IRS notice, audit, or back-tax problem in Louisville?
Top 10 Tax and IRS Lawyers in Louisville
An IRS letter is not an emergency. An IRS levy is. These 10 Louisville firms handle audits, collection defense, offers in compromise, installment agreements, payroll tax problems, and the tax planning that prevents the next round of trouble.
Updated February 23, 202612 min readEditorially independent
These ten Louisville firms defend IRS audits and Kentucky Department of Revenue audits, negotiate installment agreements and offers in compromise, handle payroll tax delinquencies, defend tax court litigation, and provide the entity- and transaction-level tax planning that prevents future disputes.
How we picked these 10: We cross-referenced peer-reviewed rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers USA), Avvo, Justia, and FindLaw client review patterns, Kentucky Bar Association directories, 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 →
1
Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC
Louisville, KYLargePractice focus: Federal, state, and local tax planning, audits, controversy
SKO advises businesses and individuals on all aspects of local, state, and federal taxation — including planning, audit defense, administrative hearings, and trial-level tax controversy. Heritage KY firm with one of the deeper tax benches in Louisville.
Why they made the list: Full-stack tax practice from planning through audit and trial controversy, with consistent Best Lawyers recognition in tax.
Louisville, KYBigLawPractice focus: Federal tax controversy, state and local tax, transactional tax
Louisville office whose tax group handles federal tax controversy (IRS audits, appeals, Tax Court), state and local tax matters, and transactional tax planning for KY businesses, including S-corp and partnership tax planning.
Why they made the list: Regional BigLaw resources for the more complex audit and controversy work, with KY-rooted tax attorneys.
Fee structure
Hourly
Free consultation
Paid initial consult
Typical client
Mid-market and enterprise businesses, high-net-worth individuals
Louisville, KYLargePractice focus: Tax planning, IRS controversy, estate and gift tax
Louisville-headquartered heritage firm whose tax practice handles federal income, estate, and gift tax planning, IRS audit and appeals work, and transactional tax advice for KY families, family businesses, and healthcare and banking clients.
Why they made the list: Heritage KY tax practice integrated with the firm's family-business and trusts-and-estates work — useful when tax sits inside a broader planning context.
Fee structure
Hourly
Free consultation
Paid initial consult
Typical client
Family businesses, high-net-worth individuals, professional practices
Louisville, KYBigLawPractice focus: Federal and state tax, transactional tax, controversy
Louisville office of a 750-attorney firm whose tax group handles federal and state tax planning, IRS controversy, and the tax structuring inside corporate transactions and M&A across KY, OH, and IN.
Why they made the list: Multi-state coverage for KY clients with operations in OH and IN, and a controversy bench for the more complex IRS and state-revenue matters.
Louisville, KYMid-sizePractice focus: Business tax planning, KY Department of Revenue, IRS counsel
Lexington-and-Louisville firm whose tax practice handles federal and KY state tax matters for closely held businesses, healthcare practices, and family enterprises — including entity tax elections, sales and use tax disputes, and IRS controversy.
Why they made the list: Mid-size pricing with a KY-rooted tax bench used to the KY Department of Revenue as well as the IRS.
Louisville, KYMid-sizePractice focus: Income, sales, gift and estate tax; payroll; tax credits
Louisville firm handling tax matters across income, sales, gift, and estate tax for individuals and businesses, plus tax issues involving employee benefits and payroll. Also helps clients pursue federal and state incentive tax-credit programs.
Why they made the list: Broad tax practice that includes the unsexy but common payroll and sales-tax work, plus the incentive tax-credit programs many KY businesses overlook.
Fee structure
Hourly
Free consultation
Initial call typically free
Typical client
Individuals, closely held businesses, KY employers
Louisville firm providing legal representation to individuals, families, and businesses across Kentucky and Indiana on IRS and Kentucky tax matters — with a long-standing tradition of legal service in the region.
Why they made the list: KY-and-IN coverage and a tax-controversy practice page targeted at the IRS audit, appeals, and collection situations that most often bring people in the door.
Louisville, KYSoloPractice focus: IRS collection, offers in compromise, installment agreements
Louisville solo focused on IRS collection problems, offers in compromise, installment agreements, and tax-related bankruptcy work. Attorney Brian Darby Smith handles IRS settlements for clients with substantial back-tax balances.
Why they made the list: Dedicated IRS-collection focus and solo-level pricing — the right fit when the problem is an IRS bill, not corporate tax planning.
Fee structure
Hourly with flat-fee options for installment agreements and OICs
Free consultation
Initial call typically free
Typical client
Individuals and small-business owners with IRS collection issues
Louisville, KYMid-sizePractice focus: Transactional tax, business tax planning
Louisville business firm whose transactional tax practice supports KY and southern IN closely held businesses on entity tax elections, S-corp planning, partnership tax issues, and the tax structuring inside acquisitions.
Why they made the list: Mid-market pricing with a tax practice integrated into the firm's broader business work — useful when tax is one piece of a larger transaction.
Louisville, KYLargePractice focus: Federal and state tax, controversy, transactional tax
Regional firm with Louisville office whose tax group handles federal and KY state tax matters, IRS audit and appeals work, and transactional tax planning. Recognized across Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers in tax.
Why they made the list: Mid-to-large firm capability for tax controversy and a wider business-services platform for transaction-level tax planning.
Tell us what you are dealing with in plain English. We will match you with two or three vetted tax firms in Louisville that handle matters like yours. Free, confidential, no obligation.
For an IRS letter, audit, or back-tax problem at the individual or small-business level — Darby Smith, Dodd & Dodd, Tilford Dobbins, and McBrayer offer collection-focused practices at solo and mid-size pricing. The right starting point when the immediate question is ‘how do I make this IRS notice stop.’
For tax planning around a transaction or entity-level decision — M&A tax structuring, S-corp elections, partnership tax issues, executive compensation — SKO, Frost Brown Todd, Wyatt Tarrant, Dinsmore, and Stites & Harbison have the transactional tax depth. The right choice when the question is ‘how do I structure this so the tax bill is right.’
For complex KY Department of Revenue disputes — sales-and-use tax audits, LLET disputes, KY income-tax controversy — SKO, Frost Brown Todd, McBrayer, and Wyatt Tarrant have the KY-specific tax bench. KY DOR matters are easier when the lawyer has worked across the table from those examiners before.
For estate, gift, and wealth-transfer tax planning — Wyatt Tarrant, SKO, McBrayer, and Tilford Dobbins all have trusts-and-estates-adjacent tax practices for KY families and family businesses.
What a tax lawyer typically costs in Louisville
IRS audit representation (Schedule C, small-business, or simple individual): $2,500–$10,000 through closing; more if the audit expands or appeals to IRS Appeals Office.
IRS Appeals Office representation: $5,000–$25,000 through resolution.
U.S. Tax Court petition and trial: $15,000–$75,000+ through trial. Many Tax Court cases settle before trial.
Offer in Compromise (OIC): $3,500–$12,500 flat or hourly through acceptance. The IRS accepts a fraction of OICs filed; quality of submission matters.
Installment Agreement (over $50K or with complications): $1,500–$5,000 flat through approval.
Payroll tax (Trust Fund Recovery Penalty) defense: $5,000–$25,000+. These are personal-liability cases and worth the legal spend.
KY Department of Revenue audit or appeal: $2,500–$15,000 depending on issue and amount.
Entity tax-election planning (S-corp election, partnership tax issues): $750–$3,500 flat at most KY firms.
Hourly rates for KY tax work: $250–$425 at solos and small firms; $325–$500 at mid-size; $400–$800 at BigLaw and dedicated tax practices.
Red flags to watch for when picking a tax lawyer in Louisville
The big legal directories list hundreds of Louisville attorneys for this work. Most 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 perfect contract that ‘can never be challenged,’ walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior name at the intake meeting, 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 and what the supervision structure looks like.
Pressure to sign on the spot. Reputable firms send you 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, not a craftsperson’s practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to 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 Louisville 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 the relationship.
10 questions to ask in your free consultation
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.
Who, specifically, will handle my matter day to day? Get a name and an email. Confirm that this person, not the partner you met at intake, will be your primary point of contact.
How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years? You want a real number, not a brochure line.
What is your fee and what does it cover? Get the answer in writing before you sign. Hourly, flat, contingency, or hybrid — and what triggers a change.
What costs am I responsible for outside the legal fee? Filing fees, expert witnesses, third-party services, courier, transcription. Ask now to avoid surprise invoices.
What is a realistic range of outcomes for a situation like mine? A good lawyer will give you a range with assumptions. A bad one will only describe the best case.
How long will it take? Honest estimate with the assumptions stated. A complex business contract is days. A multi-year IRS audit is years.
Who else might be involved? Co-counsel? Experts? Local counsel? Larger matters routinely involve outside specialists. Know who is on the team and how they bill.
How and how often will I hear from you? Email-only? Weekly calls? Status updates on a schedule? Set the expectation up front.
What happens if I want to change lawyers later? The rules allow it; the fee is sorted between firms. Make sure you understand the mechanics before you commit.
What is the worst case for me here? A lawyer who refuses to discuss downside risk is selling, not advising.
What is specific about tax work for a Kentucky resident or business
Kentucky personal income tax. KY moved to a 4% flat rate effective January 1, 2025 (down from 5%), with further reductions tied to revenue triggers in HB 8 (2022). KY individual taxpayers file Form 740. KY does not tax Social Security benefits.
Kentucky Limited Liability Entity Tax (LLET). KY taxes LLCs, LLPs, and corporations under the LLET with a $175 annual minimum on top of any federal tax. Calculation is the lesser of 9.5 cents per $100 of KY gross receipts or 75 cents per $100 of KY gross profits. Entity choice and KY income calculations affect the LLET bill in ways that surprise out-of-state owners.
Kentucky corporate income tax. 5% flat rate on KY taxable income, separate from the LLET. C-corps doing business in KY file Form 720.
Kentucky sales and use tax. 6% state sales tax with no general local addition. KY expanded its sales tax to cover many services in 2018 and 2022, which catches service businesses (landscaping, fitness, marketing, photography) that previously had no KY sales-tax obligation. Audit activity in expanded-service categories is real.
Louisville Metro occupational tax. Louisville Metro charges an occupational license tax on net profits of businesses operating in the metro — combined Metro and Jefferson County School District rates total roughly 2.2%. Required filings catch new businesses by surprise.
Kentucky inheritance tax. KY is one of a small number of states with an inheritance tax (not an estate tax). The tax depends on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent; immediate family (Class A) pays zero, more distant relatives and non-relatives pay 4%–16% above the exemption.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky (Louisville Division). Most KY federal-tax litigation involving criminal or refund matters lives here. Civil tax cases are typically litigated in U.S. Tax Court (Washington, DC, with trial sessions sometimes scheduled in Louisville).
Frequently asked questions
I got a letter from the IRS — do I need a lawyer or a CPA?
Depends on the letter. A CP2000 (proposed adjustment based on third-party data) often gets resolved by a CPA or enrolled agent. An actual audit notice, a notice of deficiency, a notice of intent to levy, or anything criminal is lawyer territory. When in doubt, call a tax attorney for a 30-minute intake call before responding.
How much does it cost to hire a tax lawyer in Louisville?
$250–$425/hour for solo and small-firm KY tax work, $325–$500 at mid-size firms, and $400–$800 at BigLaw. Flat-fee work is common for OICs ($3,500–$12,500), installment agreements ($1,500–$5,000), and simple audit representation ($2,500–$10,000).
What is an Offer in Compromise and will it work for me?
An OIC is an IRS settlement program for tax debt you cannot reasonably pay in full. The IRS accepts only a fraction of OIC applications and looks at your reasonable collection potential (income, assets, expenses). It works in roughly 1 in 3 cases that meet eligibility. A good tax attorney can tell you in one call whether you are a candidate.
Will the IRS take my house?
Almost never. The IRS has legal authority to levy assets, including real estate, but takes a house only in egregious cases — usually high-income earners who have ignored years of collection notices. Most KY taxpayers can avoid asset seizure entirely with an installment agreement, OIC, or currently-not-collectible status.
How far back can the IRS audit me?
Generally 3 years from filing for a standard audit. 6 years if more than 25% of income was omitted. Unlimited if no return was filed or if fraud is alleged. For Louisville taxpayers, keep tax records and supporting documents for at least 7 years.
What is the Kentucky LLET and do I owe it?
If you have a KY LLC, LLP, or corporation, yes — even if the business made no money. The LLET has a $175 minimum annual tax. It is on top of federal income tax. KY entities file Form 720 every year.
Can I deduct my Louisville home office?
Possibly. Self-employed taxpayers may deduct a home office if it is used regularly and exclusively for business. W-2 employees lost this deduction under the 2017 TCJA. The deduction is heavily scrutinized in audits, so documentation matters.
I have not filed taxes in years — what do I do?
File. The penalty for not filing is much steeper than the penalty for not paying. The IRS will work with non-filers who come forward voluntarily; the criminal exposure is much higher for people the IRS finds first. A Louisville tax attorney can put together a multi-year filing plan and negotiate the collection side.
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
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