Flat-fee consultations from a tax attorney with U.S. Tax Court experience. Get an honest analysis of your situation, your real options — including when you can handle things yourself — and a practical roadmap forward. No pressure, no obligation, no surprises.
Search for help with an IRS notice and you'll find no shortage of national tax resolution companies ready to take your call — along with a substantial fee just to tell you whether you qualify for relief.
Many national tax relief companies charge $1,500–$5,000 or more in upfront "investigation," "enrollment," or "assessment" fees just to determine whether you qualify for an Offer in Compromise, penalty abatement, or installment arrangement.
This fee is paidbeforemeaningful work begins. Before you know if the program fits your situation. Before anyone explains whether you actually need full representation at all. High-pressure tactics and limited transparency on alternatives are common.
The IRS itself provides a freeOffer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier toolat IRS.gov. Many issues — penalty relief requests, installment agreements, examination correspondence — can be advanced with targeted guidance rather than a full power-of-attorney engagement.
For Tax Court disputes of $50,000 or less, Congress specifically created a simplified "small case" procedure that thousands of taxpayers navigate without full representation — and often successfully.
How the Two Models Compare
| Factor | Traditional Large-Firm Model | Focused Consultation Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to assess eligibility & options | $1,500–$5,000+ upfront, before work begins | Flat fee — one session covers the full picture |
| Pressure for full engagement | High — their business model depends on it | None — you decide what, if anything, comes next |
| Transparency on self-help options | Rarely discussed | Central to every consultation |
| Use of official IRS tools & portals | Varies widely | Core to the analysis in every session |
| Time to get a clear picture | Weeks, after fees are paid | During or immediately after your session |
| Tax Court small case discussion | Rarely — not their primary focus | Yes, including honest pro se viability assessment |
| Status as legal advice | "Free consultations" are typically not legal advice — case-screening calls that create no attorney-client relationship | A paid session that IS legal advice — attorney-client relationship formed at booking, advice specific to your facts |
My practice is built on a simple premise: you should understand your situation and your options before committing to any expensive engagement — including one with me. The consultation model exists to give you exactly that.
For deficiency disputes of $50,000 or less per year, you can elect the Small Tax Case procedure — a less formal process with relaxed evidence rules, more trial locations, and faster resolution in many cases.
The vast majority of Tax Court cases settle before trial. A focused consultation can help you evaluate whether to file, prepare a strong petition, organize evidence, understand settlement dynamics, and decide when — and whether — professional representation adds real value to your specific situation.
The IRS online account portal gives taxpayers direct access to transcripts, payment history, balance information, and correspondence — often within minutes. Official digital tools cover OIC pre-screening, installment agreements, penalty relief, innocent spouse claims, and more.
Many issues can be meaningfully advanced before anyone needs full power of attorney. A consultation maps exactly which tools apply to your situation, how to use them, and what to watch out for along the way.
AI can organize documents, draft responses to IRS correspondence, research procedures and cases, and summarize complex notices. Used carefully, these tools can be powerful supplements to professional analysis.
In a consultation, I can show you how to use AI tools safely and effectively for your situation, review any AI-generated drafts, and provide the judgment calls these tools cannot make on their own — giving you professional-level support at a fraction of traditional representation costs for appropriate cases.
Two formats, both flat-fee, both with no obligation for further engagement. Choose based on the complexity of your matter and how much you want to cover in a single session.
Many law firms and tax resolution companies advertise free initial consultations that are explicitlynotlegal advice. They're case-screening calls: a way to assess whether your matter is a good fit for the firm. No attorney-client relationship is formed. No advice specific to your facts is given. Our flat-fee sessions are fundamentally different. You receive substantive legal advice tailored to your specific documents and situation, an attorney-client relationship is formed at booking, and the conversation is driven entirely by your needs — not by whether you qualify for a larger engagement with us.
A focused review of your IRS issue — ideal for initial notices, straightforward questions, or confirming whether a deeper dive is warranted before you commit more time.
A thorough, document-informed analysis of your controversy matter. Leaves you with a clear roadmap, prioritized action items, and confidence about every path forward.
Common issues covered:IRS audits & appeals · collection actions (liens, levies, OIC, installment agreements) · Tax Court petitions including small cases · penalty abatement & first-time relief · trust fund recovery penalties · innocent spouse relief · IRS examination correspondence. Not sure if your matter fits? Book a session — we'll assess it together.
Choose your session length, pick a time that works, and pay the flat fee securely at checkout.
Receive a secure link to share IRS notices, transcripts, or correspondence ahead of your session.
We meet via secure video or phone — or in-person where available — and work through your specific situation.
Get a written follow-up with key points, action items, useful resources, and recommended next steps.
No pressure. You choose what comes next — self-help, a limited engagement, full representation, or nothing further.
The issues below represent the most common tax problems that bring people to London & Paris. Each one involves rules and procedures where getting clear, accurate information early makes a real difference — in the options still available to you, in how much you ultimately pay, and in whether you're pursuing the right strategy for your specific facts. A consultation is a practical starting point for any of them. In many cases, it's all you need. In others, it clarifies whether more involved representation is warranted, what that would look like, and whether the value justifies the cost.
An Offer in Compromise allows eligible taxpayers to settle their federal tax debt for less than the full amount owed — when paying in full would create genuine financial hardship, when there is legitimate doubt about the legal liability itself, or when other narrow circumstances apply. The IRS evaluates OIC submissions based on a detailed analysis of your income, assets, living expenses, and future earning capacity, measured against its own Collection Financial Standards.
Nationally advertised "OIC mills" frequently submit offers on behalf of clients with limited regard for realistic acceptance rates. The IRS rejects a significant portion of submitted offers, and many taxpayers who paid large upfront fees receive no meaningful resolution. What you include in your financial statement — and how you present it — can materially affect both the outcome and the offer amount.
The IRS publishes a free OIC Pre-Qualifier tool at IRS.gov as a rough starting point. A consultation can go further: translating your actual financial picture against the IRS's formulas, comparing an OIC against alternatives like installment agreements or currently-not-collectible status, and — if an OIC is genuinely your best path — walking through exactly what a credible submission would require.
If you owe the IRS and don't qualify for an OIC, an installment agreement allows you to pay your balance over time. The terms available to you depend on how much you owe and your financial situation. Balances under $50,000, payable within six years, typically qualify for a "streamlined" agreement with no detailed financial disclosure required. Balances above $50,000 — or situations where you can't afford the streamlined minimum payment — require submitting a Collection Information Statement, and the same principle applies: what you include and how you frame it significantly affects the monthly amount the IRS can demand.
Oregon Department of Revenue installment agreements operate on far more aggressive terms. State payment plans are generally limited to 12 months regardless of the balance owed, and the DOR has significantly less discretion than the IRS. London & Paris has direct litigation experience against the Oregon DOR, including establishing legal precedent regarding the Tax Court's jurisdiction over DOR collection decisions and successfully challenging assessments made in bad faith.
If you're dealing with both federal and Oregon state tax debt, the strategies for each are distinct and need to be addressed separately — not as a single negotiation.
IRS penalties for late filing and late payment accumulate quickly. A 5% monthly failure-to-file penalty, a 0.5% monthly failure-to-pay penalty, and accruing interest can turn a manageable tax debt into one that feels unmanageable. In many cases, these penalties can be substantially reduced or eliminated entirely through penalty abatement — and this is often one of the most cost-effective forms of tax relief available.
Two primary relief mechanisms exist. First-Time Abatement is an administrative waiver available to taxpayers with a clean compliance history who have filed all required returns, paid or arranged to pay any remaining tax, and are requesting abatement for the first time. It's one of the most underutilized forms of relief — many taxpayers who qualify simply don't know to ask for it. Reasonable Cause relief is available when your failure to comply resulted from circumstances outside your control: serious illness, death of a close family member, natural disaster, or other events that prevented timely compliance despite good-faith effort. The standard is more than inconvenience — you must demonstrate that you exercised ordinary care and prudence.
The sequence and framing of a penalty relief request matters. Filing one at the wrong time, or without the right supporting documentation, can reduce your chances of success or foreclose other relief options.
If an IRS audit concludes with a proposed increase to your taxes — issued as a Notice of Deficiency — you have the right to challenge it in the U.S. Tax Court before paying any of the disputed amount. This is one of the most significant taxpayer rights in the tax code, and it carries strict deadlines: you typically have 90 days from the date of the Notice of Deficiency to file a petition. Missing that deadline generally closes Tax Court as an option permanently.
For disputes of $50,000 or less per tax year, the Small Tax Case procedure provides a simplified, less formal process — relaxed evidentiary rules, more available trial locations, and a faster timeline in many cases. A significant number of small case petitioners represent themselves successfully, particularly with proper preparation and a realistic understanding of the settlement process. The vast majority of Tax Court cases — small and regular alike — settle before trial during the pre-trial period through negotiation with IRS Chief Counsel attorneys.
Under certain circumstances, you may also petition the Tax Court to review IRS collection actions — liens, levies, and rejected collection alternatives — through Collection Due Process hearings. This is a separate but related avenue for protecting your rights when the IRS is pursuing active collection.
Many taxpayers don't realize that federal income tax debts can sometimes be discharged in bankruptcy — eliminated entirely, rather than negotiated or paid. The rules are highly technical and often misunderstood, but for those who qualify, bankruptcy can provide a more complete resolution than any IRS collection alternative.
As a general framework, a federal income tax debt may be eligible for discharge if three primary timing conditions are met: (i) the tax return for the relevant year was due — including any extensions — at least three years before the bankruptcy filing date; (ii) the return was actually filed at least two years before filing; and (iii) the IRS assessed the tax at least 240 days before filing. These rules sound simple but involve significant technical complexity — IRS collection activities, pending offers in compromise, and prior bankruptcy cases can all toll or reset the relevant clocks in ways that require careful analysis.
Certain categories of tax debt are generally not dischargeable regardless of timing: trust fund taxes (the employee portion of withheld payroll taxes), taxes associated with fraud or willful evasion, and taxes for which no return was ever filed. Every jurisdiction also applies slightly different rules, and this area of law continues to evolve.
Tax attorney with a Master of Laws in Taxation from NYU School of Law. I focus on giving taxpayers honest, practical advice tailored to their actual facts and resources — not a one-size-fits-all pitch.
My practice includes representing clients before the U.S. Tax Court, handling IRS audits and collection matters, and working through complex tax controversy issues for individuals and small businesses. [Add years of experience or notable practice highlights here.]
I built this consultation model because I've seen too many people pay large sums just to get a basic picture of their situation — often before learning that a far simpler or less expensive path was available. Not every IRS problem requires a $5,000 retainer. But every IRS problem deserves a clear-eyed, experienced assessment.
Whether you end up representing yourself, hiring me, or going somewhere else, a session with me is designed to make sure you're making that choice with accurate, complete information.
Results vary significantly by case and circumstances. What clients consistently report is feeling more informed, less overwhelmed, and better positioned to make decisions about their situation.
"I had been quoted $4,000 upfront by two different resolution companies just to 'begin.' In 60 minutes with Dominic, I understood my options clearly — including that I was a solid candidate to handle the Tax Court small case process myself with some preparation. That session saved me thousands."
"I received an IRS notice and panicked. Dominic walked through exactly what the notice meant, what the IRS was actually asking, and what my realistic options were. I left the call with an action plan instead of anxiety. Worth every penny."
"I appreciated that Dominic was straightforward about when I could handle something myself and when I genuinely needed professional help. He didn't try to sell me on a big engagement. That honesty is rare — and it's exactly what I needed to make a smart decision."
Testimonials are anonymized or used with permission. Individual results vary. Past outcomes do not guarantee future results. See full disclaimer below.
Yes — unambiguously. These are attorney consultations that form an attorney-client relationship and provide legal advice specific to your facts, documents, and situation.
This is worth stating clearly, because it distinguishes our model from a very common practice. Many law firms — including tax-focused practices — advertise "free 15-minute consultations" or "free case evaluations." These offers almost always include a disclaimer that the call does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. In practice, they are intake and screening calls: the firm is evaluating whether your matter is a good fit for their services. You may speak with a paralegal or intake coordinator rather than an attorney. The advice you receive, if any, is general rather than specific to your situation.
Our flat-fee sessions are the opposite of that model. You are paying for — and receiving — actual legal advice from a licensed attorney who has reviewed your documents. The engagement terms at booking confirm the attorney-client relationship. What you take away from the session is professional legal analysis specific to your case.
A single session with a tax attorney who gives straight answers is almost always the most cost-effective first step — whether your situation is straightforward or genuinely complex. Flat fee. No obligation. No surprises.