A letter from the IRS or the Comptroller of Maryland: read it before you answer it
Government tax letters are written to look final even when they are not. A notice from the IRS or the Comptroller of Maryland usually states what the agency believes you owe, cites a code section, and sets a response date. Those dates are strict, and the worst thing you can do is ignore the envelope or answer from memory. Cooper & Tuerk, LLP says its attorneys have represented clients with IRS difficulties and problems with State authorities as well. Bring the notice itself, the envelope and any earlier correspondence to the office on North Charles Street.
The first job is to work out what kind of letter you are holding. A request for information, a proposed adjustment after a review, a notice of balance due, a notice of intent to levy and a demand from the State all start different clocks and call for different replies. Your attorney reads the notice against the return it refers to, checks whether the agency's arithmetic or its records are wrong, and identifies which response date controls. Call (410) 539-0300 as soon as the letter arrives, from anywhere in Baltimore City, Baltimore County or Anne Arundel County.
Audits, back taxes and penalties: how a tax dispute is built
An audit is a request to prove what your return said. The agency asks for records, you or your representative supply them, and an examiner either accepts the return or proposes changes. Having an attorney handle the exchange means answers stay limited to what was asked, documents are organised before they go out, and you are not left explaining your finances in an unprepared interview. If a proposed adjustment looks wrong, there are administrative appeal routes at both the federal and Maryland level, and your attorney explains which one applies to the notice you received.
Back taxes carry penalties and interest that keep adding to the balance, which is why delay is costly even when you cannot pay in full. Unfiled returns, payroll tax problems for a business, and balances that have gone to collection each follow their own rules. The attorney's work is to learn the whole picture first: what you filed, what you did not, and what the agency's records show. That fact-finding comes before any proposal, because every later option depends on it, whether the matter involves the IRS, the Comptroller of Maryland, or both.
Resolving it, and keeping the next notice from arriving
Once the facts are settled, the paths forward are specific. A balance may be paid under an instalment agreement, a case may qualify for a compromise or for a temporary hold on collection, penalties may be reduced where the law allows, or a disputed figure may be argued on appeal. Which path fits depends on what you owe, what you can pay, and how the agency treats cases like yours. Your attorney explains the options in plain terms, and tells you what each would require of you before you agree to any of them.
Resolving the notice is half the work. The rest is keeping the same problem from returning: estimated payments that match your income, returns filed on time, records kept where an examiner could read them, and for business owners, payroll deposits that go out when they are due. The attorneys work alongside your accountant or tax preparer if you have one. The office at 201 North Charles Street serves individuals and business owners across Baltimore and the surrounding counties, and the number to call is (410) 539-0300.
