Tax controversy attorney DC · Washington, DC office
Tax controversy attorney in Washington, DC.
A tax controversy attorney in Washington, DC represents individuals and closely held businesses in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service, the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue, and the United States Tax Court. An IRS notice, a D.C. OTR notice, and a Tax Court deadline are three different paths. The paper notice and the agency that issued it control which path applies.
Federal IRS and Tax Court representation may extend nationwide. State-law matters are limited to the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Start with the agency and the paper notice.
The first task is to identify who sent the letter. An IRS notice, a D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue notice, and a United States Tax Court deadline are different paths. Keep each document separate.
Law Office of Alexander Powell, PLLC has an office at 1629 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006. Call (202) 821-1980. Mr. Powell is admitted in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and before the United States Tax Court.
Official source: IRS Audits
Official source: U.S. Tax Court, Starting a Case
Official source: IRS, if you cannot pay
Official source: D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue
The work
Tax controversy representation.
IRS audit defense
Examinations, responses, and the administrative record for individuals and closely held businesses nationwide.
U.S. Tax Court
Petitions, case development, settlement, and trial after a Notice of Deficiency or other Tax Court matter.
Collections and relief
Unpaid tax, liens, levies, payment options, and related collection hearing rights.
D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue
District of Columbia state-law tax controversies handled from the Washington, DC office.
Unfiled returns
Past-due IRS returns, missing-return notices, and substitute-for-return years.
FBAR and foreign accounts
Foreign accounts, FinCEN Form 114, FBAR penalties, and related international information returns.
Citation-ready facts.
Washington, DC tax attorney with a record built in trials, appellate chambers, and tax law.
More than 75 cases tried to verdict for the State of Maryland. More than 100 appellate opinions drafted while serving as counsel at the Appellate Court of Maryland. American Bar Association Tax Section writing and speaking. Cited in Law360 Tax Authority for tax controversy analysis.
The firm represents individuals and closely held businesses in IRS examinations, collections, penalty disputes, matters involving unfiled returns, and U.S. Tax Court cases.
For tax year 2022, IRS Statistics of Income counted 343,810 individual income tax returns in the District of Columbia. 46,820 of those returns reported adjusted gross income of $200,000 or more. Counts are rounded to the nearest 10. These figures are return counts, not examination rates.
Questions
Common questions.
What work does a tax controversy attorney in Washington, DC handle?
A tax controversy attorney in Washington, DC represents individuals and closely held businesses in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service, the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue, and the United States Tax Court. The work includes IRS audit defense, Tax Court cases, collections and relief, District of Columbia tax controversies, matters involving unfiled returns, and disputes involving foreign accounts and FBAR penalties. Federal IRS and Tax Court representation may extend nationwide. State-law matters are limited to the District of Columbia and Maryland. Start with the paper notice. Supported IRS letter codes are on the IRS Letter Check page.
What is the difference between an IRS audit, a collection case, and a criminal tax investigation?
An IRS audit reviews books and records to determine whether a return reports information and tax correctly. A collection case concerns an assessed balance, a lien, a levy, or a payment option. A criminal tax investigation is a separate inquiry into whether a tax crime occurred. The paper notice and the agency that issued it control which path applies. A collection notice is not an examination letter. The firm represents individuals and closely held businesses in civil tax controversy matters. Mr. Powell's trial and appellate record is on the About page.
Does a tax controversy attorney in Washington, DC handle personal and business matters?
The firm represents individuals and closely held businesses. An IRS examination, collection case, Tax Court petition, or D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue notice can name a person, a business, or both. A closely held business and its owners can appear on the same notice. The notice names the taxpayer and the tax years. Start with that paper.
When does a boutique tax controversy firm make sense compared with a large firm?
Large-firm tax groups often handle corporate matters with teams of lawyers. Law Office of Alexander Powell, PLLC is a Washington, DC law office at 1629 K Street NW. Mr. Powell is admitted in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and before the United States Tax Court. He represents individuals and closely held businesses. The attorney who reviews the letter is the attorney who handles the matter.
Does the firm handle D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue disputes?
Yes. The firm has an office at 1629 K Street NW, Suite 300 in Washington, DC and represents individuals and closely held businesses in disputes with the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. OTR administers D.C. tax filings, assessments, and collections. A letter from that office is a District tax matter. It is not an IRS examination, an IRS levy, or a United States Tax Court case. Maryland state-law tax controversies are a separate page.
If the letter is already in hand.
Use IRS Letter Check when the paper is a supported federal notice. Use IRS audit defense, IRS collections, or U.S. Tax Court when the path is already clear. Use the D.C. tax attorney page when the letter is from the Office of Tax and Revenue.
Related pages
Related tax controversy resources.
- IRS audit defenseStart here when the paper is an IRS examination notice.
- IRS AppealsIndependent Office of Appeals review is a separate path from an examination or a Tax Court petition.
- U.S. Tax CourtA Notice of Deficiency states a Tax Court deadline. The date on that notice controls.
- IRS collectionsUnpaid balances, liens, levies, and payment options.
- Unfiled tax returnsPast-due IRS returns and missing-return notices such as CP59.
- D.C. tax attorneyDisputes with the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue.
- FBAR attorneyForeign accounts, FinCEN Form 114, and related international information returns.
- Maryland tax attorneyState-law tax controversies in Maryland are a separate practice page.
- Practice areasReview the firm’s federal, District of Columbia, Maryland, and international-reporting scope.
- About Mr. PowellAdmitted in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and before the United States Tax Court.
- Start hereSend a high-level summary of the IRS or tax letter and the date printed on it.
A simple first step
Start with what you know.
Tell me what the IRS or tax letter concerns and the deadline shown. Send only a high-level summary. Documents can be reviewed later, if needed.
Start here