http://klasing-associates.com/ Los Angeles tax attorney David Klasing 800-681-1295. Superior litigation and advocacy skills due to their specialized training in law, tax attorneys are simply in the best position to advise and defend individuals or businesses. Attorneys bring to the table a number of significant benefits which include: In-depth knowledge of the law, legal research and procedure Specialized training in the art of persuasion and negotiation Three or more years of post-graduate, formal education Attorney-Client Privilege Only attorneys can represent you in a court of law should litigation become necessary Licensure by the California State Bar, which maintains strict minimum competency standards Attorneys can help you settle your case if necessary Hiring an attorney as opposed to an accountant or enrolled agent also demonstrates to the IRS and other taxing agencies that you are serious about potentially litigating the merits of your case if necessary. Oftentimes, if the government does not have a reasonable chance of prevailing in a court of law, they may be more willing to settle your case if they know that you are serious about litigation. Avoidance of excessive civil and criminal liability Because attorneys are specifically trained in the law, they can help spot issues of IRS misconduct or misinterpretation of the law that other tax professionals may miss, which may significantly reduce your civil and criminal liabilities. Attorneys are also in a better position to detect if the IRS has begun a criminal investigation, and in rare cases may even raise equitable or other non-tax related defenses on your behalf. Fear of IRS thinking that you “Lawyered Up”. I have over 20 years of combined experience as a tax attorney and CPA. 1.2 Million Attorney in the U.S. 480,000 CPA’s in the U.S. Only 24,000 in U.S. are both! To begin with you must understand that the optimal result after undergoing an audit is a finding of “No Change” by a taxing authority which will result in no additional tax, penalties or interest being assessed by a taxing authority or being owed by the party audited. At the other end of the spectrum, all too often experienced by those who choose to go through an audit without representation, an audit is an arduous, stressful and often intimidating process that leads to additional tax being owed which is compounded by the tacking on of penalties and interest by the taxing authorities. The absolute worst case scenario of an audit is that the audit process can lead to the audited party being criminally prosecuted. The Taxing Authorities all have access to a plethora of Tax Attorneys and CPAs at their disposal if the audited party resists their efforts to increase their tax liability. You would be wise to avail yourself of the same advantage. David W. Klasing is a California Licensed Tax Attorney and CPA, who has earned a Master’s Degree in Taxation. He has over 20 years of experience assisting all types of businesses and individuals manage the audit process before the IRS, Franchise Tax Board and the Board of Equalization. He has assisted literally hundreds of business’s and individuals through the audit process and has a proven track record of obtaining the optimal results for his clients based on each client’s specific facts and circumstances. Dave is so motivated to help client’s with their Tax Controversies that he recently chaired the California State Bar, Tax Procedure and Litigation Committee. Orange County Bar Association Tax Section Member at Large, CalCPA Committee on Taxation. Dave is constantly attending professional education as both an Attorney and CPA in an effort to always be on top of current tax law and he has consistently obtained much more education than professional minimum standards mandate. He also stays on the cutting edge of the Tax Profession by participating in Online Tax List Serves sponsored by the American Academy of Attorney CPA’s, The Tax Section of the American Bar Association, The Tax Section of the Orange County Bar Association and the California Society of CPAs. The bottom line here is that you would be hard pressed to find a more experienced, educated or qualified representative to help you attain the best results possible in going through your audit or in appealing or litigating the audit results.