Three Things to Look for in Your Tax Attorney
When you are looking for someone to represent you before the IRS you need to look for several things.
First, I would look for a firm where you can speak with the actual person who will be representing you. Many tax resolution companies out there have local offices where they have "sales people" getting people in the door and several attorneys, CPA’s or enrolled agents doing all of the work. You never know who you might get when you call on the telephone and you likely never get the person who is working on your case. This sounds about as bad as calling the IRS directly.
Second, I would look for someone who is going to tell it to you straight. Some solutions do not apply to everyone. I don’t represent every prospective client who comes through my office door and I don’t tell everyone that comes in that I can get an offer in compromise accepted for them. Sometimes I feel very confident, sometimes it is a stretch and other times it is clear from the beginning that there is no chance of ever having an offer in compromise accepted. You want someone that is not just trying to earn a fee, but has your best interest in mind and is going to do everything possible to get the best outcome for you.
Third, you want someone that knows what they are doing. When you hire an attorney, you don’t necessarily need or want to understand all of the technicalities of the resolution process, but you want to be confident that your attorney knows what is going on. Ask him questions, see if he is able to answer your questions and make you feel comfortable. The law books and the Internal Revenue Code say one thing, but experience and action in the field lead to true knowledge.
When you are interviewing your next attorney, be sure to think about these three things. If you can think of anything that you feel makes a good tax attorney, be sure to comment below.