Harris Beach has a proven track record of successfully representing private and public sector clients in disputes with local, state and federal tax authorities. Our team members put their diverse tax backgrounds to work to assist corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates, as well as individuals and tax-exempt clients in tax controversies and litigation.
Harris Beach tax law attorneys provide strategic advice and advocacy throughout the entire tax dispute resolution process. Our attorneys handle a full range of audit defense and tax dispute matters, including business tax, employment tax, franchise tax, sales and use tax, personal and fiduciary income tax, estate tax, residency tax, civil or criminal actions involving taxing authorities, and challenges to local, state and federal tax incentives and credits. We represent clients in IRS and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance audits, conciliation conferences, petitions before the New York State Department of Tax Appeals and Tax Appeal Tribunal, and before federal and state courts, including the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division.
Harris Beach attorneys leverage their tax law experience to benefit clients involved in a diverse array of disputes with tax authorities. Our tax law team members include a former IRS in-house counsel who, through advising agents on bond audits, developed an intimate understanding of what the IRS looks for and how clients can best respond to their audits. Our team also includes a past assistant counsel to former Governor George E. Pataki who gained a distinct perspective on our clients’ tax-exempt and taxable public financing transactions from having advised the governor and senior staff on major economic development initiatives. Additionally, our team includes a former associate of a “Big 4” accounting firm who consulted with individual and corporate clients on audit defense of New York state and New York City income and net worth based franchise taxes.
On a regular basis, we proactively counsel clients to help ensure that their transactions are carefully planned to minimize tax costs and avoid potential tax controversies. Should our clients face a tax audit, we have earned a reputation for favorably resolving misunderstandings between clients and tax officials at the audit and appeals levels. Our involvement in administrative proceedings to resolve tax audits and controversies includes mitigating potential disputes before New York state and IRS involvement, voluntary disclosures, and exploring alternative dispute resolution methods as an effective option to traditional litigation when it is in the best interest of our clients.
