Hiring someone to help you with your back due to tax issues can be a difficult decision. There are many providers out there and the fees are generally very high. In this article, we will go through the costs and fees that most tax attorneys charge, what you can expect other non-law firm tax relief companies to charge, and what our estimated costs are here at TRP.

Tax Attorney Fees for Collections Cases

Law Firm Costs

In IRS or State collections cases, most attorneys will charge $3,000 to $7,500. The average case is about $5,000. Most require an upfront payment or half upfront and half in 30 days.

Some lawyers may bill an hourly retainer instead of a flat fee. The rate for this is usually $350-$550 per hour, and billed against a retainer you must pay upfront for. If they run through the retainer quickly, you need to pay them again to continue your case.

Non-Law Firm Tax Relief Companies

Non-law firm tax relief companies such as the ones you hear advertised a lot on the radio, and similar non-law firm companies typically charge half upfront and half in 30 days. I am including these companies because they offer the services of a tax attorney, are advertised everywhere, but are not law firms. If you call Tax 10000 you will be connected to a similar company. These companies have fees usually ranging from $3,000 to 80,000. It should also be noted that many of these companies charge an additional fee of $1,500 per year if your case goes beyond a year. These companies usually spend a lot on advertising, and you pay for it in your case fee. Their client acquisition cost is around $1,500.

They are typically aiming to charge you 10% of your tax debt. In some cases, they also charge an investigation fee (usually $950) to find out how much you owe then charges about 10%. The investigation fee is to get you committed.

Update 5/6/17: Blue Tax has closed. Many tax relief non-law firms only last 3-5 years.

Tax Resolution Professionals

At TRP, we are a law firm and we bill hourly.  Our costs are lower than most law firms because we use a hybrid model. Your case is mainly handled by a tax attorney, but the IRS data gathering calls are done by our CPAs and Enrolled Agents.  Since our client base is mostly from referrals, reviews, and very little advertising, we do not have to charge the huge fees radio-advertised tax relief firms do.

We do not charge an investigation fee before we actually start on your case. If you want to hire us to just find out debt totals and advise you on possible resolutions, you could pay for just that time. Our billing structure also gives the client flexibility if there is more than one resolution required. At most radio-advertised tax relief firms, you are paying for one resolution. Should another be required, its another 10% of your tax debt? At TRP, if your case required two resolutions, you just pay for the additional work needed to get the second resolution done.

An example of this is some cases are best placed into Currently Not Collectible status for a brief period before submitting an Offer In Compromise. These cases usually have debts that are going to expire soon due to the Collection Statute Expiration Date. Regular tax relief firms will charge you all over again. At TRP, we just prepare the new request. Since we have most of your information, it does not cost as much as the first request.

Tax Preparation

Tax preparation is often part of a client’s IRS or State tax case. The client may have unfiled tax returns that are required in order to resolve their case. The IRS also may have filed tax returns on their behalf showing much larger balances.

Law Firm Costs

Attorneys are generally not going to bill for tax preparation in their case fees. This is going to be separate or they may even recommend you to an accountant to prepare it.

Non-Law Firm Tax Relief Companies

Non-law firm tax resolution companies include tax return preparation in their fees, but typically at the highest rate. Some charge $450 for a basic W2 return when clients pay upfront.

Usually, when you are paying for tax preparation costs in your fee before they have looked at your case, you are paying too much.

Tax Resolution Professionals

At TRP our tax preparer directly quotes clients on tax preparation based on how many schedules are involved. Our rate is similar or lower than most local CPA or Enrolled agents in the Las Vegas, NV area. Clients are always welcome to, and we recommend for clients continue using their existing tax preparer if they are satisfied with them. It is not required that TRP do your tax preparation to help you resolve your IRS debts.

Be Careful Who You Choose to Help You

If you are in debt with the IRS and are searching for someone to help you, make sure you choose a reputable firm. Non-law firm tax relief companies are constantly going out of business. If you hire only a CPA or EA, you are not protected by the attorney-client privilege.

Although we help clients nationwide, we are based in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you are looking for a tax attorney in Las Vegas be warned of the many Las Vegas lawyers who claim to be experts but work in 20 different practice areas. Even most tax attorneys do not handle back due tax debts but will take your case and charge you for it.  At TRP, we specifically handle back due tax debts and are experts in this area of tax collections representation.

If you would like a consultation regarding your tax case with one of our experienced tax attorneys, apply for our services at our tax resolution intake form or call us at (888) 515-4829.