When the IRS calls, hire a tax lawyer. Not a tax preparer.
Tax preparers do tax returns. CPAs do tax planning. Tax lawyers do tax fights — IRS audits, California Franchise Tax Board controversies, collection actions, criminal investigations, U.S. Tax Court litigation, and the kind of complex transactional tax work that affects whether you keep your money. If you're getting letters from the IRS, FTB, or CDTFA, the firms below are the people who know how to make them stop.
These 10 L.A. tax firms cover the full spectrum: IRS controversy, California state and local tax (SALT), international tax, criminal tax defense, and high-net-worth tax planning. Most offer free initial consultations.
How we picked these 10: We reviewed published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo), client review patterns, and bar association recognition. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: Civil and criminal tax controversy, FBAR/foreign accounts, white-collar
One of the most respected tax-controversy boutiques in California. Multiple former IRS Counsel and DOJ Tax Division alumni. Chambers ranked.
Practice focus: IRS audits, tax debt resolution, international tax
Managing partner Samuel Landis has 33+ years of tax-controversy experience. Strong individual + small-business practice.
Practice focus: Audit defense, criminal tax, FBAR, collections
Steve Moskowitz brings 30+ years of tax-law experience. Strong on combined business + individual tax engagements.
Practice focus: IRS, FTB, sales tax controversy
40+ years combined experience. Strong CA + IRS controversy practice. Multiple Super Lawyers.
Practice focus: IRS audit representation, collection defense
Tax attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents under one roof. 15+ years of IRS audit experience.
Practice focus: IRS tax debt, levies, liens, OIC, audit defense
High-volume tax-debt-resolution practice with national reach. Strong consumer intake and bilingual services.
Practice focus: IRS and CA tax controversy, audit defense, OIC
Represents individuals, business owners, and HNW clients in complex federal and CA tax matters. Multiple offices for SoCal coverage.
Practice focus: IRS audits, tax controversy, appeals
Robert T. Leonard has 30+ years of tax law and audit defense experience.
Practice focus: IRS and CA tax relief, audit defense
Heavy advertising and intake across SoCal. Strong consumer + small-business tax-debt resolution.
Practice focus: IRS audit, criminal tax, FBAR, business tax
Boutique with strong IRS audit and FBAR practice. Multilingual intake.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted tax and IRS attorneys in Los Angeles. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →An IRS audit notice typically gives 30 days to respond. Your tax lawyer files a power of attorney (Form 2848), responds to the IDR (Information Document Request), and represents you. Cases that don't settle at audit can be appealed to IRS Appeals (often where settlements happen) or petitioned to U.S. Tax Court. Criminal tax investigations require immediate counsel. Total timeline ranges from 3 months (correspondence audit) to 3+ years (litigation).
L.A. tax controversy work typically runs $400-$900/hour for partners. Audit defense often involves a flat fee per stage ($5,000-$25,000) or hourly + retainer. Offer in Compromise engagements: $3,500-$10,000+ depending on complexity. Criminal tax defense is hourly with substantial retainers ($25,000-$100,000+).
The legal directory you find on Google has thousands of Los Angeles tax and IRS firms. Most are competent. A few are problematic. The patterns to avoid:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery, dismissal, or visa approval, walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior partner at intake, then never speak to them again. The case is handled by an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the retainer in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a sign of a volume mill, not a craftsperson's practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. "We've helped thousands of clients" is marketing copy. Specific numbers, named cases, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate Los Angeles lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what's covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them.
Most Los Angeles firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign.
Los Angeles is its own market. The procedure, the courts, and the strategy are city- and state-specific in ways that matter to your outcome.
Local courthouses matter. L.A. Superior Court, Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown have judges, calendars, and procedures that shape how cases move. A firm that knows the local courthouse has an advantage.
Filing deadlines are strict. Notice of Claim windows for cases against the City or County, Statute of Limitations periods, and pre-suit certification requirements vary by case type and are unforgiving. A missed deadline often means a lost case — full stop.
Local procedure rules matter. Each court has its own forms, motion practice, and judge preferences. The right Los Angeles firm will know not just the law, but the unwritten rules of the courthouse you'll be in.
Local plaintiffs/defendants do well in front of local juries. Verdict patterns vary by venue, and a trial-capable firm uses venue strategically.
Both can help — but only a tax lawyer has attorney-client privilege. CPA-client communications are not privileged in criminal cases. If there's any chance the audit could escalate to criminal, hire a lawyer first.
An OIC lets you settle your tax debt for less than you owe if you can show you can't pay it in full. The IRS accepts about 30-40% of OIC submissions. A tax lawyer's role is structuring Form 656 and supporting Form 433-A/B to maximize acceptance odds.
The IRS can levy bank accounts, garnish wages, file federal tax liens, and in extreme cases seize property. They almost never seize residences in practice. A tax lawyer can stop most levies through Collection Due Process appeals or installment agreements.
CA's FTB is more aggressive than the IRS in many ways. Audit and collection statutes are different, and CA residency disputes are a major specialty. Many L.A. tax lawyers handle both IRS and FTB matters.
Generally 3 years from filing. 6 years if you understated income by 25%+. Unlimited if you didn't file or the return was fraudulent. CA FTB has 4 years generally.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many cases like mine have you taken to verdict in the last three years? The answer tells you everything. — The LawFirmSquare team