To become a property tax attorney, attend law school, pass the bar exam, and work for a property tax law firm. While a specialization in tax law is not required, experience in real estate law and tax knowledge is beneficial. Joining tax-related cases or pursuing an LL.M. in tax can also help.
The most direct way to become a property tax attorney is to attend law school, pass your jurisdiction’s court order exam, and secure work with a property tax law firm or group. On paper, the steps required to become a property tax attorney aren’t many. Once you have the basic qualifications to be a lawyer, choosing property tax as your field does not require special certification or filing. Property tax as a specialty is a limited field, however, and trespassing usually requires determination, experience and persistence, in addition to the necessary educational credentials.
Before someone can become a property tax attorney, he or she must first become a general attorney. The vast majority of jurisdictions regulate the legal profession by requiring all attorneys to complete a prescribed course of legal education, which usually culminates in a comprehensive licensing or bar exam. Most law schools are geared toward providing a broad legal education. It is very rare for a law student to get the chance to major or specialize in any particular subject.
Still, some law schools have stronger divisions in tax law than others, and schools vary in the type of electives they offer. If you’re still in school and want to become a property tax attorney, one of the best things you can do is get as many property, real estate laws, and tax electives as you can during the year. During the summer, look for work at a property tax law firm or in the real estate law industry.
The work of a property tax attorney intersects with that of a real estate attorney in many ways. Both work with title transfers and interpret the consequences of major events such as sales, leases and valuation changes. A property tax attorney will generally focus more on the tax consequences of a given transaction, while a real estate attorney will generally focus on the broader details, but the jobs overlap. It is usually possible to do property tax work at a real estate law firm. In fact, most real estate companies have a distinct need for trained tax attorneys.
Work experience and training is perhaps the most important thing to consider when becoming a property tax attorney. A lot of legal practice is what you make it. Once you graduate from law school and pass the exam, developing the contours of your legal profession is basically a blank slate. No matter what you focused on in law school, it’s usually possible to find work in the property tax law industry – but that usually takes some work. You will need to show prospective employers that you have the motivation and aptitude to succeed in becoming a property tax attorney.
Taxation is a highly complex field that is not easy to understand. It is possible to become a property tax attorney without formal tax training, but often a lack of tax knowledge must be made up for mightily elsewhere. Experience in areas such as mortgage finance law, property transfers and deeds or property markets can be beneficial. Attorneys with experience in some type of real estate transaction who want to further their resumes to become a property tax attorney can apply to advanced master of law (LL.M.) programs in tax. They may also look to join tax-related cases your business is handling, if any, or become involved in some form of tax work on the side.
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