When dealing with the Internal Revenue Service, the type of representative you choose matters. Many taxpayers consider enrolled agents or national tax resolution companies for IRS matters, but a tax attorney brings legal training in dispute resolution, negotiation, and analytical problem-solving that materially affects outcomes, even in routine cases.
A tax attorney also performs all of the same IRS representation functions as other tax professionals, while protecting legal rights if a dispute escalates.
A tax attorney handles the same day-to-day IRS work as CPAs and enrolled agents:
The difference is not the task, but the training applied to the task.
Tax attorneys are trained to approach IRS matters as structured disputes governed by law, procedure, and evidentiary standards. That training influences how issues are framed, how negotiations are conducted, and how positions are defended.
Even routine IRS cases involve:
Tax attorneys are specifically trained in:
Those skills matter whether the issue is a penalty abatement, an installment agreement, or an audit adjustment.
Enrolled agents and national tax resolution companies are limited to administrative representation. They can submit requests and negotiate within IRS processes, but they are not trained in legal dispute resolution or litigation strategy.
A tax attorney can perform the same administrative work while also:
When accounting analysis is required, a tax attorney can engage a CPA under a Kovel arrangement, allowing accounting work to be performed under legal direction and within the scope of attorney–client privilege.
This enables deeper analysis while reducing disclosure risk, particularly important in disputes that may escalate.
IRS personnel understand the difference between representatives who can only negotiate administratively and those who can proceed to United States Tax Court or federal court if needed.
A tax attorney’s ability to:
adds credibility and leverage to negotiations—even when litigation never occurs.
A tax attorney is particularly valuable when:
In these situations, training in negotiation, dispute resolution, and analytical reasoning, not just familiarity with IRS forms, drives results.
Enrolled agents and tax resolution companies can handle routine IRS interactions. A tax attorney handles the same work, but brings specialized training in analysis, negotiation, and dispute resolution, along with the authority to litigate if necessary.
When a matter involves meaningful financial exposure or legal risk, that difference matters.
“ Andrew Margolies did a great job for my mom who had paid her taxes, but the IRS failed to associate the payment with her account. She kept getting letters demanding payment with accrued interest and fees even though they had cashed her check.
After Andrew started working on it, the letters stopped. We were notified there had been a credit to my mom’s account, and finally the payment was properly applied with a zero balance. She is even receiving a refund.
We’re very happy with Andrew and would highly recommend him.”
“I came to Andrew Margolies with a significant IRS issue that I had been losing sleep over for months. I spoke with Jennifer on the phone, got in the same day for a consultation, and had a full resolution within 2 business days for a reasonable price. Andrew did exactly what he said he was going to do and provided me with a thorough resolution.
Being 9 months pregnant, Andrew was extremely sensitive to my timeline urgency and was on the phone with me at 5pm on a Friday helping me with my case.
Before meeting with Andrew, I called around to 10 different offices. All of those interactions felt like a sales funnel and a money grab. I can’t explain the relief I have having chosen to work with Andrew and having a resolution within days. We’re absolutely thrilled with the value and the experience.”
“100% recommended. I had a problem regarding my tax return since the beginning of 2023 and had been trying to follow up myself until 2025 with no progress. I decided to work with Attorney Andrew and Jennifer and in less than a month my problem was solved.
Attorney Andrew is very knowledgeable with reasonable fees and Jennifer is very responsive to all requests and questions. Most importantly they have business ethics. I will not look further if I have any more tax problems.”
