about the time of payment, as some professionals ask their clients to pay the whole amount in advance, while others wait for the case to be closed.
Moreover, if you are a good diplomat, you can even negotiate a more favorable rate. This scenario is likely to happen after the end of the tax season, as lawyers tend to be less busy during the summer months. Visit the following link: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tax-season.asp for a better understanding of the tax season.
Make the ultimate decision
After comparing the qualities of all candidates attentively, you are supposed to inform them about your decision over the phone. Take a reasonable amount of time to make your ultimate choice, as attorneys won’t wait for weeks to get hired.
Most importantly, both parties should sign a legal contract that specifies all the details of the arrangement, in terms of payment method and deadline. Never hire a lawyer until you get all details in writing. Therefore, beware of professionals who are reluctant to sign a contract, as it’s a sign of avoiding legal responsibility.
Wrap up
A good tax lawyer can save you money on costly fines and penalties.
Make sure you hire the best one!