IRS notice, audit, or tax-planning question on either side of the state line?
An IRS letter, a Missouri Department of Revenue audit, or a Kansas Department of Revenue notice all share one feature: the clock is already running. The 10 firms below handle the federal and state tax work that follows — from individual offers in compromise to multi-million-dollar business tax planning.
These 10 firms handle IRS audits, tax planning, offers in compromise, and state tax disputes across Kansas City and the surrounding Missouri market — from solo founders and family businesses to mid-market companies and national brands with local exposure.
How we picked these 10: We cross-referenced peer-reviewed rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, Best Law Firms), Avvo and Justia client review patterns, state bar specialization listings, and published case results. Firms that appeared consistently across at least two independent directories made the list. We do not accept payment for placement and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
KC-founded AmLaw 100. Tax group covers business tax planning, transactional tax, controversy with the IRS, Missouri DOR, and Kansas DOR, plus executive compensation.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers and Chambers USA rankings in Tax. Multiple LL.M. (Tax) partners. Deep federal and multistate bench.
Founded 1916. KC office hosts a deep tax bench covering federal income tax planning, multistate tax, controversy, and ERISA.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 in Tax Law. Chambers USA rankings in Tax.
450+ attorneys; KC office has a substantial tax team covering corporate tax planning, structuring, and controversy across the Midwest.
Why they made the list: Chambers USA rankings in Tax. Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" in Tax Law.
325 attorneys, 11 offices. KC office has a long history with family-business succession and estate-and-gift planning — tax is integrated with that work.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers in Trusts & Estates and Tax Law. Several LL.M. (Tax) partners.
KC-headquartered firm with a tax group covering corporate, real-estate, and ERISA work for closely-held businesses and regional employers.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers in Tax Law and Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law.
KC firm at 605 W. 47th Street, Suite 350. The tax team provides assistance with business entity and real-estate tax planning, IRS controversies and tax litigation, and Missouri and Kansas tax disputes.
Why they made the list: Multiple Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers recognitions in Tax. Long Missouri Bar history.
KC firm with a notable transportation-and-logistics tax practice plus general federal and state tax work.
Why they made the list: Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers recognitions in Tax. Long-standing KC presence.
KC boutique offering business tax, estate tax, and controversy work for closely-held businesses, executives, and families.
Why they made the list: Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers recognitions. AV Preeminent rated partners.
KC metro tax-controversy boutique focused on individual IRS problem resolution — audits, levies, liens, offers in compromise, installment agreements, and innocent-spouse relief.
Why they made the list: Consistent client reviews on Avvo and Justia. Practical fit for individuals dealing with IRS collection.
Attorney and CPA representing individuals being audited by the IRS, helping clients file offers in compromise, and guiding clients on income, estate, and gift tax matters.
Why they made the list: Long Avvo and Justia presence. The CPA-plus-JD combination is unusual and useful for complex individual tax problems.
For complex transactional tax (M&A, restructurings, executive compensation, multistate planning) — Polsinelli, Husch Blackwell, or Stinson. All three have LL.M. (Tax) partners and federal and multistate bench.
For business succession, estate-and-gift planning, and family-business tax — Lathrop GPM, Van Osdol, or McDowell Rice. Family-business succession is its own discipline; these firms know it.
For an IRS audit, levy, or collection problem on the individual side — Tax Solutions Law Firm or Hart Law Offices. Both focus on individual tax controversy, with practical experience in offers in compromise and installment agreements.
For a serious tax controversy heading to U.S. Tax Court — the controversy partners at Polsinelli, Husch Blackwell, McDowell Rice, or Stinson. Ask for the Tax Court win/loss history and the LL.M. (Tax) credential.
Simple IRS response letter or notice resolution. $750–$2,500 flat or hourly.
IRS audit representation (individual, no complex issues). $3,500–$12,000 depending on scope.
Offer in compromise. $4,500–$9,500 flat is common at boutiques; hourly at full-service firms.
Installment agreement (complex case). $2,500–$6,500.
U.S. Tax Court petition through trial. $40,000–$250,000+ depending on issues and complexity.
Business tax planning (S-corp election, entity structuring, reasonable compensation). $1,500–$8,500 depending on scope.
Estate and gift planning (high-net-worth). $7,500–$45,000+ for full plan including trusts, gifting strategy, and tax modeling.
Hourly partner rates. Boutiques: $375–$575. Mid-size regional: $400–$850. KC-rooted AmLaw: $550–$1,100.
Most Kansas City firms in this practice area are competent. A few are problematic. Watch for these patterns.
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees a court win, a tax debt cut to zero, or a contract that "can never be challenged," walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior name at intake, then never speak to that person again. Your file gets handed to an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign on the spot. Reputable firms send the engagement letter, give you time to read it, and let you take it home. Same-day "you have to retain us today" tactics are almost always a sign of a volume mill.
No verifiable track record. The firm should point to peer rankings, bar specialization, published case results, or named clients. "We have helped thousands" is marketing copy. Specific case names, transaction sizes, or third-party recognitions are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate Kansas City lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is included, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you terminate.
Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Use it. Bring a written list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign anything.
Three taxing authorities. KC residents and businesses face the IRS, the Missouri Department of Revenue, and (for Kansas-side residents) the Kansas Department of Revenue. Plus the City of Kansas City Earnings Tax (1% on residents and people working in the city limits). A KC tax lawyer should know all four.
Missouri DOR audit process. Missouri sales-and-use tax audits are common for businesses with retail operations. The DOR has 3 years from filing (or 5 if no return was filed) to assess. Appeals go to the Administrative Hearing Commission, then Missouri courts.
Kansas DOR audit process. Kansas has 3 years from filing for assessment (or unlimited if no return was filed or fraud is alleged). Kansas Board of Tax Appeals handles appeals.
U.S. Tax Court access. The U.S. Tax Court holds trial sessions in Kansas City periodically. Petition is filed in Washington but cases set for KC sessions stay local for trial. The 90-day deadline from IRS notice of deficiency is jurisdictional — miss it and Tax Court is gone.
Kansas City Earnings Tax. The 1% earnings tax applies to KC residents on all earned income and to non-residents on income earned within city limits. Refund requests for non-residents working partly outside the city are common — and contested.
For a simple notice (CP2000, CP14) the CPA is fine. For an audit notice (CP2501, Letter 525, Form 4549), levy, lien, or anything mentioning the U.S. Tax Court, hire a tax attorney. Attorney-client privilege does not extend to a CPA the same way.
$4,500–$9,500 flat at most KC tax-controversy boutiques. Plus the $205 IRS application fee (waived for low-income taxpayers).
A 1% tax on all earned income of KC residents and on income earned within city limits by non-residents. Filed annually via Form RD-109. Non-residents working partly outside the city limits can request a refund for the proportion of work done elsewhere.
90 days from the date on the IRS notice of deficiency (150 days if you are out of the country when the notice is sent). The deadline is jurisdictional; missing it eliminates Tax Court as a forum, leaving only the refund-suit path in district court.
Yes. Top rate is 4.7% (2025); brackets are indexed annually. Kansas top rate is 5.7%. Both states tax non-residents on income earned within the state, with reciprocity credits for residents who pay tax to the other state.
The DOR issues a notice of audit; you respond with records; the auditor issues a proposed assessment. Appeals go to the Administrative Hearing Commission, then to Missouri courts. Most disputes are resolved at the auditor or AHC level.
Yes. Federal tax practice is portable; any U.S. Tax Court-admitted attorney can handle a case anywhere. State tax controversies generally require bar admission in that state.
A tax lawyer is bar-admitted, owes you fiduciary duties, and is governed by ethics rules and malpractice exposure. A tax resolution company is often a sales operation that subcontracts the legal work or files unsigned documents on your behalf. The FTC has prosecuted multiple national tax-resolution companies. If in doubt, hire a bar-admitted attorney.
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One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one the same opening question: How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and what were the outcomes? The way they answer tells you almost everything. — The LawFirmSquare team
LawFirmSquare is a directory. We do not represent clients or refer cases for a fee. Editorial rankings reflect publicly available recognition and reviews and are not a substitute for personalized legal advice.