Lorcan Hartigan
Partner, audits and appeals
Answers questioned returns and takes disagreements with the IRS to its appeals office.
Tax lawyers in Naperville, Illinois
Start with what the letter says.
Pick the line that sounds like yours. Each one opens a plain page on what the tax agency is asking, what you can do about it and what a first meeting covers, before you fill in a single form.
My situation is closest to
- The IRS is questioning my returnAn audit, a notice or a request for records
- I owe tax I can't pay in fullA balance, a lien or a levy
- My business is behind on payroll or sales taxIncluding a penalty with my name on it
- A family member died and left tax questionsFinal, estate and gift returns
- I can't tell what kind of letter it isSend the notice number printed in its corner
After you pick a line
Four things you leave the first meeting with
What the notice is asking
A plain reading of the letter: which tax, which year, what the agency says is wrong and what it wants from you.
The date that matters
When a response is due and what happens if it isn't made, set down before anything else, so nothing slips while you decide.
Your ways forward, side by side
Respond, dispute, pay in part or pay over time, with what each would ask of you, including the one that costs the least.
A fee, in writing
What we would charge for the work, and what falls outside it, like the agency's own charges or a filing fee, kept apart.
The first thing we do
A tax notice is written for a file, not for you
The agency's letters are drafted for its own computers. They name a form number, a year and a sum, and leave out what any of it means for the person holding the paper.
We begin by translating: what the agency thinks happened, what it's asking you to do and by when. Then we tell you whether to answer, dispute or pay, and once you've signed the form that lets us speak for you, the agency deals with our office, not your phone.
We read the notice with you, line by line
Nothing goes to the agency until you've seen it
A lawyer picks up when you call, not a message line
The lawyers
Three lawyers, and one of them owns your file
Mirela Iwanski
Partner, balances and collection
Works out payment plans, lien and levy notices and the options for tax that can't be paid at once.
Kamala Perrault
Associate, owners and estates
Helps business owners with payroll and sales tax, and families with returns after a death.
After the letter was answered
“I'd carried that envelope around for a week. By the end of the first meeting I knew what it was and what to do on Monday.”
Zofia K.Self-employed, audit notice
“They told me which of my options I'd probably not qualify for before I got my hopes up. I appreciated that more than a promise.”
Radhika M.Owner of a small shop
“My mother's last returns were a mess. Someone finally explained what the executor had to do and in what order.”
Matteo R.Executor for a parent's estate
Sample comments, which the firm replaces with its own. Each client's situation is different, and what happened for one person says nothing certain about yours.
What people ask before they reply to the IRS
Do I have to speak to the IRS myself?
Not once you've hired us and signed the form that lets us speak for you. The agency then writes to, and calls, our office instead of your phone.
How long do I have to answer a notice?
The notice prints its own deadline, and it differs from letter to letter. If you can't meet it, tell us at once: more time can sometimes be asked for, but not always.
Can you stop the IRS taking money from my pay or bank account?
Sometimes a levy can be released or paused, depending on why it was issued and what you can offer in its place. We can't promise it, but we'll tell you plainly whether it's likely.
Will the IRS settle for less than I owe?
An offer in compromise fits only some situations, and many people don't qualify. We look at your income, assets and balance first, and we never suggest one just to have something to file.
What if I haven't filed returns for several years?
Bring what you have. Filing late is generally better than not filing, and we'll sort out which years the agency actually wants and in what order.
What does it cost?
You get a written fee after the first meeting. Some work suits a fixed fee and some is billed by the hour with a deposit, and we say which applies to yours before you sign anything.
If none of the lines fits
Tell us the notice number printed in its corner, or just what the letter seems to be about, and we'll tell you which line it is.
Please keep Social Security numbers and account details out of the first message.