WELCOME. I am San Diego tax attorney
RICHARD CARPENTER.
Since 1984, I have successfully
assisted thousands of clients with resolving their
IRS and California tax disputes and tax problems. My San Diego
law practice is limited to IRS and California civil tax and criminal
tax controversy defense. If you are involved in an IRS or California tax dispute, I can help you.
LEADING SAN DIEGO TAX DISPUTE ATTORNEY
I have 28 years of tax law
experience in San Diego and top credentials.
I am Certified as a Tax Law
Specialist by the State Bar of California. This is the highest
designation available to a California tax attorney. Also,
Martindale-Hubbell has awarded me an "AV"
rating. This is the highest and most prestigious rating
available to any U.S. attorney for legal skills and ethics.
For the past 19 years, I have also been a part-time tax
law professor at the University of San Diego School
of Law teaching both the Criminal Tax Fraud and the Tax
Court Litigation classes. I am the author of 14
published tax law articles, including some of
the leading articles in the U.S. in resolving civil
and criminal tax disputes.
I have been recognized as one of the Top San Diego County Attorneys in 2007, 2009 and 2010 by the San Diego Daily Transcript legal newspaper and was also named a "Super Lawyer" in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
TYPES OF TAX PROBLEMS HANDLED IN SAN DIEGO
A. IRS TAX PROBLEMS
I help clients with the following IRS tax issues:
- IRS Tax Audit
- IRS Criminal Tax defense
- Tax Court
- IRS Offer In Compromise settlements
- Arrange IRS Installment Agreements/Wage Levy Releases
- IRS Appeals Division
- Trust Fund Penalty Defense
- Innocent Spouse Relief
- Collection Due Process ("CDP") Appeals
- Foreign Bank Account Disclosure
- W-2G gambling tax issues
- Defense of IRS tax preparer penalties
- Payroll Tax Audits/Collection Issues
B. CALIFORNIA TAX PROBLEMS
I also help clients with the following California tax issues:
- Arrange Franchise Tax Board ("FTB") Installment Agreement/Wage Levy Releases
- FTB Tax Audit
- FTB Offer In Compromise Settlements
- Any Franchise Tax Board ("FTB") Tax Dispute
- All California Employment Development Department ("EDD") Tax Issues
- EDD Payroll Tax Audit/Collection Issues
- EDD Offer In Compromise Settlements
- All CA SBE (State Board of Equalization) Sales Tax issues
- CA SBE (State Board of Equalization) Sales Tax Audit
- California Criminal Tax representation
- Defense of California tax preparer penalties
DEDICATED TO DEFENDING TAXPAYERS
Unlike some San Diego tax controversy defense
attorneys, I did not start out my legal career as an IRS
attorney using the Tax Code against honest taxpayers. I also
did not start out my legal career as a federal prosecutor
working to put good people in prison for some mistakes on
their tax returns. Instead, I have devoted my entire 28 year legal career helping to defend hardworking, family-oriented
taxpayers against the far and powerful reaches of the Internal
Revenue Service and I am proud of that accomplishment. Being
an effective San Diego tax attorney is a mindset
and I have had that tax defense mindset for my entire 28 year legal career.
EXPERIENCE IS CRITICAL
Tax law is very complex. Successfully solving tax law problems
requires skill, plus extensive tax law knowledge and many years of experience.
There
is no such thing as a routine call or letter to the IRS.
I will tailor each communication
to the IRS precisely to your specific tax defense plan. Each communication
to the IRS means something and it is very important that
nothing is overlooked or taken for granted. You need a "Super Lawyer" working for you.
Don't be fooled by those "tax resolution" companies who advertised on the TV and radio. Most of these companies have thousands of consumer complaints.
In my 28 year tax law career, I have never come across a "tax resolution" company that employed tax lawyers with the necessary tax law experience and skills to help taxpayers in trouble. Look at these three examples:
1) On August 23, 2010, the California Attorney General filed a $34 million dollar lawsuit against the Sacramento based tax help company Roni Deutch, the Tax Lady. The Attorney General alleges that Tax Lady Roni Deutch "engaged in a heartless scheme that swindled people with tax problems ... she promises to significantly reduce their IRS tax debts ... but providing little or no help." Roni Deutch has now closed. See my Tax News page for additional details.
2)
On May 13, 2010, the Attorney General of Texas charged Tax Masters with multiple violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. According to their Attorney General, "a state investigation and nearly 1,000 customer complaints indicate that the defendants (Tax Masters) routinely misled customers about the nature of their tax resolution service agreements." Tax Masters has recently filed for bankruptcy. See my Tax News page for additional details.
3) As reported by the Wall Street Journal. J. K. Harris, a South Carolina based tax help company - was sued by the Attorney General from 18 different states after it was found that this company didn't get consumers the tax relief it promised. According to the North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, "many consumers paid J.K. Harris for tax help and got nothing but headaches in return." The Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley also stated that J.K. Harris "took advantage of people who paid for tax assistance and, in some instances, profited by taking their money and not giving them any help at all. J.K. Harris has now closed. See my Tax News page for additional details.
RESULTS
RESULTS . . . that's the bottom
line ... what every client is looking for. Despite
my strong record of favorable client outcomes during the
past 28 years, I refrain from making any case result promises
to you over the internet without knowing the complete facts
of your case. Each tax case is different. If you
retain me as your tax attorney, I will carefully
listen to you about your specific tax situation, fully
educate you about the unique intricacies of your particular tax case,
meticulously perform my work, and provide the IRS
and/or the Court with the most advantageous position of
your case. Over the past 28 years, this attention-to-detail
approach has benefited my clients greatly.
GUIDANCE
During the past 28 years, many attorneys and CPA's have referred their clients and family members to me, San Diego Tax Attorney Richard Carpenter, for help in resolving their serious tax problems with the IRS. For a complete description of my background, please click here.
HELP IS AVAILABLE TO YOU
I understand how a tax problem can take hold of your life and affect your ability to sleep at night. If you are serious about resolving your tax problem, I can help you. Please call me at (619) 696-8607 to discuss your tax situation in complete confidence. Put my 28 years of tax law experience to work for you.
Certified
Tax Law Specialist