When you need a Fort Worth tax & irs lawyer
A tax lawyer steps between you and the IRS. They handle audits, fight or negotiate tax debt, stop or release liens and levies, file back returns, and represent you in U.S. Tax Court if a dispute cannot be settled. Unlike a CPA, a tax attorney can litigate and protect your communications with attorney-client privilege, which matters when penalties or criminal exposure are on the table.
A Fort Worth tax lawyer responds to IRS notices, requests audit reconsideration or appeals, negotiates installment agreements and offers in compromise, and files Tax Court petitions when needed. Because Texas has no state income tax, your lawyer focuses on federal IRS matters and, for businesses, the Texas franchise tax.
Talk to a Fort Worth lawyer who handles this if any of the following fits your situation.
- The IRS is auditing you or your business.
- You owe back taxes you cannot pay all at once.
- The IRS filed a tax lien or threatened to levy your accounts or wages.
- You have several years of unfiled tax returns.
- You received a notice of deficiency and have a deadline to respond.
- You want to settle tax debt through an offer in compromise.
- You are facing trust-fund or payroll-tax penalties as a business owner.
- You are worried an audit could turn into a criminal investigation.
- You disagree with an IRS decision and may need to go to Tax Court.
How a Fort Worth IRS matter actually moves
Step 1 is reviewing the IRS notices and pulling your account transcripts to see exactly what the IRS thinks you owe and why. Step 2: stop the bleeding, requesting a hold on collection, releasing a wrongful levy, or setting up a short-term plan. Step 3: fix the underlying problem, filing back returns, challenging an audit, or building an offer in compromise or installment agreement. Step 4: if the dispute cannot be resolved with the IRS, file a petition in the U.S. Tax Court within the deadline on your notice. Step 5: resolution, a payment plan, a settlement, or a litigated outcome.
What this typically costs in Fort Worth
$250-$500
Typical hourly rate
$2,500-$6,000
Offer in compromise / settlement work
Per matter
Audit representation
Free / paid
Initial consult varies
Fort Worth tax lawyers commonly bill $250 to $500 an hour. Defined projects are often flat-fee or quoted per matter: an offer in compromise or structured settlement frequently runs $2,500 to $6,000, while audit representation and Tax Court work depend on complexity. Be cautious with national tax-relief companies that promise to settle pennies on the dollar; a local attorney will give you a straight assessment first. Ask for a clear fee estimate before you commit.
What is specific about tax problems in Texas
- No state income tax. Texas has no state income tax, so nearly all individual tax disputes here are federal IRS matters rather than state ones.
- Businesses face the franchise tax. Texas businesses may owe the state franchise (margin) tax administered by the Texas Comptroller, a separate issue from federal income tax.
- Disputes go to the U.S. Tax Court. If you cannot resolve a deficiency with the IRS, you petition the U.S. Tax Court, which holds sessions in Texas, generally within 90 days of a notice of deficiency.
- Refund suits go to federal court. Some tax cases proceed as refund suits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, which sits in Fort Worth, or the Court of Federal Claims.
- The IRS has a 10-year collection window. The IRS generally has ten years to collect an assessed tax, a deadline that affects strategy on installment agreements and offers in compromise.