What Does a Tax Professional Do?
Tax professionals, including tax attorneys, enrolled agents, and certified public accountants (CPA), are professionals that specialize in tax representation before the IRS and various state revenue agencies.
As with other types of attorneys, tax attorneys possess a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and will have successfully passed a state bar examination. However, a reputable tax attorney should also have additional coursework or training focused on federal and state tax laws and procedures. In many cases, a tax attorney will have an LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Taxation. An LL.M. is an advanced law degree that focuses on individual and corporate taxes, taxation of trusts and estates, tax controversy, elder law and estate planning. A CPA is licensed by the state and will have an extensive background in finance and accounting. In order for a CPA to practice before the IRS they must be qualified as a CPA and cannot be subject to suspension or disbarment. An enrolled agent is a person who demonstrates special competence in tax matters by written examination administered by the IRS.
In some cases a taxpayer may be able to solve tax problems by himself without the help of a tax professional but this may not be the most prudent option unless the taxpayer has no other alternative. Given the intricacies of the IRS and the labyrinth of codes and procedures they have adopted, the taxpayer may indeed be best served by working directly with a tax professional, who has experience dealing specifically with the IRS.
A tax professional can help with both civil and criminal actions brought forth by the IRS or state tax authorities. In addition, a good tax attorney can help set up a new business properly based on the nature of the organization and can even help with estate planning if needed.
In most cases, a tax professional specializes his or her focus on tax issues and more accurately, tax relief. Some services they also assist with include audit representation, reducing fines and penalties, lifting wage garnishments, removing tax liens, and ending bank levies. Many small businesses additionally seek help from a tax professional for any payroll tax concerns or self-employment tax issues.
While most small businesses have typically used a tax accountant for tax filing services, a tax attorney can be equally helpful. Like an accountant, a good tax attorney can help you avoid tax problems before they begin and may be able to foresee potential legal problems before it’s too late. In addition, a tax attorney can provide legal protection where a tax accountant cannot.
What makes tax law so confusing is not only its complexity, but also its dynamic nature, with changes typically being implemented every year. Therefore, a tax professional should be well versed in these annual changes, modifications and updates in order to advise a client as appropriately as possible.
Can A Tax Professional Help Me?
If you’ve found yourself in a predicament that leaves you feeling lost, concerned or even frightened of the IRS, consulting a good tax professional is one of the best decisions you could make. Remember, tax penalties and fines don’t simply go away and in fact, they continue to build over time; waiting and hoping they go away solves nothing. It’s always in your best interest to solve tax problems as soon as possible while they are still small because, when dealing with the IRS, small problems typically lead to big ones given time.
Waiting until your problems are completely out of hand could leave you in an incredibly costly predicament and in some cases criminal action could be taken against you, resulting in jail time and extremely high legal fees.
Therefore, investing in a good tax professional before your problems get completely out of hand just makes good common sense.
So, what are some of the specific circumstances where a tax professional can be extremely helpful? Below are some examples:
- You carry a tax liability that the IRS is attempting to collect via a wage garnishment, tax lien or bank levy
- You’ve got years of unfiled tax returns and need the assistance of a tax professional
Tax Professionals at Optima Tax Relief
Philip Hwang, Esq.
Vice President, Resolutions / Lead Attorney
Philip Hwang is a California licensed attorney dedicated to delivering industry-leading representation for all post-filing tax matters. He has a wide range of experience in tax law ranging from working at the South Brooklyn Low Income Tax Clinic to providing audit defense and international tax planning for multinational corporations. Philip earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra University School of Law with a concentration in Taxation Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court.
Michael Wenkart, Esq.
Tax Attorney
Michael graduated from Chapman University with a B.S. in Business Administration as well as a J.D. and LL.M. in taxation from the University of San Diego. He has experience in tax preparation, researching complex tax issues especially international tax issues including inversions. As a member of the RO team at Optima, his focus now is assisting clients to navigate and defend against the aggressive collection tactics of the IRS’s revenue officers.
Carlos Maggi, Esq.
Associate Director of Resolution / Tax Attorney
Carlos earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier Law School with a concentration in Business Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is admitted to practice law in California as a member of the California State Bar and is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Taxation Section) as well as the Beverly Hills Bar Association (Taxation Section).
Daniel Wright
Enrolled Agent
Daniel Wright has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and over 20 years of experience in both the public and the private sector. He has managed everything from small publicly traded companies to mid-size not-for-profits. With this extensive accounting experience and as a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Daniel is uniquely qualified to assist our business and audit clients.
Nguyen Ngo
Enrolled Agent
Having over 10 years of experience in the tax field, working as a tax preparer and tax consultant, Nguyen always strives to bring the best possible solutions to our clients’ tax-related issues. She is a member of National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) and brings additional financial experience to the table from the years she worked as an accountant and mortgage loan consultant before entering the tax industry and becoming an Enrolled Agent. She graduated cum laude from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with double majors in Business Administration and Operations Management.
Rafael Garcia
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Rafael Garcia is a California licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and licensed Enrolled Agent. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Cal State University, San Bernardino. His experience ranges from public accounting, tax preparation, tax planning, and IRS representation. As a member of our specialized Audit Team, he works tirelessly to achieve the best results for his clients.
Radley Eakle
Enrolled Agent / Audit Pro
Before joining Optima, Radley worked at the IRS as a Revenue Agent for nearly a decade. After years of investigating taxpayers and assessing taxes, Radley decided to switch sides – bringing his expertise and knowledge of the IRS to Optima, defending taxpayers’ rights and fighting to ensure people are treated fairly by the IRS. As part of our Audit Team, Radley works tirelessly on behalf of our clients, taking particular pride in guiding people out from under their tax problems and educating them on best practices that’ll help them avoid audits in the future.
Let Optima Tax Relief Help
Call 1-800-536-0734 for a free consultation.
Let Optima Tax Relief Help
Call 1-800-536-0734 for a free consultation.