Pros & Cons of Working With a Tax Attorney In Your Area

If you’re thinking about hiring a tax attorney, your first question might be whether you should work with a lawyer in your local area. In most cases, there are a few upsides and some serious downsides to hiring a local tax attorney. If you go local, you might get the following benefits:

• You can meet with your tax attorney in person and schedule face-to-face conversations.
• You can drop off copies of tax documents and IRS notices in person if your tax lawyer requests paperwork.

Hiring a tax attorney near you can also come with several drawbacks:

• You might be stuck hiring from a very limited pool of tax attorneys. That means the lawyer you hire might not have experience with your individual situation and may not be able to provide the best possible resolution for your circumstances.
• Your local tax lawyer might not have strong relationships with the IRS, which means they may not be able to make a strong enough case while working on your behalf.
• You could spend hours driving back and forth to meet with your tax attorney in person when you could use that time to work, relax, or spend time with your family instead.
• You could rack up a large bill very quickly simply by exchanging pleasantries with your attorney. Most local tax attorneys charge by the hour and every time you go into their office, send them an email, or call them on the phone you will be charged for their time. Most national tax attorney firms on the other hand, have a set price for case resolution based on your type of case.

Instead of limiting yourself to your local area, you can also work virtually with one of the best tax firms in the country instead? Instead of hiring an IRS tax attorney near you, focus on finding a highly rated tax lawyer, regardless of their location. When you focus on quality instead of location, you can look forward to the following perks:

• You can hire a tax attorney who has extensive experience with situations like yours and who has an ongoing relationship with the IRS. When you hire an experienced and knowledgeable attorney, you can expect to get the best possible resolution for your situation.
• You can have meetings over the phone or ask questions via email, so you can communicate with your tax lawyer from the comfort of your home or from your office. If you need to have a face-to-face meeting, you can schedule a video chat. You won’t have to waste time driving to their office or take time off work to meet in person.
• You can scan or photograph any tax notices or documents you receive and submit all supporting paperwork electronically. If you need to submit an original document for any reason, you can send paperwork by mail.