A Proficient Legal Team For Illinois Tax Litigation Matters
If the IRS has threatened an audit, you want a sophisticated tax attorney with an in-depth accounting background to guide you through the complicated legal process.
At Farrell, Hamilton & Julian, P.C., the tax lawyers have extensive experience representing businesses and individuals in Godfrey with serious tax charges from state or federal authorities, such as the:
- IRS
- Illinois Department of Revenue
- Illinois Department of Employment Security
An inquiry from the IRS is a serious matter. If you do not cooperate with the IRS, you could face significant penalties and interest or be charged with tax evasion. Do not try negotiating on your own with the government – contact the firm to alleviate your legal problem.
Experienced In Tax Litigation
The firm’s lawyers have extensive backgrounds in tax and accounting. Many of the firm’s attorneys are certified public accountants and others have accounting degrees.
Attorney Phillip Hamilton helps clients resolve tax disputes with the IRS, the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The firm represents taxpayers in IRS tax audits, collection proceedings and administrative appeals, in cases before U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Tax Court, and in bankruptcy courts. The lawyers handle income taxes, employment taxes and sales taxes.
Survive A Tax Audit
An IRS tax audit can be sparked by various circumstances. For example, an innocent spouse may not have known how much money his wife or her husband earned and failed to report the right amount. In other cases, a questionable deduction will raise a red flag with the IRS.
Tax codes are extremely complicated, with hundreds of pages of regulations. If you have been audited, the firm’s legal team will closely review audit reports and other records to understand if the tax authorities made any errors. The lawyers work vigorously to minimize your tax liability as much as possible.
If You Cannot Pay Your Taxes
If you are unable to pay your taxes on time or have been penalized for nonpayment, the firm’s tax attorneys will ask the IRS to set up a monthly payment schedule, decrease your payments and, if good cause is shown, request a reduction of penalties.
What Happens In Tax Court?
Tax litigation may involve different courts, depending on the nature of the dispute and the taxpayer’s preferences. When the IRS formally proposes a deficiency, typically involving income tax, taxpayers have several options to contest the assessment.
The U.S. Tax Court is a specialized court that handles disputes between taxpayers and the IRS. The IRS will issue a statutory notice of deficiency called a 90-day letter. Then, the recipient has up to 90 days to file a response with the Tax Court. This provides an opportunity to dispute the deficiency before paying the tax.
Alternatively, you can choose to pay the IRS the disputed tax amount. Then, they can file a claim to get a refund. The IRS may deny the claim, in which case the taxpayer has the right to file a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court or the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. These courts require payment of the tax before litigation, differing from the Tax Court approach.
Each forum has its own procedures and advantages, and the choice may depend on factors such as the taxpayer’s financial situation, the complexity of the tax issues involved, and the desired timing of the resolution.
Fight The IRS With A Godfrey Tax Litigation Attorney
If you are concerned that you will be audited or penalized by the IRS, you need an experienced tax litigation attorney to guide you through this complicated legal process. To schedule a consultation at Farrell, Hamilton & Julian, P.C., send the firm an email or call 618-208-0263.