From 2019-2020 Mr. Pontius served as the Co-Chair for the monthly Tax Practice and Procedure Round Table for the Section on Taxation of the Federal Bar Association. Speakers included senior officials from the IRS and Department of Justice Tax Division as well as leading tax attorneys. Topics included U.S. Tax Court Jurisdiction, A Discussion on the Use of the Crime Fraud Exception to the Attorney-Client Privilege in Criminal Tax Investigations, Civil Tax Enforcement Priorities, Fireside Chat with the former Chief of the Department of Justice Tax Division’s Appellate Section, Current Issues in FBAR Litigation, Practical Implications of the Current Pandemic on Tax Controversy Work as well as Tax Legislative Updates.

From 2012-2019, Mr. Pontius served as the Co-Chair of the Tax Section of the Bar Association of Montgomery County Maryland. Mr. Pontius wrote articles for the newsletter on recent tax developments. He led meetings on tax topics and coordinated Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes on technical tax topics. The following list is a summary of his recent speaking engagements.

  • Fundamentals and Hot Topics in State / Federal Tax Controversy, Advanced Tax Institute, Maryland State Bar Association and Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, November 2022
  • Tax, Energy, and Audit Implications of the Inflation Reduction Act, Maryland State Bar Association, September 2022
  • IRS Collections, CSEDs, DOJ Reducing Assessments to Judgment and Enforcement Suits, Federal Bar Association, Section on Taxation, Tax Practice and Procedure Roundtable, April 2022
  • When Immigration Meets Tax, Maryland State Bar Association, Immigration Section Conference, May 2021

  • Update on IRS Administrative and Litigation Collection Efforts, Federal Bar Association, Section on Taxation, Tax Practice and Procedure Roundtable, February 2021

  • The Basics of FIRPTA Withholding for G-4 Visa Holders, PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union, July 2020, September 2019 and October 2018
  • Hot Topics for Closely Held Businesses, American Bar Association, Tax Section, May Meeting, June 2020
  • What It is Worth; Judicial Deference to IRS Guidance and Other Authority on Which We Reply, DC Bar, New Tax Practitioner Series, May 2020
  • Nuts and Bolts Collections Part VI: Collection Due Process, American Bar Association Tax Section, February 2020
  • Accounting and Bookkeeping for Solo and Small Law Firms, The Law Entrepreneur Podcast, November 2019
  • Accounting 101 for Lawyers, Maryland State Bar Association, Solo Summit, November 2019
  • Liens, Levies, and Collection Alternatives with the IRS and Maryland, Maryland State Bar Association, Montgomery County/ Prince George’s County Tax Study Group, October 2019
  • Liens, Levies, and Collection Alternatives with the IRS and Maryland, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, September 2019 and January 2019
  • Demystifying IRS Letters While Resolving IRS Liens and Levies, Annual Meeting of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, May 2019
  • Updates on Denial or Revocation of US Passport for Seriously Delinquent Tax Debtors, DC Bar, March 2019
  • The Impact of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on the Taxation of Individuals, Annual Tax Law Conference of the Federal Bar Association, March 2019
  • Techniques for Maximizing Charitable Giving, Maryland Society of Accounting and Tax Professionals, December 2018
  • An Overview of Civil and Criminal Tax Litigation for Accountants, Maryland Chapter of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, November 2018
  • Getting Tax Documents from Uncle Sam: Tips for the Tax Practitioner, Maryland Society of Accounting and Tax Professionals, November 2018
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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