Tax Attorney Lawyers are licensed legal professionals who advise clients about asset management and technical details of tax laws. These tax lawyers are also available to represent clients in court and investigations.
This career path is a great match for detail-oriented, critical thinkers who are interested in tax law. It takes a long time to become a tax lawyer. This involves intensive education and credentialing.
This guide will provide information on the licensing and education requirements to become a tax lawyer, as well as job search tips.
Steps to Become a Tax Attorney Lawyer
- Earn a bachelor’s degree: To be eligible for admission to an accredited school of law, you must have a bachelor’s degree. Your educational journey will start with a four year undergraduate degree. While you can choose to major in any subject, it is best to focus on a related field such as pre-law or business, finance, economics, and/or law.
- You should consider going to law school After completing your undergraduate degree, you can prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and take it. LSAT scores are required by most law schools. A juris doctor (JD), master of law (LLM), or a juris doctor can be pursued in tax law. However, some states don’t require you to have a JD to practice law professionally or to sit for the bar. Most LLM programs require applicants with JDs to be accepted.
- Your tax specialization can be built: Many law schools offer LLM and JD programs in tax law. Students may prefer to be generalists and pursue other academic paths to specialize in taxation. You have the option of a master’s degree in taxation or state-based board certification to become a tax specialist.
- Pass your state bar examination: Individuals who are interested in becoming a tax lawyer should be aware that all areas of practice require licensure. Bar associations are responsible for issuing these licenses at the state level. You must pass the bar to earn licensure. This means you need to get a passing score on a rigorous exam that tests your knowledge of law and legal proceedings.
- Establish your career: Once you have a law license, you can start looking for entry-level jobs in the private or public sector. All levels of government can hire tax attorneys. Many tax attorneys work in private practice, or in law firms that offer representation to clients in tax disputes.
Tax Attorney Lawyer Education
In most states, you need at least two degrees to become a tax lawyer: a bachelor’s degree and a JD. JDs are not required for professionals in some states. Practically all law schools accredited by the American Bar Association are required to have a four year bachelor’s degree.
Zippia, a career portal and job search portal, analyzed which undergraduate majors are most often pursued by tax lawyers. The following are the top five subjects:
- Law (pre-law programs)
- Accounting
- Taxation
- Advanced professional studies and legal research
- Business
Many ABA-accredited law school accept applicants from all backgrounds. These subjects do not necessarily have to be related to tax law. An undergraduate course in a tax-related subject may help you to build a deeper and richer knowledge base.
Your JD can be earned as either a generalist taxation specialist or as a generalist taxation. Another option is to apply for a LLM program in taxation, which usually requires a JD.
Tax Attorney Lawyers Must Have the Required Licensing and Certifications
All lawyers practicing in the United States must have licensure. These licenses can be issued by state-level authorized agencies, also known as bar associations. Candidates must pass a stringent bar exam to be eligible for licensure. Many states also require that candidates have a JD.
Each state has its own licensing requirements. These requirements are very similar, but there are important differences between jurisdictions. To maintain licensure, many states require that lawyers complete continuing education requirements.
This ABA resource allows you to explore state-specific standards.
Degrees and Certificates
Optional credentials for Tax Attorney Lawyers include LLM and tax certification.
LLM degrees are advanced professional credentials that learners seek to improve their knowledge in specific legal areas. Many law schools offer LLM programs that are tax-focused. To enroll in an LLM program, candidates must have a JD.
Many graduate schools offer tax law or taxation degrees at the master’s, doctoral and/or doctoral level. These programs are often suitable for non-lawyers. These degrees are often chosen over LLMs when looking for ways to become Tax Attorney Lawyers.
Sometimes, Tax Attorney Lawyers who have completed their undergraduate degree in accounting may choose to become certified public accountants (CPA). Although employers may not require CPA licenses for tax attorneys, the credential can be helpful in building credibility and allowing more career options.
Some state bar associations offer programs to credential lawyers in taxation. To renew their licenses, many require that lawyers meet certain continuing education requirements. The state may allow Tax Attorney Lawyers to concentrate their continuing education on tax-related legal topics.
Experience Required for Tax Attorney Lawyers
Start by looking at the time required to study to become a Tax Attorney Lawyer. The average time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree is four years. While some schools offer faster paths to bachelor’s degrees, the standard is four years.
The JD program at ABA-accredited schools of law usually requires three more years of study. If you pass the bar exam within one year of law school, this brings the minimum timeframe to around seven years.
A optional LLM in Taxation degree will typically add another 1-2 years to your timeline. There are many years of work experience required to become a tax expert state bar-certified. Between additional education and work experience, five years is the most common benchmark for state certification.
Should I become a Tax Attorney Lawyer ?
Both individuals and businesses need to be taxed. Tax lawyers are in constant demand by clients who need advice or representation in mediating disputes.
If you are thinking about becoming a tax lawyer, there are many job opportunities available. They may work as private practitioners representing individuals. Permanent staff are also available for corporations that require ongoing tax law expertise. Many tax lawyers also work for the public sector, both at the state and federal levels.
Tax law is complex and ever-changing. It is a significant task for Tax Attorney Lawyers to keep up-to-date with the field.
Tax attorneys who are successful often state that their field requires a love for learning and knowledge. This rewarding but demanding field is well-suited for those with detail-oriented critical thinking skills.
Looking for Tax Attorney Jobs
As in many other fields, tax lawyers can benefit from networking to help them land their first job. You can build a strong social media presence by volunteering to help legal organizations and giving lectures. These activities can help you expand your network and build your expert image.
This can help you stand out among other applicants in a competitive field. Possibilities to earn optional degrees or credentials could be a great way to get hired.
You can search job boards that are specific to accounting, taxation and law for specific openings. These are some of the most prominent examples:
- Law Crossing This law-focused job site claims to be the largest online recruitment portal for lawyers, law staff, and students.
- LawJobs.com This website is another law-oriented job board that allows job-seekers filter hundreds of open positions by location, title, experience, and other criteria.
- taxTalent: taxTalent is a resource for professional development for tax professionals. TaxTalent hosts an “job agent” feature which allows users to sign-up for targeted alerts in addition to job boards that are open to all.
- National Association for Law Placement This association promotes diversity in the legal professions and doubles up as a recruiting tool for its many industry partners. Members have access to a wide range of career-building resources.
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