The Best IRS Lawyers in Los Angeles and California

When the IRS Comes Calling in Los Angeles, Here’s What to Do

A Los Angeles IRS attorney can protect you from audits, back taxes, liens, levies, and wage garnishments — and negotiate with the IRS on your behalf.

Here’s what a Los Angeles IRS attorney can help you with:

Problem	What an Attorney Can Do
IRS audit	Represent you, limit exposure, challenge findings
Back taxes	Negotiate payment plans or debt reduction
Wage garnishment	Stop garnishment, often within 24-48 hours
Tax lien or levy	Release or reduce enforcement actions
Criminal tax investigation	Provide privileged legal defense
California state tax issues	Handle FTB, EDD, and CDTFA disputes

Facing the IRS is stressful — especially if your returns have errors or you owe significant back taxes. But here’s the thing: the fear of what might happen is often worse than the actual process, provided you have the right representation in your corner.

Los Angeles taxpayers face a uniquely complex landscape. You’re dealing with federal IRS enforcement and aggressive California state agencies like the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the Employment Development Department (EDD), and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) — all at once.

Getting qualified legal help early can mean the difference between a manageable resolution and years of financial strain.

I’m Attorney Samuel Landis, a nationally recognized tax attorney with over 15 years of experience helping individuals and businesses resolve complex IRS and state tax disputes — including high-stakes cases where a skilled Los Angeles IRS attorney made all the difference. At Segal, Cohen & Landis, we’ve built our practice around getting our clients the best possible outcomes, no matter how serious the situation looks at the start.

Learn more about Los Angeles IRS attorney:

Why You Need a Los Angeles IRS Attorney

When you receive a notice from the IRS, your first instinct might be to call your regular accountant or try to handle it yourself. While CPAs are excellent for tax preparation, a Los Angeles IRS attorney provides a level of protection that other professionals simply cannot. The primary reason is Attorney-Client Privilege. Unlike conversations with an accountant, which can be subpoenaed by the IRS in certain circumstances, your communications with a lawyer are strictly confidential.

The Internal Revenue Code is a massive, labyrinthine set of laws that even the most seasoned financial professionals find daunting. The IRS uses sophisticated algorithms to flag tax returns that deviate from “normal” patterns. These flags might be triggered by low tax burdens relative to income, high itemized deductions, or even connections to other audited parties, such as business partners.

Navigating these complexities requires more than just math; it requires expert legal advocacy in tax controversy. An attorney understands how to interpret the law, cite primary authorities, and present evidence in a way that the IRS respects.

How a Los Angeles IRS Attorney Manages Audits

The IRS doesn’t just pick names out of a hat. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, the IRS closed 582,944 tax return audits. While the overall audit rate is low, certain groups in Los Angeles—such as high-income earners, small business owners, and self-employed individuals—face significantly higher scrutiny.

Common audit triggers include:

Large cash transactions or unexplained wealth.
Significant home office deductions.
Business losses that look like “hobby” expenses.
Discrepancies between reported income and 1099/W-2 forms.

When you are under the microscope, an attorney provides comprehensive IRS audit representation. We manage all communication with the IRS agents, ensuring you don’t inadvertently say something that expands the scope of the audit. The IRS typically reviews the last three years of returns, but if they find a “substantial understatement” (usually 25% or more of your income), they can reach back six years.

Resolving Tax Collection Issues

If you owe back taxes, the IRS has the most aggressive collection powers of any agency in the world. They don’t need a court order to take your money. They can issue a Federal Tax Lien, which attaches to your property and prevents you from selling or refinancing. Worse, they can issue a bank levy to freeze your accounts or a wage garnishment to take a portion of every paycheck.

Our firm works to pursue tax lien withdrawal or subordination through programs like the IRS Fresh Start Program. If your paycheck has already been hit, we can often secure wage garnishment relief within 24 to 48 hours by demonstrating financial hardship or negotiating an alternative resolution.

Specialized Tax Relief Programs and Defense

Many Los Angeles residents feel trapped by tax debt, but the IRS actually has several programs designed to help taxpayers get back on track. The most famous is the Offer in Compromise (OIC). This allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe.

To qualify for an IRS Offer in Compromise, you must prove that you either cannot pay the full amount or that doing so would create an unfair economic hardship. We help our clients navigate the strict eligibility requirements, which include being current on all filing requirements and providing a detailed account of assets, income, and expenses (IRS Forms 656 and 433-A).

Sometimes, the IRS makes a mistake before they even start a formal audit. If you receive a CP2000 notice, it means the information the IRS has doesn’t match your return. We can help you respond to these notices strategically to prevent them from escalating into a full-blown investigation.

Civil vs. Criminal Tax Defense

There is a massive difference between making a mistake on your taxes and committing tax fraud. Most tax issues are civil, meaning the penalty is financial. However, if the IRS suspects “willful” evasion or fraud, the case can be referred to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

This is where “eggshell audits” come in. These are civil audits where the taxpayer knows there is potential criminal exposure (like unreported offshore accounts or “fudged” numbers). In these cases, we may use a Kovel Agreement. This is a specialized arrangement that extends attorney-client privilege to an accountant working under the attorney’s supervision, ensuring your financial analysis remains protected.

If you are facing a DOJ investigation, you need a Los Angeles tax fraud attorney guide to protect your constitutional rights. Cooperation can sometimes avoid an indictment, but it must be handled with extreme caution.

Handling California State Tax Issues

Being a taxpayer in Los Angeles means answering to two masters: the IRS and the State of California. California is notoriously aggressive in its tax enforcement.

Franchise Tax Board (FTB): Handles state income tax audits and residency disputes.
Employment Development Department (EDD): Conducts payroll tax audits, often focusing on worker misclassification (employee vs. independent contractor).
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA): Manages sales and use tax audits for businesses.

State agencies often share information with the IRS. If you lose an audit at the state level, the IRS will likely follow up shortly after. We provide integrated California state tax resolution services to handle both fronts simultaneously.

Choosing the Right Representation

Not all tax professionals are created equal. When your financial future is on the line, you should look for specific qualifications in a Los Angeles IRS attorney:

Board Certification: Is the attorney a Certified Taxation Law Specialist?
Dual Credentials: Does the firm have attorneys who are also CPAs? This provides a powerful mix of legal strategy and accounting precision.
Former IRS Experience: Attorneys who previously worked for the IRS (as trial attorneys or in the Office of Chief Counsel) have “insider” knowledge of how the agency operates.

For more tips, check out our guide on choosing the best IRS tax lawyer.

The Process of Engaging a Los Angeles IRS Attorney

At Segal, Cohen & Landis, we believe in a transparent, four-step process to get you to financial freedom:

Free Consultation: We assess your situation and explain your rights.
Case Investigation: We pull your IRS transcripts and analyze the government’s position.
Resolution Strategy: We develop a customized plan, whether it’s an OIC, an installment agreement, or penalty abatement.
Resolution: We execute the plan and stop the IRS pressure.

Feature	Tax Attorney	CPA	Enrolled Agent (EA)
Legal Privilege	Yes	No (Limited)	No
Represent in Tax Court	Yes	No	No
Criminal Defense	Yes	No	No
Handle Complex Litigation	Yes	No	No

Understanding the average costs of hiring a tax attorney in Los Angeles is also important for planning your defense.

International and Unfiled Tax Return Assistance

Los Angeles is a global hub, and many residents have international financial interests. Failure to file an FBAR (Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts Report) or other international forms (like Form 3520 or 8938) can lead to astronomical penalties—sometimes exceeding the value of the account itself.

If you have unfiled tax returns, the worst thing you can do is wait for the IRS to find you. We help clients enter the Voluntary Disclosure Program, which allows you to come forward, file back taxes, and pay what you owe while significantly reducing the risk of criminal prosecution.

Frequently Asked Questions about Los Angeles Tax Law

How can I appeal a decision from the IRS?

If you disagree with an audit result or a collection action, you have the right to challenge it through the IRS Office of Appeals. This is an independent organization within the IRS. You typically must file a formal protest letter within 30 days of receiving your notice. If Appeals doesn’t go your way, you may have 90 days to file a petition with the U.S. Tax Court. We provide expert representation for IRS appeals to ensure your case is presented effectively.

What are the potential outcomes of an IRS audit?

There are three main outcomes:

No Change: The IRS accepts your return as filed (this is the “holy grail” of audits).
Agreed: The IRS proposes changes, and you agree to pay the additional tax.
Unagreed: You disagree with the IRS’s findings and take the case to Appeals or Tax Court. An IRS audit attorney in LA works to tilt the scales toward a “no change” or a significantly reduced assessment.

Is there tax relief for California disaster victims?

Yes. Residents of Los Angeles County who are affected by federally declared disasters (like wildfires or severe storms) often qualify for automatic deadline extensions for filing and payments. You may also be able to claim casualty losses on your taxes using IRS Form 4684.

Conclusion

Facing the IRS or California state tax agencies is one of the most stressful experiences a person can have. But you don’t have to face it alone. At Segal, Cohen & Landis, we bring over 33 years of experience and a track record of helping over 25,000 clients find their way back to financial stability.

Whether you are dealing with a complex corporate audit, a personal tax debt, or a sensitive criminal investigation, our team is ready to provide the aggressive advocacy and compassionate service you deserve.

Don’t wait for the IRS to take the next step. Contact a Los Angeles IRS Attorney today for a consultation and take back control of your financial life.