We take the Helm of your Tax Dispute So you can Sleep at Night.

When you are responsible for collecting sales tax as a sales tax vendor, you are doing so as an agent or trustee on behalf of New York State. These sales taxes, if collected, are not your funds to spend, nor is it in your discretion to decide whether or not to collect. If you have the obligation to collect and don’t, there could be dire consequences. In most cases, the taxing authority can not only collect from the company, but also from the responsible officer personally. We handle sales tax audits to make sure the sales tax asserted is correct and to resolve sales tax assessments.

Similar to Sales & Use Taxes, Employers act as “trustees” when they collect withholding and other taxes from their employees’ paychecks. If they fail to deposit these timely with the Federal or State government and use the funds to pay other creditors instead, there are severe consequences. The taxing authorities can not only assess these unpaid taxes against the Employer but also personally against any officer or other individual “responsible” for paying those to the government on behalf of the employer. We resolve these types of assessments and can challenge the appropriateness of such assessments if warranted.

The IRS is one of a number of regulatory agencies focused on digital currency. New Third Party Reporting requirements imposed on exchanges is just one method to encourage tax compliance. They have other tools to track currency transactions on the blockchain. If you have invested in, sold or received digital currency as compensation for services or for the sale of goods, even if you have a cold wallet, you may have a tax obligation. We handle audits, Voluntary Disclosures (to avoid criminal liability), and can advise you on how to get into current compliance.

Many individuals and businesses move out of state for a variety of reasons. Many move to more tax-favorable states to reduce their tax burdens. Some plan for it to avoid hurdles that can be encountered later in a New York State Residency Audit. Some face these issues in audits without having done any planning. We help you understand the law relating to NYS residency, how to plan your affairs in order to properly establish residency in another state, and we assist in often highly complex and burdensome NYS residency audits.

Your interaction with the IRS or NYS can start with an audit, may require you to appeal an audit result, may require you to file a Petition with the U.S. Tax Court, or may involve Collection Action for tax liabilities owed. No matter what stage, we can step in and take the helm to advocate your position and reach a resolution.

Taxing authorities have tools in their toolbox to collect tax liabilities including levying assets, filing tax liens, garnishing wages and social security, among others. It can be tremendously stressful to know your assets or bank account can be seized at any moment. But taxpayers have options too, including Offers in Compromise, Installment Agreements, Innocent Spouse status. Your case may even be deemed uncollectible. Once we helm your case, our goal is to stop collection activity so that it can be resolved and you can go back to living your life.

If you and your spouse have filed jointly, you may not realize that you are each “jointly and severally liable” for the entire tax, even if that tax due is the result of your spouse’s activities. This means that the IRS can seek payment from both you and your spouse, and if they are unable to collect from your spouse, they will take every measure to collect from you. You do have an option: Innocent Spouse status. If the facts of your case qualify, the IRS may release you from liability and seek to collect only from your spouse. We work with you to determine if you are eligible and to formally submit your request to the IRS or New York State.

Specific areas of concern are targets and the issues in these audits can be complex and daunting: foreign asset reporting, audits involving not-for-profits, qualification of employee benefit plans, syndicated conservation easements, micro-captives to name just a few. We navigate these complex examinations and address the concerns raised in order to resolve your case.