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Tax attorney vs litigation attorney

The differences between tax attorneys and litigation attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a tax attorney and a litigation attorney. Additionally, a litigation attorney has an average salary of $109,027, which is higher than the $85,681 average annual salary of a tax attorney.

The top three skills for a tax attorney include litigation, law firm and real estate. The most important skills for a litigation attorney are litigation, law firm, and legal research.

Tax attorney vs litigation attorney overview

Tax AttorneyLitigation Attorney
Yearly salary$85,681$109,027
Hourly rate$41.19$52.42
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs33,7606,918
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 42%Doctoral Degree, 53%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a tax attorney do?

A tax attorney specializes in assisting clients in understanding tax laws. Their responsibilities typically revolve around conducting extensive research, meeting with clients to conduct initial assessments and interviews, understanding their needs, and helping them make business decisions by providing legal taxation advice. A tax attorney may also help clients to find ways to minimize their tax deductions. Furthermore, aside from working with individuals, a tax attorney may also work for companies as part of their legal team.

What does a litigation attorney do?

A Litigation Attorney manages all phases of the litigation process from investigation and pleading to trial, settlement, and appeal. They also question witnesses, victims, and others involved in cases.

Tax attorney vs litigation attorney salary

Tax attorneys and litigation attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Tax AttorneyLitigation Attorney
Average salary$85,681$109,027
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $146,000Between $69,000 And $172,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyAkin Gump Strauss Hauer & FeldPerkins Coie
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between tax attorney and litigation attorney education

There are a few differences between a tax attorney and a litigation attorney in terms of educational background:

Tax AttorneyLitigation Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 42%Doctoral Degree, 53%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaStanford University

Tax attorney vs litigation attorney demographics

Here are the differences between tax attorneys' and litigation attorneys' demographics:

Tax AttorneyLitigation Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 62.7% Female, 37.3%Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between tax attorney and litigation attorney duties and responsibilities

Tax attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage the death administration department with approximately thirty-five plus estates through trust administration, Medicaid estate recovery or probate.
  • Review IRS propose regulations, advisory letters and technical advice memorandums for tax litigation.
  • Probate practice - estates and protect individuals.
  • Participate in legal document review and compliance for large complex civil litigation matters.
  • Represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate acquisition, financing and leasing and foreclosure.
  • Handle all aspects of discovery including preparing interrogatories, document requests, taking and defending depositions and responding to discovery requests.

Litigation attorney example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage plaintiff's personal injury practice.
  • Develop litigation strategies including discovery, deposition, arbitration, and jury trial.
  • Draft internal memos, subpoenas and various discovery documents.
  • Direct and determine all aspects of plaintiff litigation and resolution strategy.
  • Review documents for FINRA arbitration concerning poaching of traders between inter-dealer brokers.
  • Respond to investigative subpoenas from U.S. government regulatory agencies requesting production of relevant client and third party material.
  • Show more

Tax attorney vs litigation attorney skills

Common tax attorney skills
  • Litigation, 13%
  • Law Firm, 12%
  • Real Estate, 8%
  • Taxation, 5%
  • International Tax, 4%
  • IRS, 4%
Common litigation attorney skills
  • Litigation, 30%
  • Law Firm, 14%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Civil Litigation, 4%
  • Commercial Litigation, 3%
  • Insurance Defense, 3%