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About the firm
A law practice, not a call center.
The Law Office of Patrick Smith is a Texas law firm in Bedford. Its tax practice represents individuals and business owners in disputes with the IRS and the Texas Comptroller.
Patrick Smith, Attorney at Law
Who you are hiring.
Patrick Smith is licensed to practice law in Texas. He earned his law degree from Texas A&M University School of Law and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve. His practice has been built on representing individuals against institutions with more money and more lawyers than they have: employers, agencies, and the government.
Tax controversy is that same work against the most persistent creditor there is. The IRS and the Texas Comptroller operate by statute, regulation, and deadline. So does the defense. The job is to know which notice you are holding, which rights it carries, and what has to be filed by when, and then to do it correctly.
Patrick also holds the Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) credential from the International Association of Privacy Professionals, is a member of the International Bar Association and the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), and completed a program in international negotiation through the University of Padova.
When you hire this office, you hire him. He reads your notices, signs your power of attorney, makes the calls to the IRS, and answers yours.
What to expect
What working with this office is like.
A deadline first
The first thing you learn is what your notice is and how many days you have. Strategy comes after the clock is under control.
Confidential from the start
What you tell your attorney stays with your attorney. That lets you describe the real situation, including the parts you are worried about.
Plain statements about cost and odds
The scope and fee are in writing before work starts, and in many matters the fee can be paid in installments. If a cheaper route exists, or if the numbers say a program will not work for you, you will be told.
Common questions
About the firm.
Who will actually handle my case?
Patrick Smith. The Law Office of Patrick Smith is a solo practice. He reads the notice, signs the power of attorney, speaks with the IRS or the Comptroller, and answers your calls. Work is not handed to a case manager or a call center.
Is Patrick Smith a CPA or an enrolled agent?
No. He is an attorney licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas, Bar No. 24106451, and admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Attorneys, CPAs, and enrolled agents can all represent taxpayers before the IRS. The difference is that only communications with an attorney carry the full attorney-client privilege, and only an attorney can take a matter to court.
Do you prepare tax returns?
Return preparation is not the focus of this practice. When unfiled returns have to be prepared as part of resolving a collection problem, the office coordinates that work with a preparer so that the filings and the IRS negotiation line up.
Where is the office, and do I have to come in?
The office is at 1244 Harwood Road in Bedford, Texas, in the Mid-Cities between Fort Worth and Dallas. Most matters are handled by phone, email, and secure document upload. In-person meetings are available by appointment.
What else does the firm do?
The same firm represents employees in workplace disputes under the Law Office of Patrick Smith name at smprolaw.com. It is one attorney and one firm. This site covers the IRS and Texas Comptroller practice.
Next step
Tell Patrick what arrived in the mail.
A short conversation and a look at the notice is usually enough to know where you stand.