Most tax disputes arise in the form of an audit of one or several past tax returns. If the IRS notifies you of an audit, you should hire a tax attorney immediately. Your tax relief attorney can communicate with the IRS on your behalf, be present during your audit and help negotiate a settlement, if necessary.

Some tax attorneys help prepare your tax returns for a premium; however, tax attorneys are not accountants and are rarely involved in filing taxes with the IRS. Tax attorneys typically do not hold the expertise of an accountant when maximizing deductions and planning ahead for future tax years.