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Southlake, Texas

IRS and Texas tax defense for Southlake.

Higher incomes mean larger numbers on every IRS notice. For Southlake executives, physicians, and business owners, the issues are usually equity compensation, K-1 income, and audits rather than missed paychecks.

Serving Southlake

The Law Office of Patrick Smith represents Southlake taxpayers in IRS examinations, CP2000 and deficiency notices, penalty disputes, and collection matters, and in Texas Comptroller audits of their businesses. The office is minutes south, in Bedford.

The tax problems we see from Southlake

Stock options, restricted stock, and brokerage activity generate Forms 1099-B and W-2 entries that overlap, and the IRS matching program often counts the same income twice or ignores basis. A CP2000 on a large sale can propose five or six figures of tax that is not owed. The response has to reconstruct basis in the order the notice uses.

Owners of partnerships and S corporations face a different exposure: an audit adjustment at the entity level flows to the personal return with a 20 percent penalty attached. The notice of deficiency that follows carries a 90-day Tax Court deadline that the IRS cannot extend.

The dates are not suggestions. A final notice of intent to levy gives you 30 days to request a hearing. A notice of deficiency gives you 90 days to petition the Tax Court, and the IRS cannot extend it. A bank holds levied funds for 21 days. Each date is printed on the paper you received.

Local facts for Southlake taxpayers

  • County: Southlake is mostly in Tarrant County, with a northern portion in Denton County.
  • Federal tax liens on real estate are recorded with the Tarrant County Clerk, Tarrant County Courthouse, 100 W. Weatherford St., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76196.
  • Nearest IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center: Farmers Branch, 4050 Alpha Rd., Room 170, Farmers Branch, TX 75244. By appointment only: (844) 545-5640. Also in the area: Fort Worth and Dallas.
  • U.S. Tax Court trial sessions for North Texas are held in Dallas at the Earle Cabell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 1100 Commerce Street, Room 726, Dallas, TX 75242.
  • Refund suits and summons enforcement are heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, which has divisions in Fort Worth and Dallas.
  • This office: The office is at 1244 Harwood Road in Bedford, roughly 8 miles from central Southlake.

Find your notice

Business owners: see also Texas sales tax audit, redetermination hearings & SOAH, Texas franchise tax, personal liability for business taxes, Comptroller liens, freezes & levies.

Southlake: common questions

Direct answers.

Do you represent taxpayers in Southlake?

Yes. The Law Office of Patrick Smith represents Southlake individuals and businesses before the IRS and the Texas Comptroller. The office is at 1244 Harwood Road in Bedford, roughly 8 miles from central Southlake.

Should I talk to my CPA or a tax attorney about an IRS audit?

Both have a role. A CPA knows your books. An attorney's advice is protected by the attorney-client privilege, which matters if the audit touches unreported income, related-party transactions, or anything you would not want repeated. An attorney can also engage your CPA so the CPA's work is covered by that privilege.

Where is the nearest IRS office to Southlake?

The closest IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center is generally the Farmers Branch office at 4050 Alpha Rd., Room 170, Farmers Branch, TX 75244. The others in the area are Fort Worth (819 Taylor St., Room 6A14, Fort Worth, TX 76102) and Dallas (1100 Commerce St., Room 121, Dallas, TX 75242). All are by appointment only; call (844) 545-5640. Most notices are answered by mail or fax to the address on the notice, not at a local office.

Where are federal tax liens recorded for Southlake property?

Southlake is mostly in Tarrant County, with a northern portion in Denton County. A notice of federal tax lien against real estate is recorded in the county where the property is located. For that county, the recording office is the Tarrant County Clerk, Tarrant County Courthouse, 100 W. Weatherford St., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76196.

Where would a Tax Court case from Southlake be heard?

The U.S. Tax Court holds its North Texas trial sessions in Dallas, at the Earle Cabell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 1100 Commerce Street, Room 726, Dallas, TX 75242. The petition itself is filed with the court in Washington, D.C., electronically or by mail, within the 90 days stated on the notice of deficiency.

Next step

Tell us what arrived in your Southlake mailbox.

Send the first page of the notice. You will find out what it is, how long you have, and whether you need a lawyer.