California Tax Defense — Spring Valley, San Diego County
Spring Valley Tax Attorney
I represent clients from Spring Valley from my office in San Diego. Spring Valley is a community with a lot of working families, small businesses, and independent contractors — and the tax disputes that come from that mix are real and specific. IRS collection notices, FTB demands, EDD payroll tax audits, CDTFA sales tax issues. Brotman Law has handled over 2,500 tax matters. If you’ve received something and you’re trying to figure out what it means, book a free 15-minute call and I’ll give you a straight answer.
Tax Problems in the Spring Valley Community
Spring Valley’s economy is a mix — construction and trades, retail, food service, healthcare workers, and a significant number of people who work in multiple states or do gig-economy work. Tax problems in this community often trace back to a few sources: payroll tax underpayments from cash-intensive businesses, unreported self-employment income that’s caught by automated IRS matching, FTB income tax assessments from late or unfiled returns, and EDD classification disputes for businesses using independent contractors in trades work.
None of these problems are unusual and none of them are unsolvable. What matters is getting proper legal representation early rather than late. Learn more about Brotman Law’s San Diego tax practice.
IRS Audits and Collections — What We Handle for Spring Valley Clients
An IRS notice is the beginning of a legal process. Whether it’s a CP2000 automated underreporter notice or a full field examination with a revenue agent, the government is initiating a dispute over your tax liability. The response strategy — what you produce, what you say, and when you push back — shapes the outcome.
We handle the full range of IRS matters:
- CP2000 and other automated underreporter notices
- Correspondence audits and field examinations
- IRS collections — federal tax liens, levies, wage garnishments
- Collection Due Process (CDP) hearings under IRC § 6320 and § 6330
- Installment agreements and partial-pay installment agreements
- Offers in Compromise
- Currently not collectible (CNC) status
- Penalty abatement — first-time abatement and reasonable cause
- Trust fund recovery penalty (TFRP) defense under IRC § 6672
- Tax Court petitions and IRS Appeals
- Innocent spouse relief under IRC § 6015
If you’ve received a 90-day letter (Notice of Deficiency) and haven’t responded, the clock is running on your Tax Court rights. Call us now if you’re in that window.
FTB, EDD, and CDTFA — California State Tax
California state tax agencies operate on separate tracks from the IRS — and California’s enforcement tools are among the most aggressive in the country. The FTB can levy bank accounts and garnish wages. The CDTFA can revoke seller’s permits. EDD can assess personal liability against business owners for unpaid payroll taxes. None of these require a court order first.
For Spring Valley clients, we handle:
- FTB income tax audits and proposals for additional assessment
- FTB protests and appeals to the California Office of Tax Appeals (OTA)
- FTB collection holds, lien releases, and payment arrangements
- EDD payroll tax audits and worker classification (employee vs. independent contractor)
- CDTFA sales and use tax audits and petitions for redetermination
AB5 has made worker classification a live issue for California businesses in construction, trucking, entertainment, and other industries. EDD uses the ABC test to determine whether workers are employees, and the burden of proof is on the business to show otherwise. If you’re in a classification-heavy industry, it’s worth getting a legal review before an EDD audit opens.
Criminal Tax Defense
If an IRS special agent has contacted you, that is a criminal investigation — not an audit. IRS Criminal Investigation works cases involving tax evasion, filing false returns, unreported foreign accounts, and related conduct. The right response: speak with an attorney before responding to anyone. Attorney-client privilege protects your communications with counsel. Nothing else does.
I hold an LL.M. in Taxation. Let’s talk before you respond to anything from CI.
Getting Started from Spring Valley
The first call is 15 minutes, free, no commitment. I’ll tell you what I think you’re dealing with and what the realistic options are. My office is at 12636 High Bluff Drive, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92130. Phone: 619-378-3138. Most work is handled by phone and secure document exchange.