How does a tax lawyer differ from an accountant?

Basically, a tax accountant tracks and records tax liability and assists in the preparation and filing of paperwork with revenue agencies while a tax attorney is a specialist in the law of taxation and uses this specialization to address tax issues in the drafting of contracts, negotiation and structuring of complex transactions, mergers and acquisitions, business entity creation/planning, the creation of trusts, estate planning/administration, bankruptcies, etc. Being a tax attorney means addressing tax issues involved in legal problems thus requiring legal expertise while being a tax accountant is a more limited function. Tax attorneys don't have a "busy season" like tax accountants because tax attorneys generally aren't involved in the preparation and filing of forms. . . Generally, tax attorneys are "more qualified" -- a tax attorney has an undergrad degree, law degree, and advanced law degree (LL.M.) while a tax accountant usually only has an undergrad degree and "specialist" ...  more