Taxation Defined

Taxation itself is a means by which governments finance their expenditures. State and federal governments accomplish this by imposing "taxes" on their citizens and corporations. In many ways, local state and federal governments use tax consequences in order to influence peoples' economic decisions. For example, a person's taxable income may be reduced by the amount paid in interest on a home mortgage which results in more construction, hence the construction activity generates more jobs.

Without taxes, our communities, our schools, our roads, our hospitals and our government would be unable to operate. Social welfare programs wouldn't be funded and society as a whole would cease to function as we know it. In order for teachers' salaries and the salaries of our law enforcement to be paid, taxes are levied upon America's citizens. These taxes pay for the luxuries of modern society such as libraries, elementary schools, parks, colleges and highways. Taxation is accomplished through a variety of techniques such as income tax, sales tax, property tax, and taxing items such as alcohol and cigarettes.

In the United States, taxes are assessed on the local, state and federal levels. With income tax in particular, it is considered to be a progressive tax, meaning that the income levels are tiered and people are subject to a higher tax rate the more income they earn. Traditionally local taxes are used for education, building and maintaining roads, utilities, police and fire departments. On the other hand, state taxes are used for erecting state buildings, highways, state colleges, and other state services. Federal taxes are used for social security, the armed services, and agriculture.

Legal Issues Involving Taxation

While taxes are intended to benefit the community and the nation as a whole, it's not difficult to run into legal troubles with your own taxes. Whether you are an independent contractor who failed to file taxes or pay them for several years, or if you can't afford to pay your property taxes, or if you are presently under investigation for tax evasion or tax fraud, it's critical that you enlist the services of a tax attorney from Langdon Davis. Whether you have an issue with state or federal taxes, we can help you find a real solution. Local state and federal tax laws are very complex and most people have no idea what their rights are or their options. All too often people fail to act or do anything about the problem, and over time they wind up contending with wage garnishments, property seizures, or worse, they wind up behind bars. Unfortunately when it comes to the IRS or the state of Texas or Arkansas, you can run but you certainly cannot hide and they always catch up to you eventually thanks to modern technology.

Whenever you are dealing with an issue such as withholding payroll tax, or simply failing to pay your taxes for your business, it's important that you confront the issue head on. Owing back taxes adds up quickly when penalties and interest are tacked on to your debt, which means that the longer you wait, the larger the problem grows. Our attorneys are highly skilled negotiators and we can effectively argue your case in tax court. We understand that your goal is to resolve your legal issues with the least amount of consequence and financial toll, and we have the same goal in mind as you. Such tax matters that we handle include:

• Estate Taxes
• Income Taxes
• Gift Taxes
• Property Taxes
• Business Taxes
• State Taxes
• Federal Taxes
• Audits
• Claims for Refunds
• Federal Tax Liens
• Civil Tax Penalties
• Failure to File Tax Returns
• Civil Tax Fraud
• Tax Evasion

Contact a Tax Attorney Today

If you have a legal issue regarding state or federal taxation, we urge you to contact Langdon Davis at once. We understand the high levels of stress, anxiety and even sleepless nights that can come from tax problems, and we are here to help. The last thing you want to do is nothing because as time goes by, the IRS or the state will eventually catch up to you, and you want to avoid suffering any type of criminal penalties from not addressing your issue in a timely fashion. There is legislation in place that is designed to protect taxpayers who suffer hardship due to enforcement actions and there are also ways to appeal certain liens and seizures before and after collection actions. The first step in resolving your tax issue is contacting our firm directly. We are here to help you, let us take the mystery out of your problem and find a reasonable and cost-effective solution once and for all!