Choosing the Right Tax Relief Attorney

Want a quick synopsis of how to characterize tax relief firms? It's easy. There are three categories-the good, the bad, and the ugly. Unfortunately, there are just as many bad and ugly firms out there as there are good ones (maybe even more!), which makes picking a good tax firm particularly difficult-daunting even. Keep in mind that the ugly firms can be nothing less than crooks. The bad firms may actually provide you service, but in addition, they layer on headaches, poor billing practices, and maybe even unethical requests and demands.

To serve as a friendly and comprehensive guide, refer often to the following framework about how to select a reputable tax relief attorney. The guidelines are as follows:

1) Check Credentials - Only attorneys, CPAs, and enrolled agents can represent you before the IRS. Your tax relief professional should be one of these three types of credentialed professionals.

2) Service Reviews - Everybody loves to hear reviews. Many people leave reviews online. Try typing in the name of your tax relief firm into Google, followed by the word "reviews" and see what results come up in the search. Take all reviews with a grain of salt since they can be anecdotal (or worse, fake), but if you notice a bad trend in the reviews, you can probably feel more comfortable that you've picked a bad apple and you should steer clear.

3) Salespeople - Just about every tax relief firm in the industry staffs salespeople, and too often, these salespeople know a lot about commissions and little about taxes. If a salesperson is pressuring you or appears to be more interested in your credit card number than your tax situation, steer clear-and quickly! Likewise, if a tax professional hasn't thoroughly reviewed the merits of your case before asking you to sign a contract, steer clear. You'll be thankful you did.

4) Better Business Bureau - The Better Business Bureau maintains records about each of its members. Today most tax relief companies are members of the Better Business Bureau, and if they are not, they are either new to the industry (BBB requires one year of sales to become a member), trying to hide something, or neglectful about registering for BBB membership. The only caveat to keep in mind is that BBB ratings may not present an entirely fair and accurate picture of the company, so use it to find a trend line but not as a definitive resource.

5) About Us - Whenever visiting any website, the About Us page should be a focus of your research. Find out who runs the company and whether the management team appears to be competent, experienced, and credentialed.

Tax relief should be just that-a relief! Dealing with tax problems is already a stressful experience, and the last thing you need is to layer on additional stress from the company you hired to represent you. Do your diligence, as they say, and ensure you pick a firm with a solid reputation. You have every right to ask any question and expect a satisfactory answer. Don't forget it.