Fees
How every fee is set, before you ask
Each fee is per matter, agreed in an engagement letter, and covers what's listed and nothing else.
A notice review
A written answer about one IRS letter, with transcripts for up to three years and a written plan. One fee per notice, paid up front. Replying to the IRS is a separate matter.
An audit
Every letter and meeting on a mail or office audit of a personal return, and an administrative appeal. Each tax year is its own fee.
Tax debt and offers
A payment plan or penalty relief request is one fee per plan, with a levy release request if you need one. An offer in compromise is quoted on its own.
Business and estate matters
A business matter is one fee per notice or audit year, with the owner interview. An estate or portability return is one fee per return, with a year of IRS questions.
Never part of our fees: the IRS's own fees, appraisals, other professionals' fees, a Tax Court case, and anything you owe the IRS.
Why flat
A flat fee next to an hourly retainer
Many lawyers bill tax work by the hour. Here's what changes when the price is fixed.
| An hourly retainer | Our flat fee | |
|---|---|---|
| What you know on day one | An hourly retainerThe hourly rate | Our flat feeThe whole price |
| A call to ask a question | An hourly retainerBilled in minutes | Our flat feeIncluded |
| The IRS takes longer | An hourly retainerMore hours | Our flat feeSame price |
| Up-front payment | An hourly retainerA deposit drawn down | Our flat feeHalf to start, half at the closing |
| A second tax year | An hourly retainerAdded to the bill | Our flat feeQuoted before any work |
Questions
About paying us
When do I pay?
Half when you sign the engagement letter and half when the matter closes. For the notice review, the whole fee up front.
Can I pay over time?
Yes, for most services: we can split the fee into monthly payments, set out in the engagement letter.
What if my matter turns out bigger?
If the IRS adds a year or opens a new issue, we quote the added work before doing any of it. You decide whether to go ahead.
Do you refund the fee if the result is bad?
No. The fee pays for the work, and no lawyer can promise what the IRS will decide. We tell you honestly at the start what's likely.
Not sure which one fits?
Tell us about the letter. On a 20-minute video call we'll name the service and its price.