An IRS letter or an Arizona Department of Revenue notice is stressful, but it's usually fixable with the right help. The firms below handle tax controversy and planning in Phoenix — audits, back taxes, liens and levies, and the business-tax questions that come with Arizona's flat income tax and Transaction Privilege Tax.
Not every tax issue needs an attorney — a CPA can handle most filing and routine notices. You want a tax lawyer when there's a dispute or real exposure: an audit that's going badly, a large balance you can't pay, a lien or levy, payroll-tax trouble, or anything where the words "fraud" or "criminal" could come up. A lawyer also gives you attorney-client privilege a preparer can't.
Federal problems run through the IRS, and the tools are well-worn: installment agreements, offers in compromise, penalty abatement, audit representation, and Tax Court litigation when a deficiency is wrong. On the state side, Arizona has a flat 2.5% individual income tax — among the lowest in the country — administered by the Arizona Department of Revenue, which handles its own audits and collections.
For businesses, Arizona's Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) is the usual source of trouble. TPT is the state's sales-tax equivalent, owed by the business, and Phoenix layers its own city TPT on top. Misclassified transactions and missed TPT filings drive a lot of Arizona business-tax disputes, so a Phoenix tax attorney who knows TPT is worth the call.
One of Arizona's best-known tax and estate firms. Handles IRS and Arizona Department of Revenue controversies, audits, and business-tax planning. The firm to consider when a tax dispute has real money or exposure on the line.
A long-established downtown Phoenix firm handling business contracts, entity formation, real estate, employment, tax, and public law for Arizona companies and public agencies. A practical mid-size alternative to the national firms when you want senior attention without AmLaw rates.
Resolution-focused practice handling IRS problems — back taxes, audits, liens, levies, installment agreements, and offers in compromise. A fit for individuals and small businesses trying to get out from under a tax debt.
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Tax-resolution work is often handled flat-fee by the project: roughly $2,500-$7,500 for an offer in compromise or a complex installment agreement, less for penalty abatement or a single notice response.
Audit defense and tax litigation are usually billed hourly at $300-$600/hour at established Phoenix tax firms, higher at the national firms. Business-tax planning is typically hourly.
The right comparison isn't the fee in isolation — it's the fee against the tax, penalties, and interest a good resolution can remove. On a large balance, representation usually pays for itself.
A single notice response or penalty-abatement request can resolve in weeks to a few months. An installment agreement is often set up relatively quickly once the paperwork is in.
An offer in compromise typically takes the IRS 6-12 months to evaluate. An audit can run several months to over a year depending on scope and how it's handled.
U.S. Tax Court litigation, if a deficiency has to be challenged, can run a year or more, though many cases settle with IRS counsel before trial.
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