Providing tax representation, income tax return preparation, and tax consulting services nationwide as well as internationally.

BACKGROUND

Need IRS tax help? My IRS experience spans nearly 35 years, encompassing technical and managerial positions, culminating in my appointment as Associate Chief in the Office of IRS Appeals. During my career at the IRS, I conducted managerial reviews of thousands of IRS cases across collections, audits, and appeals. I bring unmatched inside-the-IRS experience to how tax matters are examined, taxes are collected, and controversies are resolved. The primary focus of my tax practice is providing clients with IRS and state tax agencies assistance (such as the FTB) for audits, collections, and appeals.

During my final 19 years in IRS Appeals, I served as the approving official for Offers in Compromise (OIC) cases in my jurisdiction. This training and experience have contributed to my success in securing acceptance of these OIC cases. I discuss OICs in more depth here.

With 23 years in private practice as an Enrolled Agent (EA) and Federally Authorized Tax Practitioner (FATP), I specialize in IRS tax help, resolving complex tax controversies—whether involving audits, collections, or administrative appeals. I also prepare current and delinquent individual tax returns for my clients. While my main office is located in Santa Clarita, California (about 35 miles NW of Los Angeles), I represent clients in all 50 states and internationally, thanks to today’s technology.

My mission is to provide IRS tax help to clients navigating the often-complex processes of the IRS, FTB, and state tax administration. I strive to minimize financial consequences and reduce client stress associated with IRS and other tax agency controversies and enforcement actions. The sooner you seek tax help, the more options—and the lower the cost—your resolution is likely to involve. I strive to be your one-stop resource for experienced, results-focused IRS tax help as well as help in resolving tax disputes with the FTB and other state tax agencies.

IRS TAX HELP PRACTICE AREAS (Click here for more detailed information)

Who are Enrolled Agents?
Federal License: Unlike CPAs and attorneys who are state-licensed, EAs are federally licensed, granting them “unlimited practice rights” nationwide. Enrolled Agents (EAs) are tax professionals who receive their exclusive right to practice before the IRS directly from the United States Government (U.S. Treasury Department). EAs must prove their competence in Federal taxation before receiving their license from the United States Treasury Department.  Most Enrolled Agents (EAs) focus on tax return preparation. Fewer specialize in providing IRS tax help through tax resolution services. Those tax resolution specialists deal with IRS, FTB, and other agency tax audits, collection controversies and enforcement, and administrative appeals.

Individual states license Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and attorneys. These professionals may or may not specialize in tax resolution services for audits, collections, or administrative appeals.

Owe a Lot of Back Taxes and Plan to Take an International Trip?
If so, please read this carefully!! It’s imperative to promptly address and settle your IRS tax obligations if you’re considering traveling outside the United States. The IRS communicates with the United States State Department seeking their assistance with IRS collection enforcement. These actions include denying passport issuance or renewal and revoking existing passports. This applies to taxpayers with outstanding tax liabilities exceeding $62,000, including penalties and interest. This amount is adjusted annually for inflation. These tax debts include U.S. individual income taxes, trust fund recovery penalties (TFRP), business taxes for which taxpayers are personally liable, and other civil penalties. 

Before notifying the Secretary of State, the IRS must have (a) filed a Notice of Federal Tax Lien, and (b) all administrative remedies under the law have lapsed or have been exhausted, or the IRS issued a levy in its efforts to collect these debts. Booking a trip abroad only to encounter the unpleasant surprise of being unable to leave the U.S. due to a revoked passport or inability to get a new or renewed one is best avoided at all costs! Seek out IRS tax help if you are planning a trip and have a significant outstanding IRS tax liability.

IRS Scams
Be alert to fraudulent contacts by scammers pretending to be IRS Revenue Agents, Revenue Officers, Settlement Officers, Special Agents, or other IRS employees! Thousands of taxpayers suffer financial loss and identity theft monthly when they provide personal and financial information or make payments to these fraudsters!! Most of these individuals use scare tactics (e.g., threatening to issue an arrest warrant for non-payment) and demand tax payments through unconventional methods. These methods often involve gift cards, virtual currency, a cash app, or a Western Union money transfer. They also try to create a sense of urgency – act now, or you will suffer the consequences. Please be alert for clues so you do not become a victim of financial loss or identity theft!

The IRS’s typical and legitimate method of initial contact is almost always by letter or notice of a pending tax audit, non-payment of an IRS tax liability, or a demand for a delinquent tax return. If you have never received such an IRS letter or notice, be very careful about unexpected telephone calls, texts, or emails allegedly from an IRS employee!

Bottom line: if you are called by someone claiming to be from the IRS, be careful. Get their full name, employee badge number, their job title, office address, and contact phone number. Inform them that you will call them back after verifying their identity.  You can then call the IRS at (800) 829-1040 and confirm the call was legitimate.  If you are unable to reach the IRS, please get in touch with me at my Santa Clarita office. I may be able to assist you.

Here is a link to the IRS website, which provides information on the latest IRS scams.

Communicating with the IRS or State Tax Agency Employees
Taxpayers should exercise caution when deciding whether to speak directly with an IRS Revenue Agent, Revenue Officer, Appeals Officer, Settlement Officer, Tax Compliance Officer, or a state tax agency employee. In the worst-case scenario, inadvertently making the wrong statement could turn what should have been a civil resolution into a potential criminal tax matter. IRS Revenue Agents are well-trained to identify “badges of fraud” in IRS audits.

In my opinion, no taxpayer should ever talk to an IRS Special Agent (criminal investigator) without legal counsel.

Always be truthful in your statements to IRS or state tax agency employees. Making an intentionally false statement or providing fabricated documents to an IRS employee is a crime!

If the IRS or a state tax agency (such as the FTB) contacts you for an audit or collection enforcement, I recommend retaining the services of an EA or another qualified, experienced tax resolution specialist. Let them handle direct communication with an IRS, FTB, or State tax agency employee concerning an audit or collection matter, or an administrative appeal.

Should you attempt to handle your tax controversy or audit on your own, or seek professional IRS tax help?
Navigating the IRS and State tax controversy resolution process can be complicated. To be effective in the process, a taxpayer must invest substantial time in studying the nuances of the Internal Revenue Code, IRS Regulations, case law, IRS rulings and procedures, and the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), which dictates IRS protocols and policies. Additionally, it requires education and experience to master tax strategies for negotiating favorable resolutions. Obtaining IRS help is critical to successful negotiations. The financial ramifications of handling an IRS tax audit or tax collection controversy independently could far exceed the cost of retaining an experienced Enrolled Agent (EA) or CPA tax resolution specialist.

Be aware that not all accountants, attorneys, or Enrolled Agents specialize in providing IRS tax help and resolution services. You may consider prior technical or managerial experience as an IRS former employee or manager to be an essential factor in choosing a representative. While I believe prior IRS experience is invaluable, it is not required. I have met some competent professionals who were never IRS technical employees or managers.

When to enlist professional IRS tax help.
While I generally do not recommend that any taxpayer take on the IRS or State tax agency controversy (audit, collection, or appeals) without representation, I am sensitive to clients facing financial challenges. I may be able to suggest ways to obtain IRS tax help for an IRS audit or IRS collection controversy, while minimizing your out-of-pocket costs.

You may feel comfortable communicating directly with an IRS Revenue Officer, IRS Revenue Agent, IRS Tax Compliance Officer (TCO), IRS Appeals Officer, IRS Settlement Officer, or any other employee involved in your IRS, FTB, or state tax audit or collection controversy. If that is the situation, you can retain me as a consultant to explain your options, provide strategic guidance, review IRS or other agency documents and communications you receive, and review your planned responses. This could make the difference between success and failure in your tax resolution efforts! Further, if you get in over your head, I can take over as your representative to resolve your tax controversy.

Time is of the essence when dealing with IRS and other tax agency audit, collection, and appeal issues. From my 34+ years of inside-the-IRS experience, I assure you that the earlier you seek and receive tax audit or collection tax help for resolving your IRS, FTB, or other state tax audit, tax collection, or other tax controversy, the faster you can resume an everyday life. Tax audit and collection problems are like tooth decay. They will worsen if ignored, resulting in a “financial” root canal! You do NOT want the IRS, FTB, or any other state tax agency performing a “root canal” on your finances. Get professional IRS tax help today!

An important note about tax liabilities and the IRS federal tax lien.

Tax liabilities are considered unsecured debts.  That is because the debt is not secured by specific property (such as a car used to securean auto loan). Another example of a secured debt is a mortgage on a home or other real property. Secured debts have collateral that can be repossessed or sold to satisfy the debt. 

Still, IRS debts (as well as other tax agency debts) do have priority over most other unsecured debts. An automatic IRS federal lien (often referred to as a Statutory Lien or Silent Lien) arises 10 days after a Notice Demanding Payment is issued and remains unpaid. The IRS federal tax lien remains in effect until the debt is satisfied or becomes unenforceable due to the statute of limitations. The lien is not perfected against certain creditors until public notice is given, which is accomplished when the Notice of Lien is filed with the County Recorder. The timing of the IRS’s secured interest still arises at the time of assessment. Issues surrounding the priority of tax liens and competing claims can be complicated. Advice/assistance from a tax attorney may be needed.

While an IRS tax liability starts as unsecured debt, the IRS can file a federal tax lien against a taxpayer’s property to secure the debt. A tax lien creates a legal claim against the property, giving the IRS the right to seize and sell it if the taxes remain unpaid. Even with a filed tax lien, the entire tax debt is not converted into secured debt; the lien gives the IRS a specific interest in the property.

The IRS tax help services I provide relate solely to tax debts. All references on this website are related to the resolution of federal or state tax liabilities. If you have other secured and unsecured debts, such as credit cards or personal loans, help is available. There are numerous attorneys and specialized debt-resolution companies to address those liabilities. 

Do your homework before selecting a firm to represent you!
I highly recommend you research any individual or firm BEFORE you commit to having them represent you in your IRS, FTB or other state tax agency audit, collection, or administrative appeal matter. You can delegate authority to have someone represent you. However, you are solely responsible for your IRS, FTB, or other state income or employment tax liability.

The Better Business Bureau and Business Consumer Alliance are two sources worth checking out. This is a link to my BBB profile. Be aware that many large firms experience high employee turnover. Being shuffled among employees can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience for clients. Further, changing representatives during an audit or collection proceeding can frustrate IRS or State employees.

If you opt to have me represent you. I will be the only one negotiating with the tax agency on your behalf throughout the entire process.

Accessibility.
Many of my clients are local (Santa Clarita, Saugus, Canyon Country, Valencia, Newhall, Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Altadena, Van Nuys, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, Granada Hills, and other Los Angeles County cities and valleys). However, many of my clients reside in other counties, states, and even internationally. I currently have a client in Oman! Today’s technology enables me to communicate effectively with clients remotely over the internet, including video conferencing.

Local clients may meet with me in my Santa Clarita office. For clients with mobility restrictions, I may be available to meet at their local residence (relative to Santa Clarita). Clients appreciate my accessibility and the fact that they ALWAYS have me assisting or representing them in their tax audit, collection, or appeals case, never a junior employee.

Please remember that time is of the essence when dealing with tax issues. Please call or email me promptly when you receive an IRS or state agency tax notice or letter. We need sufficient time to determine a course of action and submit an effective, timely response.

We look forward to assisting you in resolving your IRS, FTB, or other state tax controversy.

Updated: 01/09/2026

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