Harrisburg Tax Planning Attorneys
Tax Advice and Counsel for Pennsylvania Businesses
The structure and timing of a business transaction can have major tax implications. Whether you are planning for the purchase or sale of a major business asset, developing an employee stock option benefit or thinking about a business succession, advice and counsel from an experienced attorney can be invaluable.
Scaringi Law, is a team of experienced business transaction attorneys with extensive tax planning experience. We are highly knowledgeable concerning federal and Pennsylvania tax laws, and how to manage and minimize tax exposure.
To learn more about the tax implications of your proposed transaction, contact Scaringi Law
Business Owners: Don’t Underpay or Overpay Sales and Use Tax
Today’s global marketplace is creating additional challenges for Pennsylvania businesses to properly pay sales and use taxes. Companies and corporations with large operations or revenues are particularly vulnerable.
At Scaringi Law, attorney Samantha Wolfe has in-depth knowledge of the state’s business tax obligations and exemptions.
She can audit your sales and use taxes to determine the following:
- Tax Overpayments: Businesses commonly pay taxes on items or services that are excluded. Double-taxing, paying both use and sales tax, also occurs.
- Tax Underpayments: Businesses occasionally purchase products or services from outside the state without paying any sales tax on the front end. When this occurs, the business should pay use tax on qualified purchases.
Industries that can often benefit from our legal guidance include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Construction
- Software/Telecom
- Manufacturing
- Companies with Sales or Deliveries Outside of Pennsylvania
Attorney Wolfe can identify all possible exemptions and exclusions to minimize your tax burden. She will then work to obtain refunds you are owed for overpayments of sales and use tax. By conducting a thorough audit, she can also protect your company from assessments, interest, and penalties for failure to pay required taxes.
Her legal experience and skills include representing clients in the following jurisdictions:
- Board of Appeals
- Board of Finance and Revenue
- Commonwealth Court
Attorney Wolfe has prepared and submitted detailed appeal schedules and narratives to the BOA and BF&R to reduce the sales and use tax liabilities of corporations. She has also filed appeals to the Commonwealth Court appealing the decisions made by the BF&R and has submitted additional supporting evidence along with the detailed appeal schedules to then negotiate settlements with the Attorney General’s office.
This extensive process involves reviewing invoices of every transaction that is in the appeal period to determine if tax was paid and then determining if it should not have been paid depending on the type of product or service that the transaction involves.
Property Owners: Don’t Overpay Property Taxes
Residential and commercial property owners are subject to pay property taxes based on the property’s assessed value. This amount is the critical factor in how much a property owner pays in property taxes.
When an assessment is completed, property owners have the right to appeal that value. Our property tax professional, Attorney Wolfe, can evaluate your specific circumstances and build a strong appeals case.
How Property Is Assessed in Pennsylvania
Property tax is an important revenue source for counties, municipalities, and school districts. Each jurisdiction has its own rate. Rates are expressed as mills. One mill is equal to $1 of property tax for every $1,000 in assessed value.
Each county has its own method of determining assessed value. Some counties tie the assessed value to the current market value. Other counties use a percentage of the current market value.
Scaringi Law can help in the following areas:
- Conducting Property Assessment Appeals: This involves appealing decisions made by the Board of Assessment on the value of the client’s real estate. Applicable exemptions and exclusions can reduce the property’s assessed value. Appeals can be drafted and filed to various counties’ boards of revisions or assessments as well as the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the property is located. In some cases, a petition for a reassessment is appropriate.
- Negotiating a Reduction in Value: We also negotiate with county solicitors and school boards to reduce the property’s value to then reduce their property taxes.
A 2017 lawsuit was filed about the significant discrepancy in property values. As a result, the state is now in a multi-year appraisal process. You may be entitled to a lower tax bill and a tax refund.
Contact a Harrisburg Tax Planning Lawyer
To schedule a consultation about a tax planning matter, contact Scaringi Law.