Free Legal Tax Help: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics help low-income taxpayers who have issues or disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). They also educate taxpayers who speak English as a Second Language (ESL).
What Is a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic?
A Low Income Taxpayer Clinic is an organization that provides help to low income taxpayers or people who speak English as a second language. Accounting schools, law schools, and legal offices often sign up to become LITCs.
LITCs receive partial funding from the government, and in exchange, they represent low income taxpayers for free or for a small fee.
Are LITCs Part of the IRS?
Although LITCs receive partial funding from the government, they are completely independent of both the IRS and the Taxpayer Advocate Service. These groups consist of accountants, tax attorneys, and other tax professionals who provide free tax advice and legal representation in Tax Court. They also help ESL speakers understand and respond to IRS notices.
What Do Low Income Taxpayer Clinics Do?
Groups that become Low Income Taxpayer Clinic provide the following types of services.
- Pro bono tax attorney to represent low income taxpayers with tax collection disputes
- Other tax legal assistance and legal representation as required.
- Education about taxes and collection processes.
Low income taxpayer clinics also identify issues that affect low income individuals, and they advocate for tax code or procedural changes to improve the equity of the tax system for all taxpayers.
Who Qualifies for Help From the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic?
LITCs can provide legal assistance and help with other tax disputes to low income individuals and ESL speakers. Generally, to qualify for help, your income must be below 250% of the poverty line, and the tax dispute must involve less than $50,000.
How Many People Do LITCs Help?
In an average year, LITCs provide representation to around 20,000 taxpayers and offer tax education to over 100,000 taxpayers and service providers. They also help low income individuals to correct around $50 million in tax problems and obtain over $5 million in tax refunds.
What Can a Free Tax Lawyer From an LITC Do?
If you qualify for help, your pro bono tax attorney can help you deal with IRS notices, tax assessments, audits, and appeals. they can also help with collection issues and Tax Court.
How to Find Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Near Me
There are a few different ways to find a low-income taxpayer clinic. Although these groups are completely independent from the Internal Revenue Service, the IRS publishes a list of local taxpayer clinic locations. Here is a link to the list of LITC locations in Spanish.
Alternatively, you can go to the Taxpayer Advocate Service's website and search for a LITC. Go to the middle of the page and select your state from the drop-down menu to find free legal help with tax problems and tax collection matters.
Looking for a Free Tax Attorney Near Me?
A low income taxpayer clinic can provide you with pro bono representation for a wide range of IRS tax issues. These groups can also answer your questions about taxpayer rights. But what if you don't qualify for free help from a taxpayer clinic? What if English is not your second language?
Although you may not be able to qualify for free legal tax help, you can still get affordable tax assistance. When you hire a local tax professional, they help you navigate the complexity of the IRS's rules and collection processes. Although they charge a fee for their services, their help can often save money in the long run through penalty abatement or tax settlement programs like offers in compromise.
Get Affordable Tax Help Near You
A local tax lawyer, CPA, or enrolled agent can also help you understand your taxpayer rights. They can help you negotiate a payment arrangement before the IRS starts issuing liens or levying your assets. The longer you ignore your tax problems, the more expensive they can become.
If you don't qualify for free help from nonprofit organizations or taxpayer clinics, then, use TaxCure to search for a tax pro in your area. They can save you money and reduce stress in the long run.