Tax Attorney Qualifications
Becoming a tax attorney is a process that can take many years. The steps of the process are, however, mandated by law and there are no shortcuts available. To become a tax attorney, you must put in the work required and follow the legal guidelines, or you will be practicing law without a license, which is a crime. An important consideration of becoming a tax attorney is realizing that the U.S. tax code in the United States is so massive that you will likely never have a chance to study all of it. Most attorneys specialize in certain areas of the tax code.
Other People Are Reading
-
JD Degree
-
A tax attorney must have a juris doctorate degree, which is also known as a J.D. or a law degree. This typically takes two to three years to obtain, on top of the bachelor's degree you must have completed to gain entry into law school. Many tax attorneys also obtain a specialized degree called a master of laws degree, with the specialization in the subject of taxation. To represent clients in a U.S. Tax Court, the tax attorney must be specifically licensed to appear before that court, or he will be unable to represent you.
State Bar
-
After obtaining the JD and any other degrees required, you must then become registered by the state bar in your state. The state bar is the licensing agency that oversees attorney licensing and practicing. Admission to the bar typically entails a number of things, including successful passing test scores on the bar exams, a clean criminal record and background history, and an oath to practice law fairly and within the confines of the law. A knowledge of accounting may also be helpful to the prospective tax attorney.
-
Specialization
-
Tax attorneys often specialize in specific areas of the tax law. Estate planning, employment taxes, small business taxes, and IRS issues are some common areas of specialization practiced by tax attorneys. Since the tax code in the United States consists of many thousands of pages of laws, it is best to find a tax attorney who specializes in a small segment of the tax code and who knows the law intimately in his segment. Selecting an attorney with a broad specialization can be problematic because he may not be adequately versed in the specific areas of the tax code where you need his advice.
-
References
- Photo Credit tax forms image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
