(847) 651-7881
IRS Administrative Disputes and Litigation
IRS Income and Excise Tax Disputes
IRS Payroll Tax Disputes
IRS Disputes over Estate and Gift Taxes
IRS Corporate Tax Disputes
IRS Penalty Disputes
Disputes over Assessed and Statutory Interest
Disputes over Alleged Tax Shelters and Lack of Economic Substance
IRS Disputes Involving Tax-Exempt Entities
Challenges to the Faulty Regulation under IRC s. 1061(c)(4)(A) Respecting the Taxation of Carried Interest Paid by Hedge Funds
Disputes over the Valuation of Tangible and Intangible Property, including Goodwill
Disputes over Alleged Prohibited Transactions
Disputes over Listed Transactions
Disputes over Charitable Contributions Made to Donor-Advised Funds
Disputes over Return-Preparer Penalties
Disputes over Proper Responses to IRS IDRs, Formal Document Requests, and Summonses
Responses to IRS CP-Series Forms -- CP2000, CP162, etc.
Requests for Innocent-Spouse Relief
IRS Criminal Tax Investigations and Cases
Disputes/Controversies Involving the U.S. Constitution
Challenges to Federal Rules and Regulations that Overreach
Federal Tax-Return Filing Obligations of Visa and Green-Card Holders
Foreign Bank Account/FBAR Non-Filings and Disputes
Amendment of Tax Returns to Include Form 8938, Respecting Specified Foreign Financial Assets (FATCA)
Amendment of Tax Returns to Include a Form 5471, Respecting Certain Interests in Certain Foreign Corporations
Amendment of Tax Returns to Include a Form 3520, Respecting Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts and Transactions with Foreign Trusts
Disputes/Controversies with the U.S. Department of Justice
Disputes/Controversies with the U.S. Department of the Treasury
Disputes in Federal Courts, Including Appellate Courts
State and Local Tax Disputes and Litigation in IL, DC, and WI
Disputes with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Corporate Transparency Act (Proposed Regulations Issued by FinCEN on 12/8/21)
Cryptocurrency Reporting, Including on Amended Returns
Appeals of Social Security/Medicare Benefit Adjustments Under IRMAA.
Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML).
A tax lawyer who discloses an impressive legal background, and his Washington location.
About
Here are the three primary qualities that a taxpayer, expecting or involved in a dispute with the IRS or U.S. DOJ tax authorities, should seek out when hiring a tax-dispute lawyer:
A Long Record of First-Chair, Top-Tier Accomplishment — Preferably Forged in the Federal-Court “Crucible” and National in Scope.
Judgment Seasoned by Many Years Representing the IRS.
Integrity- and Expertise-Based Credibility with IRS and U.S. DOJ Tax Authorities, and with Federal Courts.
And if the tax dispute has possible criminal overtones, a fourth quality is key as well: Criminal-Tax Experience as a Federal Prosecutor.
* * *
Having first-chaired a vast array of complex and mega-dollar civil federal tax cases from coast-to-coast for 40 years at the very highest reaches of the tax profession …
Having represented the IRS during the first half of his tax career, and having represented a plethora of blue-chip corporate, non-profit, and individual taxpayers during the second half …
Having been a federal prosecutor, with criminal-tax experience …
Having written and filed hundreds of legal briefs in court, having tried over 20 cases to a jury verdict, and having argued 15 cases to the federal courts of appeals …
Having been a supervisor with the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in DC, and having been a Tax partner or shareholder in the Chicago offices of two of the nation’s largest and most prestigious private law firms …
Having practiced for 18 years each in the “tax vortices” of DC and Chicago, first-chairing cases worth $3 to $4 billion — and now, since 2019, located in Redmond/Bellevue, WA …
Having received many coveted, formal awards from his lawyer peers in both DC and Chicago …
Having demonstrated a nimble mind and thought leadership by publishing extensively in premier national tax and non-tax publications, across four decades (i.e., 1980s, and 2000s through 2020s) …
Holding a law degree from a Big Ten, first-tier law school … and
Owning a “360-degree” federal tax-dispute resume that is national in stature …
Thomas D. Sykes may be your best choice to efficiently and effectively resolve your dispute with the IRS. He will personally handle your dispute, and not hand some or all of it off to a junior partner, an associate, or a paralegal. His no-frills, quick-study, result-focused, “boutique” law firm offers judgment-informed solutions from energetic Redmond, WA — and emphatically not from Florida, Texas, or California. What can this responsive, nationally validated, senior member of the tax-dispute bar do for you?
You are invited to peruse this website (including its drop-down pages and click-on badges) for uncommonly specific disclosures about Tom’s nationwide federal tax-dispute practice, and about his phenomenal, sui generis legal and tax career. Then maybe use this web page as a checklist for comparisons, and ask . . .
What Other Tax-Dispute Lawyer Offers This to a Taxpayer Needing Smart and Efficient Solutions?
Premier Coast-to-Coast Federal Tax Lawyer ™
Singularly Experienced and Accomplished Tax-Dispute Lawyer Serving Federal Taxpayers Nationwide from Redmond, WA.
Also Serving Taxpayers in Illinois, DC, and Wisconsin as to State-Law Tax Disputes.
First Chaired About $4 Billion of Federal Tax Disputes in the Federal Court “Crucible”
Practice Areas
Extensively published in premier tax publications; co-author of a definitive BNA/Bloomberg tax treatise.
Co-Author, Chapter in BNA/Bloomberg’s Tax Practice Series, Addressing IRS Examinations
I am a retired Deloitte tax partner. During my career I had the pleasure of working directly with Tom Sykes on several mutual clients, some of whom I referred to Tom, given his deep knowledge and expertise. These were mostly large, high profile academic medical centers, universities and other not-for-profit entities. His advice and counsel is top notch. Truly an expert in the area of complex federal tax matters and litigation. Highly recommended.
Thomas R. Kromer
Your background is, without a doubt, phenomenal.
Legal Recruiter, Fortune 15 Corporation
A conflict between you and the IRS or SSA is not any fun. Finding a good partner to combat this is important and Tom Sykes is that individual. He knows the laws and he is a tireless, never-give-up individual combating for you every step of the way. Thank you, Tom, for being in my corner!