Both tax consultants and tax lawyers are legal professionals that can help citizens in Texas with tax issues, such as tax preparation, returns, and compliance. However, there are distinct differences between the two.
Whether you should hire a CPA or tax attorney depends on the legal issue you are facing. If you need help filing taxes, managing payroll, or optimizing your finances, a tax consultant may be the better option. However, if you are dealing with a more complex legal matter, need help understanding tax law, or are dealing with the Internal Revenue Service, you may need to contact a Texas tax attorney.
Ronald Arthur Stearns Sr. PLLC
Ronald Arthur Stearns Sr., PLLC is the experienced tax attorney you need to help you with tax-related issues in Texas. He personally handles every case that comes into his law office and he has a comprehensive understanding of Texas tax law. Whether you are dealing with unpaid income taxes, unpaid payroll taxes, an IRS audit, or any other tax-related issue, our firm is here to help.
He has nearly thirty years of litigation experience, is a member of the State Bar of Texas, and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). He and his team care about providing top-quality legal service, protecting Texas taxpayers, and doing what he can to fight on your behalf.
Call our firm today to schedule an initial consultation at 512-257-0570.
What is a Tax Lawyer?
Tax lawyers are individuals who went to law school and are qualified to practice law, having obtained a graduate-level professional degree (J.D., or Doctor of Jurisprudence) in the legal profession. A tax attorney specializes exclusively in tax law, which includes topics such as debt collection defense, IRS tax law, wage garnishment, and local tax laws and regulations.
Tax lawyers represent clients in tax court, offer legal advice on tax laws, and represent clients before the IRS. If you encounter a legal issue with your taxes or need help understanding your legal obligations, a tax attorney is the person to call.
Role of Tax Attorneys
Tax attorneys specialize in legal matters involving taxes. They are qualified to help with tax preparation, ensuring you meet tax obligations, and tax reporting. They can represent clients in tax litigation, disputes, and audits, and provide transactional support to businesses.
Legal Representation
A tax attorney can provide legal representation in tax-related matters. This means they can provide legal advice, help clients settle tax disputes, and represent clients in lawsuits. A tax lawyer can help you handle complex legal proceedings, such as tax fraud defense or difficult business transactions.
A tax attorney can also represent you in IRS-related matters, including audits, unpaid tax allegations, and other matters involving revenue officers. If you are facing an IRS audit, you will need a tax lawyer to provide legal counsel, advise you on what to say to the IRS, ensure your documentation is in order, and come up with a legal strategy on your behalf.
IRS Audits
Receiving an IRS audit letter can often cause a lot of stress. Although most people have nothing to worry about, it is disconcerting to have the IRS going through your tax returns, which can leave you vulnerable to potential tax increases and penalties. If you go into an audit without a lawyer, there is a higher chance of making a mistake or giving the wrong information, which could lead to tax penalties.
The role of a tax attorney during an audit is to ensure that your rights are protected and to provide adequate legal representation. This means communicating with the IRS on your behalf, submitting the correct documentation, responding to the concerns of the revenue officer, and preparing a legal strategy. They will help you understand the complex process of an audit and help put your mind at ease.
If necessary, your attorney can help negotiate an installment plan to pay back the taxes you owe, get any penalties reduced substantially, and try to negotiate a settlement. An attorney can ensure that the IRS does not take advantage of your situation and that you get the best outcome possible.
What is a Tax Consultant?
Tax consultants are individuals that specialize in providing guidance and advice on tax matters. Tax consultants are usually certified public accountants (CPAs), or other accounting professionals. Unlike tax attorneys, tax consultants help individuals and businesses with tax planning and advise them on their tax liability.
Tax consultants can help their clients comply with tax laws and avoid tax controversy. However, they cannot act as their legal counsel in a tax dispute. The primary role of a certified public accountant, or tax consultant, is to help with tax planning and to ensure that businesses or individuals meet their tax obligations.
Role of Tax Consultants
Tax consultants are extremely helpful to those who need assistance with tax planning and getting their finances in order. The primary role of a tax consultant is to help people make the most out of their financial situation by taking advantage of deductions, tax credits, and exemptions. Consultants take care of tax matters on your behalf to ensure you comply with tax law and that your returns are submitted on time each year.
Tax Preparation
A tax consultant can help their clients with tax planning and tax preparation. They can help you understand your tax obligations, ensure that all obligations are met when the tax season comes around, and keep updated with tax regulations and laws to ensure that you remain compliant. They can try to minimize your tax liability through tax credits and deductions.
Your tax consultant can also help you pay taxes and tax returns each year. They can gather your financial records, make sure your tax returns are accurate and in compliance with Texas tax laws, and file tax returns on time to ensure that you do not receive any penalties.
If you are subject to a tax audit, your tax professional should have all the documentation necessary to give to the revenue officer, and they can help you respond to correspondence you receive from the IRS. However, hiring a tax attorney is usually a better idea if you are subject to a tax audit, as they can provide legal advice and representation on your behalf.
Financial Reporting
Another role of a tax consultant is to provide financial analysis and reporting, to help you make better business decisions. They should have an in-depth understanding of tax laws and may know ways to reduce your tax burden. A tax professional can help you make important decisions about your finances or your business finances by identifying areas of tax optimization, better financial performance, and risk mitigation.
Should I Hire a Tax Attorney or a Tax Consultant?
Knowing whether to hire a tax attorney or a tax consultant depends entirely on your situation. For more complex issues, such as dealing with the IRS, criminal tax matters, or tax litigation, we strongly advise hiring a tax attorney. Tax attorneys have a more in-depth understanding of local laws and regulations, which is always beneficial.
If you are involved in tax issues that require a deep understanding of legal procedures and regulations, it is better to hire a tax attorney. For debt collection defense, paying back taxes that you owe, estate planning, and business tax matters, it may also be better to hire a tax attorney.
However, if you need help with tax planning, minimizing tax liabilities, filing your tax returns, ensuring tax compliance, registering a business for tax purposes, or maintaining records of your taxes, it may be enough to hire a tax consultant.
What Is The Difference Between Tax Consultant and Tax Lawyer?
The major difference between a certified public accountant, or CPA, and a tax attorney is that tax lawyers provide legal advice, whereas tax consultants do not. Tax attorneys specialize in explaining the legal aspects of tax law to their clients, representing them through legal proceedings, dealing with IRS disputes, including tax disputes and an IRS audit, and defending clients against allegations of tax fraud.
CPAs and tax attorneys both have unique qualifications and can help you with your financial records and tax matters. However, a tax consultant cannot help you with legal matters, such as criminal tax matters, representation during an audit, tax litigation, estate planning, and more complex tax issues.
So, if your tax services extend beyond financial planning and financial advice, it is better to contact a tax attorney to get legal representation. Hiring a professional with a more in-depth understanding of the law can be beneficial regardless of your tax issue.
Contact The Tax Attorneys at Ronald Arthur Stearns Sr. PLLC!
Ronald Arthur Stearns Sr., PLLC is a highly experienced tax attorney in Texas. He has been representing clients within the state for almost 30 years and he has never represented the IRS. Our law firm understands that dealing with tax matters can be stressful and challenging. Our goal is to put your mind at ease, take over complex issues on your behalf, and provide top-quality legal representation.
The tax lawyers at Ronald Arthur Stearns Sr., PLLC can help you with a wide range of issues, including tax collection defense, complex tax issues, disputes, and IRS audits. If you owe money to the federal government, we can try to help you settle for less than what you owe.
Most tax attorneys do not provide the personalized care and attention that Ronald Arthur Stearns Sr., PLLC does, which is why you should contact our law firm to help with your tax needs.
Call our law firm today at 210-853-2135 to arrange a consultation and protect your finances.