How To Get A Career Started In Tax Law

Posted on Aug 22 2013 - 12:51am by Victoria Heckstall

IRS 1040 Tax Form Being Filled Out

With a career in tax law, you will be required to become knowledgeable in the ever changing world of tax and pension laws.  You will also need to know the various types of businesses and industries that are in the tax industry.  You will need to be a United States citizen along with a Bachelor’s degree in the legal or tax field.

What Tax Law Deals With

The field of tax law deals common law, regulatory, constitutional as well as statutory rules which are applicable to taxation.  Prior to 1776, American colonies were subject to taxes that were assessed by the United Kingdom.

Tax Lawyer Responsibilities

A tax lawyer normally works for places such as government agencies, law firms, businesses and corporations.  Your job will be to help clients better understand how the laws governing taxes affects them and how those clients are better able to comply with tax laws.  Also, you will be responsible for representing certain clients in court that have been arrested and charged with violating certain tax laws.  You will be working long hours in order to work around your clients’ schedules and tax season is also a busy time of year for those in the tax field.  Some of the responsibilities you will have include setting up trusts, giving advice on tax strategies and handling estate planning.

Job Outlook in Tax Law

The job growth and job outlook for those in the tax law industry is said to be strong for the next several years.  Starting with the year 2008 to the year 2018, the employment growth for those in the tax law field is expected to grow at a 13% rate.  This is according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The reason that this is expected to grow so much is due to the fact that the population is growing rapidly and the population needs sufficient law protection and enforcement.

Education for Tax Law Career

During the last two years of law school, you are able to choose from a number of electives courses which are designed to suit your needs the best.  The most recommended courses for those to take to prepare for a career in tax law include accounting, federal taxation, tax law, estate and gift tax, international taxation, estates and successions and domestic taxation.

Training Requirements for a Career in Tax Law

There are basically three types of degrees one can get in the field of tax law.  These degrees include Juris Doctor, Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science.  The Juris Doctor degree lets you practice law in the United States.  It takes three years for you to receive the Juris Doctor degree.  Master of Laws is actually obtained after the Juris Doctor degree.  This takes one full year to complete.  The Doctor of Juridical Science is the highest law degree you can receive in the United States.  In order to get a Doctor of Juridical Science degree, you must have either a Juris Doctor degree or a Master of Laws degree.

Law Degrees Dealing with LLM

Those in the field of tax law will need to have a degree from an accredited law school.  Some graduate degree options in LLM Concentration in Taxation, LLM Concentration in Business Transaction or International LLM.  LLM in tax is a Master of Law degree in taxation.

If you are interested in a career that allows you to provide advice to not only individuals but small companies and large corporations as well, then a career in tax law may be the best choice for you, while if looking out for more information on how to get a career started in tax law or to get your LLM in tax, will suggest to visit this page.

Photo Credit: Flickr/Ken Teegardin/www.SeniorLiving.Org

About the Author

Victoria Heckstall is a professional writer who has been writing online since 2011. She is also the owner of Young Work At Home Moms where she shares advice with others who want to work from home.