Tax Controversy

TAX AUDIT REPRESENTATION

If you are notified by a taxing authority that you will be audited, you’ll want a skillful attorney to help you through the audit process. Whether you have unfiled tax returns or alleged discrepancies in prior returns, you need a lawyer who knows how audits are handled and who has successfully protected the rights of others. We handle tax audit matters for individuals and businesses, including partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations. We carefully review claims involving the IRS as well as state and local taxing authorities. Matt Dopkin works with clients at all stages of the audit process, whether they have just been notified of a pending audit or they have been assessed penalties resulting from a completed audit.

If you have received an audit letter, contact the Dopkin Law Firm immediately. We will represent and protect you throughout the audit, review the findings of the IRS or the state with you and assist in appealing the audit findings.

TAX COLLECTIONS

At the Dopkin Law Firm, we are well versed in how taxing authorities handle tax collections and have a comprehensive understanding of the substantive tax law as well as the procedures governing tax collections. We protect the rights of our clients facing attempts by federal, state or local taxing authorities to collect tax debts. We assist clients with the following:

• Offers in Compromise — We advocate on behalf of our clients to settle their tax debt for less than the full amount owed. To accomplish this, we may argue the validity of the amount of tax debt, that the client lacks the economic resources to pay the full amount or the existence of mitigating circumstances.
• Installment Agreements — In some situations, we minimize penalties, seek to adjust interest charges and negotiate payment of a tax debt over a reasonable time period. This allows taxpayers an opportunity to fulfill their tax obligations and manage their cash flow.
• Tax Levies — We aggressively protect our clients’ rights when tax authorities seek to seize assets to satisfy a tax obligation.
• Tax Liens — We also handle situations in which tax authorities place a lien on real or personal property in an attempt to collect tax debts.
• Employment Taxes — We handle disputes involving the classification of workers as employees or independent contractors, as well as controversies involving unfiled tax returns or unpaid tax liabilities.
• Trust Fund Recovery Penalties — We protect the rights of individuals and business owners in disputes involving business-related taxes, such as withholding, employment taxes, and sales and use taxes.

When our clients hire the Dopkin Law Firm to handle a tax collections matter, we thoughtfully evaluate the best approach with them to resolve the controversy. We will attempt to even out the playing field so the IRS or the state authority does not control the entire process.

TAX LITIGATION REPRESENTATION

When disputes cannot be resolved at the audit or appeal level, the Dopkin Law Firm represents individuals and businesses involved in federal, state and local tax disputes.