Best Tax Attorneys in San Francisco

FAQs

• Where does the Tax Court hold trial sessions closest to San Francisco, California?

  The closest trial location is Rooms 2-1408 of the Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102.

• Where is the low-income taxpayer clinic that is closest to San Francisco, California?

  The closest low-income taxpayer clinic is the Justice & Diversity Center of The Bar Association of San Francisco, located at 201 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105.

• What are the different types of IRS audits in San Francisco?

  With varying levels of invasiveness and scrutiny, IRS audits in San Francisco can either be correspondence, field, or office audits. While correspondence audits are conducted through written communication, phone, and emails, office audits require the taxpayer to go to an IRS office. Field audits are the most serious of the three, as the IRS will come to the taxpayer’s home or place of business.

• Can San Francisco sales tax audits be appealed?

  Sales tax audits in San Francisco can be appealed after the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration closes the case and sends a Notice of Determination. However, the taxpayer must file a petition within 30 days of receiving this notice. These types of audits are generally triggered when a business has been underpaying sales taxes.

• What assets can be seized in an IRS collection in San Francisco?

  Those in San Francisco who are subject to collection activities from the IRS may have their bank account, wages, and retirement savings seized. Liens and levies may also be imposed on assets such as one’s house, car, and accounts receivables of their business. Before all this, however, taxpayers are given the opportunity to challenge IRS collections through a Collection Due Process Hearing.

• How are San Francisco criminal tax investigations initiated?

  When an IRS auditor or officer suspects a San Francisco taxpayer to be guilty of fraud, tax evasion, or other such criminal activities, they will be investigated by the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division. The process might take months or even years. If there is sufficient evidence to recommend prosecution, the case will be referred to the United States Department of Justice.

• What are the penalties for San Francisco tax evasion?

  Individuals in San Francisco who have been found guilty of tax evasion may face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, as well as fines as high as $100,000. Because tax evasion is a felony and remains on one’s criminal record, those convicted may also encounter difficulties landing employment, securing loans, renting certain properties, and traveling abroad.