Indexed from official State Bar of California records · Identity verification · Updated regularly

The RegistryPractice Area · Statewide

Find Tax Lawyers in California

Counsel for the IRS and the FTB: audits, liens, and negotiated resolutions. This is the statewide record for tax in California: every attorney on the State Bar of California's official roll whose published practice reaches this area, shown in neutral directory order.

Californians search this field under many names · tax attorney, tax lawyer, irs audit lawyer, irs tax attorney, tax debt attorney · and the registry answers all of them from the same source. Below: the governing deadline with its citation, what to weigh as you read the record, the questions Californians ask with the code sections that answer them, and tax coverage county by county, from Del Norte to San Diego.

The clock & the craft

Statute of limitations

The IRS generally has three years from filing to assess additional tax; the FTB has four (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 19057).

26 U.S.C. § 6501

Substantial omissions double the federal window to six years (26 U.S.C. § 6501(e)); no return or fraud means no limit. A Tax Court petition must follow a notice of deficiency within 90 days (26 U.S.C. § 6213).

Reading the roster

Tax controversy is a paper-and-deadline practice: bring every notice, with dates, to a first consultation, because appeal windows (90 days for Tax Court, 60 for an FTB protest) drive everything. Look for attorneys who practice before the IRS, FTB, EDD, and CDTFA regularly, ask whether your matter is an audit defense, a collection resolution, or litigation, and confirm who (attorney, CPA, or enrolled agent) will handle each stage. Attorney-client privilege is a genuine differentiator when fraud exposure is possible.

Tax · statewide roster

4,405 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list tax among their practice areas, with an address of record in 48 of California's 58 counties.

4,185 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The largest county rosters are Los Angeles (1,246), San Francisco (585), Orange (496), San Diego (455) and Santa Clara (310).

336 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.

For 232, the registry records a language other than English, almost always from a firm website published in that language; that describes the website, not an attorney's own ability.

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In the last 30 days attorneys have read 11 filed matters on the registry.

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Legal information, not legal advice

Tax matters in California

The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.

  • IRS and FTB audits
  • tax debt and installment agreements
  • offers in compromise
  • unfiled tax returns
  • payroll tax problems
  • sales tax (CDTFA) audits
  • tax liens and levies
  • innocent spouse relief
  • tax court litigation
  • cryptocurrency and foreign account reporting

Tax questions, cited

How far back can the IRS or the California FTB audit me?

The IRS generally has three years from the return's filing to assess more tax (26 U.S.C. § 6501), extended to six years when income is understated by more than 25% (§ 6501(e)) and unlimited for fraud or unfiled returns. The California Franchise Tax Board has four years (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 19057), and California has no collection-barring statute comparable to the IRS's ten-year rule until 20 years after assessment (§ 19255).

What can I do if I cannot pay my tax debt?

Both agencies offer structured resolutions: installment agreements (26 U.S.C. § 6159), offers in compromise settling the debt for less than owed where collection potential is limited (26 U.S.C. § 7122; FTB equivalent under Rev. & Tax. Code § 19443), and currently-not-collectible status. Penalty abatement for reasonable cause is separately available. Ignoring notices forfeits appeal rights that are often the real leverage.

What is the deadline to challenge an IRS notice of deficiency?

Ninety days from the notice date to petition the U.S. Tax Court (26 U.S.C. § 6213), the only forum where you can litigate before paying. Miss it, and the tax is assessed; challenge then requires paying first and suing for a refund (26 U.S.C. § 7422). California FTB deficiency protests run 60 days (Rev. & Tax. Code § 19041), with appeals to the Office of Tax Appeals.

Am I responsible for my spouse's tax debt?

Joint filers are jointly and severally liable (26 U.S.C. § 6013(d)(3)), but innocent spouse relief under 26 U.S.C. § 6015 can relieve a spouse who did not know of understatements and for whom liability would be inequitable; California mirrors this in Rev. & Tax. Code § 18533. Community property rules complicate separate filings in California, which is one reason these cases benefit from counsel.

When does unpaid payroll tax become personal liability?

When the business fails to remit withheld taxes, the IRS can assess the trust fund recovery penalty, 100% of the unremitted amount, personally against any "responsible person" who willfully failed to pay (26 U.S.C. § 6672). California's EDD imposes similar personal liability (Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code § 1735). Owners, officers, and even bookkeepers with check-signing authority can be reached.

Legal information, not legal advice.

From the registry's blog

Tax Lawyer in California: What the Law SaysLearn what a California tax lawyer is authorized to do, which agencies they deal with, and how the public record shows who holds an active license.What a California Tax Attorney Does, By LawLearn what California tax attorneys handle, how the law defines their work, and where the public record shows who is licensed to practice.Tax Attorney in California: What the Law CoversLearn what a California tax attorney handles, which statutes govern tax disputes, and how the public record shows who is licensed to practice.

From the answer files

How many years back can the IRS or California FTB audit me?26 U.S.C. § 6501; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 19057How much does a tax attorney cost in California?Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6148Do I need a tax attorney or a CPA in California?26 U.S.C. § 7525What happens during an IRS audit?26 U.S.C. § 7602What should I do when I get an IRS or FTB letter?26 U.S.C. § 6213How long do I have to claim a tax refund in California?26 U.S.C. § 6511Can the IRS garnish my wages or levy my bank account?26 U.S.C. § 6331How do I get rid of a tax lien in California?26 U.S.C. § 6321What should I do about years of unfiled tax returns?26 U.S.C. § 6501(c)(3)

Tax in all 58 counties

Tax in Los Angeles CountySeat: Los AngelesTax in San Diego CountySeat: San DiegoTax in San Francisco CountySeat: San FranciscoTax in Alameda CountySeat: OaklandTax in Santa Clara CountySeat: San JoseTax in Sonoma CountySeat: Santa RosaTax in Humboldt CountySeat: EurekaTax in Shasta CountySeat: ReddingTax in Sacramento CountySeat: SacramentoTax in Yolo CountySeat: WoodlandTax in Monterey CountySeat: SalinasTax in Santa Barbara CountySeat: Santa BarbaraTax in Fresno CountySeat: FresnoTax in Kern CountySeat: BakersfieldTax in El Dorado CountySeat: PlacervilleTax in Riverside CountySeat: RiversideTax in San Bernardino CountySeat: San BernardinoTax in Orange CountySeat: Santa AnaTax in San Joaquin CountySeat: StocktonTax in Stanislaus CountySeat: ModestoTax in Ventura CountySeat: VenturaTax in Tulare CountySeat: VisaliaTax in San Luis Obispo CountySeat: San Luis ObispoTax in Alpine CountySeat: MarkleevilleTax in Amador CountySeat: JacksonTax in Butte CountySeat: OrovilleTax in Calaveras CountySeat: San AndreasTax in Colusa CountySeat: ColusaTax in Contra Costa CountySeat: MartinezTax in Del Norte CountySeat: Crescent CityTax in Glenn CountySeat: WillowsTax in Imperial CountySeat: El CentroTax in Inyo CountySeat: IndependenceTax in Kings CountySeat: HanfordTax in Lake CountySeat: LakeportTax in Lassen CountySeat: SusanvilleTax in Madera CountySeat: MaderaTax in Marin CountySeat: San RafaelTax in Mariposa CountySeat: MariposaTax in Mendocino CountySeat: UkiahTax in Merced CountySeat: MercedTax in Modoc CountySeat: AlturasTax in Mono CountySeat: BridgeportTax in Napa CountySeat: NapaTax in Nevada CountySeat: Nevada CityTax in Placer CountySeat: AuburnTax in Plumas CountySeat: QuincyTax in San Benito CountySeat: HollisterTax in San Mateo CountySeat: Redwood CityTax in Santa Cruz CountySeat: Santa CruzTax in Sierra CountySeat: DownievilleTax in Siskiyou CountySeat: YrekaTax in Solano CountySeat: FairfieldTax in Sutter CountySeat: Yuba CityTax in Tehama CountySeat: Red BluffTax in Trinity CountySeat: WeavervilleTax in Tuolumne CountySeat: SonoraTax in Yuba CountySeat: Marysville

Tax by city

Tax in Los AngelesLos Angeles County · Los AngelesTax in Long BeachLos Angeles County · Los AngelesTax in PasadenaLos Angeles County · Los AngelesTax in Santa MonicaLos Angeles County · Los AngelesTax in San DiegoSan Diego County · San DiegoTax in Chula VistaSan Diego County · San DiegoTax in San FranciscoSan Francisco County · Bay AreaTax in OaklandAlameda County · Bay AreaTax in San JoseSanta Clara County · Bay AreaTax in Santa RosaSonoma County · North CoastTax in EurekaHumboldt County · North CoastTax in ReddingShasta County · Shasta CascadeTax in SacramentoSacramento County · Sacramento ValleyTax in DavisYolo County · Sacramento ValleyTax in FolsomSacramento County · Sacramento ValleyTax in SalinasMonterey County · Central CoastTax in Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara County · Central CoastTax in FresnoFresno County · San Joaquin ValleyTax in BakersfieldKern County · San Joaquin ValleyTax in South Lake TahoeEl Dorado County · SierraTax in RiversideRiverside County · Inland EmpireTax in San BernardinoSan Bernardino County · Inland EmpireTax in IrvineOrange County · Orange CountyTax in AnaheimOrange County · Orange CountyTax in Santa AnaOrange County · Orange CountyTax in Palm SpringsRiverside County · DesertTax in StocktonSan Joaquin County · San Joaquin ValleyTax in ModestoStanislaus County · San Joaquin ValleyTax in OxnardVentura County · Central CoastTax in FremontAlameda County · Bay AreaTax in VisaliaTulare County · San Joaquin ValleyTax in San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo County · Central Coast

Adjacent shelves of the law

Bankruptcy11 U.S.C. § 362Estate PlanningCal. Prob. Code § 16061.8Business LawCal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337

Full Tax rosters, by surname

Abkin – Zepeda · Alameda County141 attorneysAbbass – Yu · Contra Costa County128 attorneysAbboud – Cordier · Los Angeles County197 attorneysCordova – Haun · Los Angeles County204 attorneysHawekotte – Lebovitz · Los Angeles County199 attorneysLebowsky – Oyer · Los Angeles County195 attorneysPace – Song · Los Angeles County197 attorneysSoofer – Zwicker · Los Angeles County207 attorneysAbuladze – Kirst · Orange County233 attorneysKirwan – Zimmerman · Orange County241 attorneysAmbrose – Zumaeta · Sacramento County282 attorneysAbbene – Kaplan · San Diego County219 attorneysKatusian – Zweig · San Diego County218 attorneysAblethomas – Grossman · San Francisco County189 attorneysGruber – Ohri · San Francisco County190 attorneysOkhuevbie – Zulaica · San Francisco County188 attorneysAbbott – Zhou · San Mateo County117 attorneysAbel – Zill · Santa Clara County296 attorneys

If cost is the concern

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