Taxes can be complicated, confusing, and downright frustrating. When you have a complex tax situation or are struggling with the IRS, hiring a knowledgeable tax attorney may be wise.
The key is finding an attorney who specializes in tax law and has experience representing clients like you.
How to Find A Tax Lawyer in Your Area Through Smartphone?
In the past, researching and contacting attorneys was limited to phone calls during business hours or in-person consultations.
However, with smartphones and tablets, finding and vetting tax attorneys is now possible anywhere, anytime.
This guide will walk you through the process of locating qualified tax lawyers in your area just using your mobile device.
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Define Your Tax Needs
Before you start googling tax attorneys on your phone, take some time to clearly define your situation and goals. Carefully considering the following can help you determine the specific kind of tax expert you require:
- What is prompting your search? Do you need help filing taxes? Representation for an IRS audit or tax debt? Something else?
- How complex is your tax situation? Multiple businesses/investments or fairly simple with W-2 income?
- What is your preferred approach? Do you want an aggressive lawyer ready to sue the IRS? Or someone more conservative?
Outlining your scenario and the ideal outcome will assist you in finding good matches when screening candidate attorneys. Tax experts specialize in different areas, so being clear on your needs is crucial for identifying the best fit.
Search for Tax Attorney Options in Your Location
Armed with an understanding of your tax situation and goals, now use your mobile device to start developing a list of tax attorneys for consideration. Here are some of the best ways to search:
- Google Search: Start with simple Google searches like “tax attorney Portland OR” or “tax lawyer Syracuse NY” adding in your location. Scan reputable results.
- State Bar Association: Most state bar associations have search tools for finding licensed tax attorneys based on location and specialty. Tap the links to access details on disciplinary history and current standing.
- Avvo & Nolo: Check attorney-reviewing sites like Avvo and Nolo. Enter your city and “tax attorney” to view ratings, credentials, contact info, and client reviews.
As you search, compile a list of promising tax lawyers in your area along with their website URLs for easy access later. Look for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and attorneys with a Master of Laws (LLM) in taxation for advanced expertise.
Vet Possible Candidates
Your search has identified 10-15 potential tax attorneys in your city specializing in scenarios like yours. The next step is vetting these lawyers to determine the best options to contact. Pull up their websites on your mobile device browser to gather key information:
- Experience & Specialties: Specifically, review their experience dealing with situations and tax problems like yours. Rule out those lacking the right specialty areas.
- Client Types: Note what types of taxpayer clients they typically represent – individuals, small business owners, corporations, etc. Make sure your category aligns.
- Testimonials & Reviews: Read client reviews and testimonials. Look for rave reviews of their tax knowledge and positive remarks on their service approach.
- Articles & Resources: Scan their published articles and educational resources for indications of their communication style, philosophy, and depth of knowledge.
Checking these elements will allow you to narrow down the candidates who appear best qualified to understand your tax scenario while meeting your representation preferences.
Reach Out for Consultations
You now have a shortlist of promising tax attorneys you’d like to interview. The next step is to set up initial phone or video consultations—and your mobile device enables you to do this easily:
- Schedule Online: Many attorney websites allow you to book consultation appointments online. Select date/time options that work with your schedule.
- Email via Mobile: For attorneys lacking online scheduling, email them from your smartphone to request a consultation. Include an overview of your situation and available times.
- Call from Mobile: Can’t find email contacts? Call the law office from your mobile and ask to schedule a consultation with the tax attorney.
When reaching out, reiterate your general needs and goals so the tax expert can prepare adequately for the meeting. Most initial meetings run 30 minutes to an hour with no upfront fees.
Interview Candidates by Video Chat
In-person meetings are ideal for vetting professional services but especially with tax attorneys, distance can be an obstacle. Fortunately, platforms like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, or Google Meet enable you to interview candidates right from your phone or tablet screen.
As the meeting time nears, check your WiFi connection and lighting. Make sure your mobile device is fully charged or plugged in. Test speakers and microphones to ensure smooth video chat capabilities.
During the virtual sit-down, come armed with questions to gauge qualifications, experience, communication approach, pricing, and more. Things to ask prospective tax attorneys include:
- What percentage of your cases relate to my type of situation and IRS matter?
- What strategies and first steps would you recommend for my scenario?
- Would you handle my IRS case personally or pass it to an associate?
- How and how often can I expect updates on my case progress?
- Do you offer flat fees or hourly billing? What are the next steps if I want to hire you?
Listen closely to responses looking for confidence addressing your needs plus clear explanations of processes. Be attuned to how comfortable you feel—important for any service professional you entrust with vital tax or financial matters.
Compare Options & Make a Selection
With initial video consultations complete, it’s time to carefully compare candidates across key criteria using your mobile:
- Expertise: Technical know-how around your specific tax situation and IRS dealings.
- Experience: Years handling similar taxpayer cases is generally better.
- Communication: Responsiveness and clarity in addressing your questions and concerns.
- Compatibility: Your comfort level and good rapport with an attorney or firm.
- Affordability: Fair rates alongside value for your tax situation.
- Availability: Bandwidth to dedicate ample time to addressing your IRS case.
Weigh each element as it aligns with your priorities. You may be swaying towards the attorney with 25 years focused on IRS audits or more affordable hourly rates. Create a simple pros/cons list on your tablet to visualize how contenders stack up.
Once you’ve determined the best-fit tax attorney, call or email them from your device to share your interest in onboarding them. Clarify the next steps for formalizing your arrangement and getting started on your tax resolution roadmap.
Managing Tax Matters on the Go
In this digital era, smartphones and tablets empower you to research, hire, and collaborate with your tax attorney with ease. After selecting the right expert, use your mobile device to:
- Schedule meetings & sign documents
- Send financial records and tax documents
- Review case details and status updates
- Approve recommendations and next steps
- Pay invoices and sync calendars
Armed with technology, you can handle tax representation needs anywhere while containing costs and collaborating efficiently. With the tips in this guide, finding the tax relief you seek is now just a few taps away even when miles from your desk. The power to take control and resolve tax problems is quite literally in your hands.
Finding the Right Tax Attorney for You: A Comprehensive Guide for Using Mobile Devices
Taxes can be complicated, confusing, and downright frustrating. When you have a complex tax situation or are struggling with the IRS, having an experienced tax attorney on your side can make all the difference. However, not all tax attorneys possess the skills and experience to adequately protect your interests. Finding the best tax lawyer requires careful research and scrutiny of credentials to ensure you make the right choice.
In the past, locating and vetting attorneys was limited to phone calls during business hours or in-person consultations. However, with smartphones and tablets, finding qualified tax counsel is now possible anywhere, anytime. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of identifying, vetting, and hiring competent tax lawyers in your area using just your mobile device.
Clarify Your Tax Needs
Before you start Googling random tax attorneys, take the time to clearly define your tax situation and goals first. Pinpointing specifics will assist you in finding qualified experts who can help resolve issues like yours. Consider factors like:
- The type of tax relief you need – Audit defense? Tax debt reduction? Innocent spouse relief?
- The complexity of your tax scenario and the volume of paperwork/documents
- Your desired level of aggression in disputes – Timid or relentless?
- Special circumstances like ongoing business operations or dependency on tax refunds
Having clarity on your scenario will pay dividends later when vetting candidate tax attorneys.
Understand Tax Attorney Specializations
Did you know tax attorneys focus on diverse niches and specialty areas within tax law? When searching for prospective tax relief candidates, you first need to understand what type of tax specialist aligns with your needs. Common specializations include:
i) Estate Planning Tax Attorneys
- Help minimize gift & estate tax liabilities upon death to maximize wealth transfers
- Create trusts, wills, and asset structuring strategies to reduce taxable estates
- Key Outcome: Enable passing on more money tax-free to beneficiaries
ii) International Tax Attorneys
- Assist with handling cross-border business transactions and overseas investments
- Mitigate tax impacts of importing, exporting, expanding overseas, or moving abroad
- Key Outcome: following tax treaties and utilizing deductions to avoid double taxation
iii) Tax Controversy Attorneys
- Represent taxpayers involved in disputes with IRS and state tax authorities
- Litigate to reduce IRS tax assessments, penalties, interest charges
- Key Outcome: Getting the best possible tax dispute settlements
iv) Tax Debt Resolution Attorneys
- Negotiate deals with the IRS to settle unpaid back taxes via offers in compromise
- Help set up installment plans and temporary collection suspensions
- Key Outcome: Fewer taxes owed through settlement deals & minimized collection
v) State & Local Tax Attorneys
- Help individuals and biz owners handle state tax audits, appeals, litigation
- Mitigate state income taxes, franchise taxes, sales & use taxes
- Key Outcome: Reduction of tax assessment from multiple states
Clarifying your needs enables matching with proper specialized tax counsel.
The Importance of Finding the Right Attorney
You may be wondering why you just can’t hire any seasoned tax lawyer to handle your IRS or state tax issue. The reality is tax resolution is a niche practice area requiring attorneys with specific skills, knowledge, and experience that align with your unique situation.
Not properly vetting candidates can waste your time and money or worse – lead to negative case outcomes.
Consider working with an unsuitable or inexperienced tax attorney could sabotage your chances of accomplishing your tax relief goals via:
- Incorrect technical application of IRS rules
- Failure to utilize deductions/exemptions
- Overlooking appropriate defenses
- Missing deadlines or documentation
- Caving too quickly in negotiations
- Agreeing to unreasonable settlement terms
This highlights the importance of defining your needs and vetting candidates to find responsive, specialized tax counsel.
Compare Multiple Candidates
Equipped with clarity around your tax situation and priorities plus understanding different attorney specialties, compile a list of a few potential lawyers in your area to further compare:
- Use Google searches to find tax attorneys in your city or state
- Check state bar directories for detailed background information
- Search attorney rating sites like Avvo and Nolo to access credentials and reviews
- Scan LinkedIn for biographies, certifications, client endorsements
Shortlist around five tax lawyers from this research with appealing backgrounds, ratings, and concentrations aligning with your needs.
Key Criteria to Compare Potential Attorneys
Once you’ve identified prospects, carefully weigh and compare them across several criteria:
i) Technical Expertise & Experience
- Years handling similar taxpayer cases
- Familiarity with niche tax issues & loopholes
- Credentials like CPAs, and LLMs in Tax Law
ii) Communication Approach & Compatibility
- Responsiveness in addressing your tax questions/concerns
- Comfort level and good rapport with attorney or firm
iii) Fee Structure & Billing
- Payment models – flat fees, hourly, contingency rates
- Upfront retainer amounts and what’s included
- Assess overall value aligned to tax problem complexity
iv) Case Management Process
- Tax attorney personally handling or delegating internally?
- How often provided with status reports and next steps?
- Accessibility for impromptu meetings/calls?
v) Problem Solving & Negotiation Skills
- Ability to think creatively to resolve complex tax problems
- Tenacity negotiating IRS deals in your best interest
Create a simple table on your phone or tablet to compare attorney candidates across these criteria categories. This allows visually weighing the pros and cons of top contenders.
Interview Top Choices
Once you’ve narrowed down the top 2 to 3 candidate tax attorneys via initial background research, take it a step further by interviewing top choices directly:
Leverage video conferencing apps on your device like Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom to hold virtual consultations asking key questions like:
- How often do you handle tax situations like mine?
- What defense strategies would you use for my case?
- What made you become a tax resolution specialist?
- Walk me through your typical process and involvement.
- What can you offer that other tax firms cannot?
Listen closely assessing knowledge, communication styles, and overall impression of expertise. Make final attorney selection based on who demonstrates top responsiveness understands your needs plus conveys confidence handling cases like yours.
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Conclusion:
Finding the right tax attorney in this age of mobility no longer needs to involve hours of windshield time crisscrossing your city for consultations.
By outlining your tax priorities, researching specialties, and virtually interviewing and comparing multiple lawyers based on key criteria, your smartphone empowers you to identify and retain ideal tax counsel – no matter where you may be located.