Awards & Recognition
Get the effective tax help you need by working with the Los Angeles tax attorneys CPAs, and EAs at the Tax Law Office of David W. Klasing. Serving Greater Los Angeles 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we approach every case with the benefit of more than 20 years of experience, including over a decade of public accounting auditing and reporting experience. From tax preparation issues like filing cast and crew W2s, to foreign account tax compliance on international film sets, to responding to criminal charges such as tax evasion, to state and federal tax audit representation, we provide the full spectrum of tax services to actors, directors, producers, videographers, set designers, live performers, and other members of the entertainment industry.See
Los Angeles Tax Attorneys + CPAs for Entertainment Companies
Success in California’s hypercompetitive entertainment industry depends partially on smart tax and financial planning. For example, it is beneficial to understand issues like actor tax deductions, the tax treatment of residual payments to actors, or how to get ready for a film production audit. Our office can assist you with all aspects of state, federal, and international tax compliance, including compliance with FBAR and FATCA requirements.See our 2011 OVDI Q and A Library See our FBAR Compliance and Disclosure Q and A Library
Not only is tax planning essential for your career and business – it is also essential if you wish to avoid facing expensive additional tax, penalties and interest. If you violate state or federal tax laws, even inadvertently, you may be chosen for a tax audit. Worse, if badges of fraud are apparent, you could even be targeted by the IRS for a criminal tax investigation, highlighting the importance of maintaining tax compliance and of hiring the correct representative when faced with an Egg Shell audit.See our Audit Representation Q and A Library
L.A. Entertainment Industry Tax Audit Lawyers (IRS, CDTFA, FTB, EDD)
Members of the entertainment industry are vulnerable to examination by the IRS, Franchise Tax Board (FTB), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), and Employment Development Department (EDD). Our Los Angeles tax audit attorneys represent actors, producers, film financing companies, and other entities in all types of audits, including but not limited to:
- California state tax return audits
- Civil and criminal tax audits
- Eggshell and reverse eggshell audits
- Federal and California employment tax audits
- Foreign account tax audits
- IRS tax audits
- Movie theater audits
- Royalty audits
- Small business tax audits
- Worker classification audits
Tax Evasion Defense Attorneys in Los Angeles, CA
Many criminal tax cases begin with the discovery by an auditor of “badges of tax fraud” during a civil IRS audit. Badges or indicators of fraud include unfiled returns, unpaid tax liabilities, underreported income, improperly claimed tax credits, mismatching financial or business records, concealed bank accounts, and numerous other tax evasion red flags. These or other badges of fraud may cause an auditor to halt the examination and refer the case to the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) division. IRS-CI may then refer the case to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal prosecution, depending on how extensive the evidence is against the taxpayer. Offenses that taxpayers are typically charged with include misdemeanors and felonies, such as:
- 26 U.S. Code § 7201, attempt to evade or defeat tax (tax evasion)
- 26 U.S. Code § 7202, willful failure to collect or pay over tax (employment tax fraud)
- 26 U.S. Code § 7203, willful failure to file return, supply information, or pay tax
- 26 U.S. Code § 7206(1), willfully making and subscribing a false return (tax perjury)
- 26 U.S. Code § 7212, attempts to interfere with administration of internal revenue laws (tax obstruction)
Tax Audit Appeals Representation for Actors, Directors, & Producers in L.A.
If you disagree with IRS audit conclusions or state tax audit conclusions, you may dispute the results of the audit by requesting an Appeals conference with the IRS. You may also appeal an FTB tax audit or CDTFA audit, following similar taxpayer guidelines to those described below.
To request appeals, you will need to file a timely protest letter, generally within 30 days, outlining the nature and basis of your dispute. Your argument must be supported by factual information, such as a tax statute or IRS regulation. You may not use any of the numerous arguments deemed “frivolous” by the IRS. If your appeal does not resolve the dispute, it may be necessary to litigate in Tax Court. An IRS appeals attorney should guide you through this process, which demands an extremely sophisticated understanding of the Internal Revenue Code.
Note that it may be possible to resolve certain disputes by participating in IRS mediation, which is an informal and nonbinding procedure; or, if the dispute involves an amount below $25,000, by filing a Small Case Request (which is not available to partnerships or S corporations).See our IRS Appeals Q and A LibrarySee our Tax Litigation Q and A Library
Los Angeles Tax Lawyers + Accountants for Film Production Companies
At the Tax Law Office of David W. Klasing, our entertainment industry tax audit lawyers are dedicated to developing comprehensive solutions to your most complex tax challenges. We have earned national recognition as leading authorities in our field and are ready to put the same expertise to work for you and your small business, including self-employed actors.
Contact us online right away to arrange a reduced rate consultation or call our Los Angeles tax office at (310) 492-5583. You can also reach us by contacting our main office in Irvine at (800) 681-1295.
Please note that meetings at our Los Angeles location are by appointment only.
