All In A Day's Work - The Tax Attorney

By Judy Miller


Everybody knows what an attorney is - he/she is somebody who knows his/her legal stuff, regardless of chosen discipline or expertise. Up to this day, many young people want to become an attorney for the simple reason that this job pays well. But once they reach law school, some of them wish they stuck to their childhood dreams of rock stardom or becoming a Hollywood actor - unrealistic as those may be, it's certainly a walk in the park compared to one day at law school!

Getting a law degree from a reputable law school is certainly a good way to ensure would-be lawyers of a sweet new job at a well-known law firm. Some of the more popular choices of expertise include criminal law, corporate law, property law, and last but not the least, tax law. Tax attorneys, as the name implies, specialize in everything related to tax law. Whether dealing with representatives of large multinational or national corporations or ordinary consumers, they assist their various clients on all sorts of legal issues pertaining to tax and taxation.

After graduating from law school and passing the licensure or bar examinations, newly qualified lawyers have the option of working for the government or joining a private firm. There are those who start up their own law firm with friends or classmates, but it is usually advisable for a new law graduate to get his/her feet wet first by working for a law firm.

"Getting one's feet wet" pertains to gaining valuable experience as an apprentice to a team of veteran lawyers, as they assist and mentor on practical matters. This is a great opportunity for a young attorney to learn from the best before they can handle things on their own and tackle their own cases. Young lawyers get a chance to learn the craft and know how to use what they learned in school the right way in order to have the know-how to run their own practice someday.

An eye for detail is essential in being a successful tax attorney - while other types of law practices require this as well, taxation law does so especially because of its Byzantine nature. Logical and rational habits are preferable, although this is true of most branches of law. It also helps if you are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with both local and international tax laws, to prepare yourself for larger clients, particularly those with a global or multinational base. Aside from being knowledgeable in tax law on a local and international basis, it is important to be updated with the latest changes and revisions at all times.

Tax attorneys do not just deal with corporate entities - they also deal with individual clients, though when speaking of salary, it is naturally more attractive to have bigger clients in the corporate field. For people like us who normally do not have any formal background learning about how taxation works, this is a great help, and we can always turn to tax attorneys when we have our own legal hassles due to taxes. Both types of taxation attorneys find their work rewarding.




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