Got an IRS audit notice, a back-tax balance, or a Tax Court summons? The 7 Austin tax lawyers below handle federal income, employment, and payroll tax controversy, Texas franchise tax, audits, offers in compromise, and Tax Court litigation.
Updated 2026-05-08
Texas has no state income tax for individuals, which removes a large piece of tax-controversy work that lawyers in California or New York handle. What remains in Austin is mostly federal — IRS audits, collections (liens, levies, garnishments), offers in compromise, installment agreements, innocent spouse relief, payroll tax for businesses, and U.S. Tax Court litigation. Texas franchise tax (the state's quasi-income tax on businesses) is the main state-level tax controversy.
Most Austin tax-lawyer work falls into two phases. First, the resolution phase — figuring out what the IRS is alleging, what the actual numbers look like, and what relief (offer in compromise, installment agreement, currently-not-collectible status, penalty abatement) makes sense. Second, the litigation phase — petitioning U.S. Tax Court (90 days from a Notice of Deficiency), appealing within the IRS, or in extreme cases litigating in U.S. District Court or Court of Federal Claims.
Picking the right lawyer matters because the IRS is procedural. A lawyer who handles 50+ IRS audits a year knows the local Austin IRS office personnel and the specific revenue officers who tend to be assigned to your size of case. Pick a firm that has either a CPA-attorney (Mondrik & Associates, Blazier) or a former IRS or DOJ Tax attorney (Brown PC) on the team for sophisticated matters. For straightforward resolution work, Stearns and Schultz are well-known in Austin.
Practice focus: Federal and state tax controversy, IRS audits, Texas franchise tax, sales tax. Christina A. Mondrik is a board-certified tax law specialist, CPA, and past chair of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section.
Practice focus: Tax planning, IRS controversy, tax-efficient business structures and compensation plans, estate and gift tax. Long-running Austin tax boutique.
Practice focus: IRS audits, offers in compromise, installment agreements, innocent spouse relief, currently-not-collectible status, audit appeals. 26+ years of litigation and IRS work in Austin.
Practice focus: Federal income and employment tax controversy, payroll tax, IRS negotiations, tax-driven bankruptcy. Austin firm serving individuals and businesses since 2000.
Practice focus: IRS audit defense, tax debt relief, criminal tax defense, U.S. Tax Court litigation. National tax-resolution firm with an Austin presence; lead attorney Chad Silver is a multi-year Super Lawyer.
Practice focus: Sophisticated federal tax controversy, civil and criminal IRS matters, international tax compliance (FBAR, OVDP). Texas firm with Austin coverage; partners have IRS and DOJ Tax backgrounds.
Practice focus: Federal tax planning and controversy, partnership tax, state and local tax, IRS exam representation. Texas regional firm with Austin office and broad business-tax bench.
Ranges from real Austin firms, current to 2026. Government and filing fees billed separately and pass through at cost.
30–60 minute review of CP2000, audit notice, or collection notice with action plan.
Through audit conclusion. Range scales with audit scope and document volume.
Form 656 preparation, financial-statement substantiation, IRS negotiation. Usually flat fee.
For balances requiring Form 433-F or 433-A and IRS Revenue Officer negotiation.
Form 8857 preparation, hearing representation if denied initially.
Letter request or Form 843. Usually highly cost-effective.
From petition through trial. Most cases settle in IRS Appeals before trial.
Texas Comptroller audit defense, redetermination hearings, briefing.
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