Tax Relief Attorneys in Miami Florida

Do you owe Florida taxes? Understand what are the consequences of owing taxes to the FL DOR as well as the various resolutions the offer to get back into compliance. Read more about Florida back tax resolutions.

Faced with a FL DOR Audit? Understand how these audits work, the various types, and how to handle the possible consequences of an audit. 

When you can't pay taxes owed to the Florida Department of Revenue, one option is to enter into a stipulated tax payment agreement. To qualify, you must prove you can't afford to pay your tax bill in full. Generally, they will require an up from downpayment of 25% of the balance owed. Read our full guide on qualifying and setting up a Florida payment plan.

Businesses can come into situations where they may not have been collecting taxes correctly, and they fear correcting a mistake may only cause problems with the FL DOR. If an audit is triggered, a business may be responsible for significant penalties and interest. For this reason, the FL DOR offers a voluntary disclosure program to lessen the financial impact for those businesses who come forward and admit the mistake before the FL DOR finds the problem.

One of the challenges many restaurant owners face is keeping up with state requirements regarding Florida sales and use taxes. Many restaurants face audits from the Florida Department of Revenue to check business records and see prior sales tax filings to ensure they are correct. This guide covers what to expect with a Florida sales tax audit for restaurants

Many tax attorneys offer a free consultation. Understand why they are giving away consultations for free and what red flags to look out for with free tax attorney consultations. 

Legal Services of Greater Miami provides tax clinic services in the Miami area. These services are provided to taxpayers who need help resolving tax disputes with the IRS and cannot afford representation. They will provide pro bono services on your behalf if you qualify.

Contact Information

• Phone: 305-576-0080
• Address: 4343 West Flagler Street, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33134

Tax attorneys offer a variety of consultation types. Generally they will offer a free consultation or paid consultation. Generally, with a free consultation, it is a call to see if you are a good fit for their services as well as providing some basic information on how they can likely help you. With a paid consultation, they will generally go into more depth with your situation and may even provide you the details to resolve your issue on your own if their services aren't the best fit or the cost would not put the taxpayer in a better financial situation. In both cases, you should be ready with some basic information about your situation, and that generally includes:

• Understanding of the type of tax you have a problem with
• Description of your problem (things like audit, unpaid taxes, unfiled taxes, etc.)
• Tax agency or agencies you owe
• Tax debt owed, if you owe taxes
• List of the periods for which you need to file returns if they aren't filed
• Basic financial information related to income and expenses
• Have available notices the tax agencies may have sent you related to your problem

Hiring a local tax attorney in Miami has several advantages to consider vs. going to a national company or another company out of state:

1. State Expertise: A Miami-based attorney is likely well-versed with both IRS tax laws and Florida tax laws. Their expertise with state specific issues and regulations means they can better navigate cases that involve Florida tax problems.
2. Accessibility: Working local gives you the comfort that you can meet face-to-face if needed. This can be important for more complex tax matters. The proximity allows for better communication and more personalization of services.
3. Direct Representation: Unlike national tax firms, where you may not even know the tax attorney who is working your case, you know exactly who will be helping you rather than just a brand name run by large sales and marketing organizations to sell services. It also ensures your case isn't handed off to someone who doesn't know your situation and has experience with it.
4. Regulatory Compliance: Attorneys are bound by state bar regulations as well as Circular 230, which governs the practice of tax law before the IRS and holds them accountable to a certain level of ethical standards. 
5. Community Ties: Local attorneys are more invested in their communities and have relationships and reputations they must uphold. They also may have connections with local IRS offices and state tax departments.

The Florida State Bar Association maintains a database of all the tax attorneys licensed in the state. You can search for the attorney using their name.

Note that in some cases, the search feature may not be on the bar association's home page. If you don't see a search option, look for a link for the public rather than for attorneys. Then, you should be directed to a page that has a searchable database. The results will show you if the attorney's license is active, inactive, suspended, or disbarred.

After verifying their credentials, check out some reviews to make sure they have the experience you need. When possible, avoid reviews that don't include first-hand experience from real customers. Instead, look for user-submitted reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau, Google Business, and TaxCure.