How to Understand Tax Law
Tax laws dictate how individuals and businesses work with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There are specific tax laws that dictate how income taxes are collected, how deductions are calculated and what types of income are taxed. Tax law is confusing, and getting advice from a tax professional or tax lawyer may be the best option if there are complicated tax questions to answer.
- Research the federal tax law that
you want to understand. The IRS website has most of their official
publications, including Title 26 which is the basis for all federal
tax laws. Enter a keyword or phrase that you want to know about in
the search box of the IRS website. You may need to use a legal
dictionary to ensure that the words you are looking up are
representative of your query. - Read state tax laws. Most states
have their individual tax codes and guides available online. Some
states use tax code keywords, while others list topics in numerical
order. If listed in numerical order you will have to scan the
chapters until your find what you are looking for. The public
library may a good place to look at state tax codes, and a librarian
may be able to help you find your information more quickly. - Contact an agency specializing in
taxpayer assistance. There are several charity groups and public
associations offering tax information to members of the community.
Most of these community offices are staffed by volunteer tax
professionals and they can answer complicated tax questions. - Schedule an appointment with a tax
firm or accountant. There are fees for these services, but the
answers to your questions will be accurate and they are probably
quicker than a volunteer firm. - Consult a tax law attorney.
Attorney fees can be expensive and some attorneys may not give
information or advice out over the phone. You may need to make and
pay for an office visit to get any advice or answers. - Call the IRS tax assistance
hotline. The IRS will answer questions free, but they may not be
in-depth or accurate.