How to shop for a tax relief specialist

If you are having tax problems and are facing serious consequences such as owing tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes, facing foreclosure or a lien on your property, you are probably searching for tax relief, you may want to consider hiring a professional to help you resolve the matter. But when shopping for a tax professional, you should be very cautious.

Just as is the case with other professions, there are well-qualified and honest tax professionals who can help offer you some tax relief, and there are others whose credentials and ethical standards may be lacking.

This is a serious matter that requires a professional with solid credentials and integrity. After all, you are looking for tax relief, not someone who will promise to solve your tax problems only to charge you a large fee and fail to represent you. So when looking for tax professionals, shop carefully, and fully investigate their qualifications and reputation before paying for any services. For help with this, follow some of the guidelines below:

• Make sure your tax professional has the proper license. Most tax professionals who offer tax relief with IRS tax problems call their specialty "tax representation." They work with you, the IRS and your state income tax board to design a manageable plan for you to file your taxes and to get out of debt. The only professionals that are allowed to deal with the IRS are Certified Public Accountants, Enrolled Agents or Tax Attorneys. CPA's and tax attorneys must be licensed in the sate they are practicing in, while Enrolled Agents can practice in any state. Verify their qualifications. For accountants, check their license with your local State Board of Accountancy For tax attorneys, check with your local American Bar Association. To verify an Enrolled Agent's qualifications, check with the IRS.
• Check for references. Understand that due to privacy rules, tax professionals cannot offer referrals without their customers' express consent. Still, if the professional is unable to provide you with a list of any past clients who were willing to go on the record about how their tax problems were successfully handled, you may want to take the lack of references into consideration.
• Beware of guarantees and extreme promises. The old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" certainly holds true when it comes to looking for tax relief. If a tax representative promises to wipe away your tax problems with little or no cost to you, you may want to remain skeptical and shop for tax relief somewhere else.

If you are searching for a tax professional and are looking for tax relief, shop carefully. The last thing you want is someone who will charge you high fees and leave you with your tax problems.