The collection of taxes is one of the central roles of the IRS and state taxing authorities. In order to fund the government, as well as the programs they support, the IRS and its state equivalents must ensure that all taxpayers are reporting and paying what is required of them. Because the burden is largely on the taxpayer, there are times when genuine mistakes or oversights cause someone to be out of compliance. In these situations, Pontius Tax Law is available to advise on your next steps.

If you face a tax controversy or disclosure issue, now is the time to seek out the help of a committed tax law firm that offers trust and value. A Bethesda tax attorney can help you efficiently and effectively resolve these issues.

FBAR and FATCA Compliance

FBAR—which is more formally known as Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Assets—is a form used by the Treasury Department to secure the reporting of assets held in overseas financial accounts. Taxpayers—including citizens, businesses, and even lawful permanent residents—are required to complete additional documents regarding these accounts alongside their standard tax returns, including those listed under FATCA.

Compliance is mandatory but a Bethesda tax attorney could offer insight on how to resolve delinquency issues when these reports are not made on time. This may require the taxpayer to take part in an offshore disclosure program.

IRS Audits and Investigations

The prospect of an IRS audit or a dispute over a tax bill can seem daunting for most people. The good news is that it can be possible to resolve this without facing lengthy or difficult disputes with the IRS. An attorney in Bethesda could guide a taxpayer through an audit and potentially appeal the decision if they believe the judgment was in error.

Some audits may lead the IRS to open an investigation into tax fraud and evasion. These cases could result in criminal prosecution but there are opportunities to address any good-faith errors and prevent this from happening.

Other Tax Issues in Bethesda

There are many ways for the IRS to collect on the tax debt they are owed. Two of the tools they are most likely to use are liens and levies. Liens are placed on assets like real property, which cannot be sold as long as the lien is in effect. Levies apply to financial accounts and can be used to siphon funds to pay tax bills. A Bethesda tax controversy lawyer could help negotiate the release of liens or levies and the repayment of a tax obligation on favorable terms, sometimes through an installment agreement or an offer in compromise.

If a business fails to remit the trust fund taxes that they withhold from employees’ paychecks, the IRS can also impose liens and levies against the business until the debt is paid. Additionally, the IRS can hold business owners personally responsible for these underpayments, as well as enforce collections on them.

Contact a Bethesda Tax Attorney Today

There are many ways that Pontius Tax Law could assist you, depending on your needs. While many taxpayers find themselves needing to resolve a collection effort or disclose foreign financial assets, legal counsel is generally not needed unless there is $50,000 or more at issue. The larger the assets, the more value we can provide.

You deserve skilled guidance in order to avoid conflict with the IRS. Call a Bethesda tax attorney for a confidential consultation.

Attorney John Pontius

Pontius Tax Law, PLLC is a tax law firm that strives to resolve sensitive tax problems through trust, dedication and value. The law firm was founded by John Pontius with offices in Washington, DC,  Rockville, MD, Bethesda, MD, Fairfax, VA, and Alexandria, VA. Mr. Pontius represents individual and business clients with sensitive and serious tax matters before the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. His client base is local, national, and international.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Pontius has represented businesses and individuals with complex tax issues in the following areas: FBAR examinations, offshore and domestic disclosures, FATCA, FIRPTA, tax planning, unfiled tax returns, release of tax liens and levies, trust fund recovery penalty, IRS and state audit examinations, as well as appeals, penalty abatement, U.S. Tax Court litigation, along with defense of tax fraud and evasion. If you require assistance from a tax lawyer, contact Mr. Pontius to discuss your situation.

Testimonials
Client Reviews
John helped us with a DC tax audit and succeeded in getting us a "no change" final decision. The issues were related to two flow-through entities and the use of carry-forward operating losses -- something that the DC auditors struggled to understand and with which they did not have any...
Paul A
Mr. Pontius is extremely professional and was able to take care of my tax returns which includes international bank accounts quickly and at a very reasonable price. Would definitely recommend.
Karl
I received a fee this past November from the IRS for over $800 because of an error I made on my 2016 taxes. I called my cousin, John Pontius, and he immediately knew what steps needed to be taken. Thanks to him, the fee was cleared. A 10 minute conversation...
A.K.
As an American citizen living in the Middle East my local banker informed me that I needed to file FBARs and report my worldwide income to the IRS. Through the recommendation of another attorney at an international law firm, I was introduced to John Pontius. Mr. Pontius efficiently and effectively...
Kareem S
John handled a difficult IRS lien for my client. He was excellent in getting the lien released so we could close on the property. I would highly recommend John .
Bobbie M
We were seeking tax advice with managing two properties, LLC, as well as some future financial planning. John responded to my call in a timely manner and was happy to answer our questions while referring us to specialists who can manage our accounts on a more regular basis.
Janelle M
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