By Talk to a Lawyer · Published 19 September 2026 · 4 minute read
Tax legal advice can concern an assessment, audit, objection, recovery action or the tax consequences of a transaction. Start with the tax authority, tax type and stage of the matter. An accountant may already hold important records, but explain the legal question you need addressed and whether there is a decision or response date.
Read. Prepare. Find an office.
Use this guide to organise your questions, then confirm the provider’s experience, availability and first-stage fee.
Find tax law providers →Identify the exact decision or proposal
Collect the assessment, audit letter, information request or proposed transaction documents. Record the relevant tax periods and the dates correspondence was issued and received. Separate an accounting correction from disagreement about how the law applies. Ask what can be challenged, what process applies and whether an immediate response is needed while a fuller review is prepared.
Create an evidence trail with your accountant
List the returns, calculations, source records and advice already available. Explain transactions as they happened, including parties, dates and money flows. Do not recreate missing records as if they were originals. Ask the lawyer how to coordinate with your accountant and handle sensitive communications instead of assuming every existing document has the same confidentiality protection.
Separate dispute work from payment arrangements
A disagreement about liability and a request for time to pay are different questions. Tell the adviser if collection action is underway. Ask whether the scope covers objections, negotiations, a settlement proposal or proceedings, and what accounting analysis is additional. Request an explanation of the costs and risks of the next stage before commissioning a full dispute.
Turn the assessment into a list of disputed issues
For a tax dispute, work through the authority's reasons one issue at a time. Record the factual finding, the amount or period affected, your explanation and the supporting record. Mark questions that are accounting calculations separately from questions about legal interpretation. Ask which points could change the result and which additional evidence is proportionate to obtain. This helps a lawyer and accountant divide the work and makes a proposed objection or settlement position easier for you to understand and approve before submission.
Compare the scope and cost of advice
Compare advisers against the commercial decision you need to make. Give each office the same transaction stage, documents and objective, then ask for a first-stage deliverable. A review, a negotiation and ongoing business advice are different services. Record which financial assumptions need your accountant's input and who will coordinate any specialist work before a commitment is made.
- Review and advice
- Ask for the issues identified, their practical effect and the decisions you must make. Confirm whether written advice or a marked-up document is included.
- Drafting and negotiation
- Ask who communicates with the other party, how revisions are priced and what happens if the deal changes materially during the work.
- Completion or implementation
- Confirm responsibility for approvals, signing, records and follow-up tasks. Ask which registrations, searches or external professional costs sit outside the legal fee.
Read the guide to consultation fees and written quotes, or use the provider comparison worksheet.
Illustrative situation · not a client result
What a focused enquiry looks like
A business receives an assessment following an audit of several transactions. It prepares a transaction schedule linked to invoices and bank records, then asks the lawyer to assess the decision and process while the accountant checks the calculations.
Your preparation checklist
Gather what you already have. Mark missing records and uncertain dates rather than guessing; ask the office what it needs before sending sensitive documents.
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A preparation aid, not confirmation that a legal requirement is complete.
A first enquiry you can adapt
I received [assessment, audit request or recovery notice] for [tax and period] on [date]. My accountant has [records or calculations], and the main disputed point is [issue]. Can you assess the legal response and coordinate the required accounting input?
Replace the bracketed details with accurate information. Keep the first message brief and confirm a secure channel for the full records.
Common questions about tax law
Should my accountant attend the first meeting?
Ask whether their involvement would help explain the records and calculations, and agree who coordinates the work to avoid duplication.
Does an objection automatically stop recovery?
Ask specifically how recovery and payment obligations operate in your circumstances; do not treat the dispute process as an assumed pause.
Further reading and scope
Australia; ATO settlement framework, not every tax dispute or state tax.
This is general preparation information, not an assessment of your legal position. Requirements, dates and available remedies depend on the facts and jurisdiction. The linked resource has the scope described above; it does not verify an individual provider or this guide.