Tax Attorney Career
The tax attorney is a legal expert on the laws of taxation. The need for tax attorneys is continuing to grow, as more and more businesses need tax help to lower their tax liabilities. Individuals are increasingly looking for assistance as well in an attempt to conserve as much of their wealth as possible. Law schools respond to this need by specializing degrees toward taxation and offering a Masters degree in the field.
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History
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The profession of attorney is as old as the United States itself. An attorney's formal education consists of approximately seven years: four years of undergraduate and three years of law school. The resulting law degree is a JD or Juris Doctorate. Law school includes much general knowledge in many areas, including taxation. Every lawyer should have a general knowledge of taxes as businesses and citizens rely on a lawyer's advice. The corporate world needs legal authorities who specialize in taxes. The profession of tax attorney evolved from this need.
Features
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Students must complete an undergraduate degree to enter law school. The area of degree is up to the students who generally chose a field that emphasizes the skills necessary to get through law school such as writing and researching. Students pursuing a tax attorney career benefit from taking accounting courses or obtaining an accounting degree as their undergraduate choice. Law schools respond to the need for specialty attorneys by offering advanced law degrees. The John Marshall Law School, located in the competitive financial market of Chicago, offers graduate degrees in Tax Law. The Masters of Law in Taxation -- an LLM -- is a broad tax law degree sought by many employers.
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Considerations
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Although the government does not post an average wage for tax attorneys, some private employment entities do. The search engine Simply Hired lists an average salary for a tax attorney in 2010 as $64,000. Employers advertising for tax attorneys on the popular job site Career Builder list starting salaries of $80,000 to $100,000. Location within the U.S. is a large determining factor, as is education and experience.
Types
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Employers include law firms, private companies, financial institutions and government agencies. Tax attorneys help businesses calculate tax liability and work with clients on various tax issues from audits to litigation. Income tax laws are federal codes and can be very complex. As a result, tax attorneys continually find new and unusual opportunities for employment including the political and nonprofit fields. Though tax attorneys are employed throughout the nation, major cities like Chicago, Washington DC and New York City are lucrative financial markets.
Potential
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The tax attorney profession is said to be growing rapidly and the job listings confirm that fact. Law and accounting firms are the most frequent employers. Most firms desire tax attorneys with at least two years tax experience. Many employers also seek those with Master's degrees and licensed CPA's.
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