Benefits of a Baltimore Criminal Tax Lawyer

Most people only think about a criminal tax lawyer when someone famous is arrested for tax fraud or insider trading. However, if the IRS investigates you for any alleged wrongdoing, you have the right to have an attorney present. Even if you are only facing a routine audit, you should consult an attorney to protect your legal rights.

When weighing the benefits of a Baltimore criminal tax lawyer versus an accountant or CPA for services during an audit or other IRS investigation, consider the consequences if the IRS discovers anything the tax code might consider irregular or potentially criminal. Our tax crime attorney at Whiteford Tax Defense could explain those distinctions and what you should be aware of during an interaction with a government auditor.

What Types of IRS Audits Could I Face?

There are four basic types of IRS audits. You can resolve some of them by submitting more documentation. Less common is the full investigation where agents appear in your home or office and go through all your paperwork.

  • Correspondence audit: These are the most common and simply ask for missing documents or additional forms to clarify questions
  • In the office audit: You must appear at the local IRS office with additional documents and may also need to answer questions from the agents
  • Field audit: This scheduled audit is what people imagine an audit to be; the purpose is often to search for more than a specific item or error
  • Taxpayer Compliance Measurement Program: This is an administrative audit to assess information in a selected batch of 50,000 returns and seldom affects any individual filer

If you are facing any of the three individual audits in Baltimore, you would benefit from a tax defense attorney reviewing your documentation to ensure you have not admitted to anything potentially harmful.

How Can a Criminal Tax Lawyer Help Me?

The IRS does not explain how or why it selects certain individuals or businesses for audits. About 10 percent of annual audits are randomly selected to ensure fairness. It also looks for late filings, cash-based businesses, and excessive errors and corrections on your forms.

If the IRS has chosen you for an audit for any reason, you have the right to legal representation and to have an attorney review any documents before you send them to the agency. You also have the right to get an explanation of anything you do not understand. Tax law is confusing, and a criminal tax lawyer in Baltimore can benefit you by helping you understand the potential outcome of anything the IRS is telling you.

Call to Get the Benefits of a Baltimore Criminal Tax Attorney

Facing an audit or any other action by the IRS is an unnerving experience. The agency uses the complexity of tax law to keep people from asking questions about its demands. The benefits of a Baltimore criminal tax lawyer include explaining the tax code in language you can understand and telling you what the IRS is asking of you.

If you have received a notice from the IRS informing you that you must submit additional documentation or that they want to arrange an in-person field visit, contact Whiteford Tax Defense. You have a right to legal representation during any investigation. Our attorney could negotiate with the IRS if you need to make any additional tax payments. Contact us today to help protect your rights and assets.