Tax attorney jobs have many responsibilities, including helping people with tax problems, claiming any tax rebates, getting any fines reduced, and guiding clients through the labyrinth of small business and self-employment tax laws. Small businesses particularly find their tax attorney to be just as important as their accountant. Tax attorneys can predict problems before they become total disasters and also help business owners in streamlining their businesses, as well as aiding individuals in setting up investment portfolios or trust funds.
Though many consider American tax laws relatively simple when compared other countries' tax laws, they do experience modifications and minor changes nearly every year. Part of the responsibility of a tax attorney is to stay informed and educated about these changes and to point his or her clients in the right direction when it comes to such laws.
What about Education?
Tax attorney jobs of course require candidates to be highly educated. One cannot be certified professionally to navigate the complex ins and outs of tax laws without a proper education. The first step in your quest for tax attorney jobs is to get a bachelor's degree in a business-related field, such as accounting. Next, you'll want to Law School Admission Test, or LSAT. Your LSAT score and undergraduate GPA will tell you what law school you will be able to qualify for. Find a school that you like and qualify for, go there, and focus on tax and business courses. Once you graduate from law school as a Master of Laws (abbreviated LLM), you'll need to take your state's bar exam to be certified as a tax attorney.
Some have also found it worth their time to become a CPA, or Certified Public Accountant. Becoming a CPA is not mandatory if you are going to work for a firm, but if you have any interest in starting your own firm you may want to consider becoming a CPA to buff up your credentials.
What about Salary?
The bottom line is what it always comes down to: money. After all, this is why we all work: to survive create a comfortable life for ourselves, our family, and our household. Well, as you probably can guess, tax attorney jobs pay very well. In general, a first-year tax attorney can expect to make at least $98,000. Though this is an impressive figure on its own, most tax attorney jobs actually pay well into six figures. Keep in mind, though, that this job does carry a lot of responsibility and interaction with the IRS, which is an organization that studies have shown that many people fear more than death.
Of course, if you decide to start your own firm, the sky is the limit as far as what you may earn. Those who start their own firms are obviously not bound by what another pays them, they pay themselves. This is sometimes viewed as a gamble, as you can succeed beyond your wildest dreams or fall into obscurity. This is largely based upon the individual, however, many who start their own firms begin working for another, building their way towards entrepreneurial independence.
Conclusion
Tax attorney jobs are very hard to qualify for, but they serve a vital service to the average taxpayer. American tax laws are very complex (some would say unnecessarily so) and virtually impassable to the layperson not educated on their content. The hard part of the equation is that everyone is required to pay taxes, yet not many really understand the laws and how to protect themselves. Tax attorneys are the individuals who can be on the side of the average American, protecting them against the bureaucratic juggernaut that is the Internal Revenue Service. Tax attorneys deal with the IRS on a daily basis and are therefore able to keep a cool head and not get unnerved when dealing with problems. As was mentioned earlier, more Americans fear the IRS than death. Tax attorneys are therefore indispensible and invaluable to these people.
Where you end up in your quest for tax attorney jobs depends largely upon where you envision yourself. If you see yourself working in a firm as part of a team, you probably don't need to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). On the other hand, if you have more of an entrepreneurial streak in you and you can see yourself starting your own firm, you may find it advantageous to become a CPA so that you can further inspire potential clients to trust in you and your firm. It is the little things like this that can often make or break fledgling tax attorney firms.
Tax attorney jobs are important to not only individuals, but also to businesses. Small businesses in particular have a hard time navigating the tax law minefield. Small businesses are usually started by individuals with passion, but not necessarily with good business judgment. Therefore, they often find themselves in over their head when it comes to taxation and they need professionals that they can pay to look after their financial situation. A good tax attorney, along with an accountant, is what they need to guide them safely along.
