Don't Live in Fear: Build a Tax Action Plan

When dealing with the upper echelon of IRS and California tax collections, you must be proactive or risk the government coming in and taking action against you or your business. 

At Brotman Law, all we do is tax and high stakes tax defense. Our tax action planning process is designed to discuss your goals, analyze your risk, and to build a plan to address the government while still creating space to grow your business and to live the quality of life that you and your family deserve.

Mike S

You saved our bacon. I cannot possibly express the gratitude that I feel in plain words, so just thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Mike

Mike S.

Satisfied Client

The IRS and California Tax Collections Has Reached An Unprecedented Level of Aggressiveness in the Wake of the Pandemic

The federal government has given away more than three trillion dollars in COVID relief funds. California has been decimated economically by COVID and is facing a massive budget shortfall.  The government's plan for resolving this is devastating simple and straight forward: go after those who owe money in taxes using whatever means available. 

Let's face facts: raising taxes in a pandemic is not something that is politically popular. The short term fix for the government is either to 1) broaden the tax base or 2) increase the scope and aggressiveness of collection action. That's it. 

Recently, Charles Rossotti (former commissioner of the IRS) and Lawrence Summers (former Treasury Secretary) put forward a plan to spend an additional $100 billion dollars toward IRS enforcement. They estimate that doing that will generate more than $1.2 trillion dollars from taxpayers to fill the government's coffers. 

Translation: The IRS, desperate for cash, is making a major move to go after the tax paying population. For those that owe, 100k or more and are assigned to the "large dollar collections" unit, you can expect to face a threat like you have never seen before.

The state of California might be in even worse shape. With a pandemic that has devastated the state's economy and experiencing major drops in sales tax, hotel, and tourism taxes, California is doing everything it can to raise tax revenue. 

The biggest problem is that California's administrative tax agencies, due to high barriers to getting into and resolving issues in California state courts, virtually operate with never before seen levels of impunity. Unchecked aggression is never a good thing, but especially because California's tax collection system is designed to facilitate state revenue collection, the threat to taxpayers (particularly businesses) has not ever been this high.

Translation: If you owe taxes to the state of California, winter is coming and you need to do everything that you can to get yourself out of harm's way.

 

New York Times

There’s a Way Biden Can Raise More From the Rich Without Higher Taxes

December 22, 2020

The Wall Street

A California Plan to Chase Away the Rich, Then Keep Stalking Them

December 18, 2020

Los Angeles Times

California is Clobbering Small Businesses with a Retroactive Tax Grab

December 28, 2020

Although the outlook looks bleak in the future, a small window exists to resolve your tax liability once and for all.

Let us break this down:
You owe more than 100k to the IRS or California
and have a business.

First, let's dispel the myth that the government is going to cut you any slack

The critical flaw of thinking for alot of taxpayers is that they have to understand what is going on/will be reasonable/you can negotiate with the IRS/California just like a private party. Rather, government tax collections is a system that is set up to work for the whole rather than the needs of the individual. As harsh as it is to say, the tax man does not care about you as an individual. You are nothing more than a file to them and one of millions of people that owe money to the IRS. 

However, for as big and powerful as they are, the government has its limitations and weaknesses. You can capitalize on those for your advantage.

Make no mistake that you are dealing with two of the most powerful collection agencies in the United States. There is a reason people are afraid of the IRS. However, as powerful as they are, like all large organizations, they are constrained by certain limitations. The government cannot simply take unilateral action and the IRS is governed by systems, policies, and procedures. Understanding the system, the procedural hurdles that the government faces, and the humans that work within the tax collection system (and the functions of their job), is the way to achieve a path to resolve your tax issues once and for all. 

A smart, well-executed tax plan makes a critical difference when dealing with the government

You know that in business that uncertainty equals risk. We don't like taking risks either when our clients have their business and their ability to take care of their families at stake. If you understand how the playing field works, what the government can and cannot do, and the differences between the ways are written and the way they are enforced, then you can move across the playing field to accomplish your objectives. You may desire to pay them off as quickly as possible or you may be facing cash flow challenges and are looking for some temporary relief. Whatever your goals are, you can build a plan to accomplish your objectives while keeping the government from doing any serious harm. 

Are you really willing to gamble with the things that matter most?

The biggest problem that we see with cases that involve the IRS or California state tax collections is that the client often delays action and makes the situation that much worse. When dealing with the large dollar collections units, being proactive and going on offense is crucial. The longer you sit out in the open unprotected or try and play defense, the more you are going to expose yourself to potentially devastating collection action even your business effectively shut down by the government. 

Now ask yourself…

How much trouble could you be in?

What would you do if asked to pay all your delinquent tax obligations back, plus penalties and interest?

What is preventing you from taking action to resolve this issue once and for all?

Answer: The window is closing. In light of the risk that your business potentially faces, you need to address this now.

Request a free consultation
290px_Square_Sam

Why us? We are one of the few tax law firms that focuses on high stakes IRS and state of California collections issues.

These issues are technical and difficult to address and are a speciality within a speciality within the area of tax law. Very few firms have the experience being on the front lines of this issue and in dealing with the genesis in this area of law. In order to deal with these issues effectively, you need a legal team who understands not just how the law is written, but how it is enforced. 

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We think like business owners first, not like a lawyers.

At the end of the day, legal decisions must be analyzed within a business framework or they are of little value to an organization. Yes, the laws are harsh and the cost of compliance can seem daunting, but this is where our firm excels. You need a team that can think outside the box and who is similarly focused on cost/benefit, risk/exposure, and can help you weigh the best path moving forward. 

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We are a nationally recognized local law firm.

What do you get with us? A team small enough to provide individualized and personal service for our clients with the ability to really get to know their business. But little hinges can swing some pretty big doors. Our firm is nationally recognized for excellence in tax law and are often quoted by major media publications. We have a wide range of experience guiding organizations across industries and those who range in size from start-up to hundreds of millions in annual revenue. That lead us in 2018 to be recognized as the 14th fastest growing law firm in the United States.

 

As I like to say, our tax experience is an inch wide and a mile deep. We only focus on a few select areas in tax, but we have a depth of experience in our chosen areas of practice and in helping navigate the deep and complex waters that exist in this area of law. 

I look forward to meeting you, discussing your company's situation, and, at the very least getting you pointed in the right direction.

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Sam Brotman, On Behalf of Brotman Law

We stand by our values

Fight for Our Clients

We fight for our clients and protect our clients no matter how great the odds or insurmountable the problem seems. Tax matters take skill and strategy, but also require tenacity in certain circumstances to get the job done. At Brotman Law, we think outside the box and keep our eye on your goal. Being bold often yields the best results for our clients. 

Meet People Where They Are

People do business with people. We believe our firm embodies the firm that we would want to do business with ourselves if we had a tax issue in need of resolution. Our team treats all people with respect, empathy, and compassion. We want to meet you where you are, no matter what level, and work to get you where you want to be. 

Be a Grown-Up

At Brotman Law, everybody does their job up and down the chain of command. Egos are left at the door. We deliver on all our commitments to our clients, to our team, and to ourselves. We take 100% personal responsibility for our actions and own our mistakes when we make them. Honesty and integrity are engrained in our culture.

Be the Anti-Lawyer

What do you call 1000 lawyers swimming at the bottom of the ocean? A good start. We strive to correct the worst stereotypes and ills of our chosen professional. Being a lawyer does not put you on a pedestal. Our team members are authentic, easy to communicate, and real. We have lives and families outside of the office and are human beings while we are in it. 

Request a Risk Assessment

When dealing with the upper echelon of IRS and California tax collections, you must be proactive or risk the government coming in and taking action against you or your business. 

At Brotman Law, all we do is tax and high stakes tax defense. Our tax action planning process is designed to discuss your goals, analyze your risk, and to build a plan to address the government while still creating space to grow your business and to live the quality of life that you and your family deserve. 

What to expect:

  • A member of our client concierge team will contact you to go through our intake process. We will take a small deposit from you in order to hold your spot on the calendar.
  • You will receive a secure folder through our client portal where you can upload any notices that you received, tax returns or other pieces of information. 
  • Our appointment is a not a traditional "consult" working meeting, whether in office, through Zoom or teleconference. In an hour, we are going to do a deep dive into the issues and build a tangible step-by-step plan to resolve your matter. 
  • Upon request, we are happy to provide a written summary of the plan after our meeting. We can also do a follow up call with any other key people in your organization, with other professional advisors, or your spouse.
  • Although a written game plan is the start of every matter in our firm, this planning process is meant to be a standalone thing.  While we are happy to represent you further, if it makes sense to do so, there is no further obligation to our firm after you receive your plan. 
  • Our tax action planning process is completely risk free. We are so confident in the quality of our work that we offer 110% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied or if we are unable to complete your plan.