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Tax Resolution Services in Los Angeles, CA (2026)
Short answer: In Los Angeles you can start with free help: IRS online tools, Taxpayer Assistance Center appointments, the Taxpayer Advocate Service and your MyFTB account. To negotiate, you can hire a tax attorney, a CPA or an Enrolled Agent. All State Tax Resolution is a Los Angeles firm led by an Enrolled Agent, a tax professional licensed by the IRS, that handles IRS and FTB cases remotely.
Where to find tax resolution help in Los Angeles
Tax resolution means settling a balance with the IRS or the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) through a payment plan, Currently Not Collectible status, an Offer in Compromise or penalty relief. Help comes from free government and nonprofit services and from paid representatives.
The free routes can be enough when the balance is modest, your returns are filed and you can afford a monthly payment. Consider a representative when returns are missing, a levy or garnishment has started, both agencies are involved or a business owes payroll tax.
Your options in Los Angeles
Free and low-cost options
IRS self-service: Online Account, Direct Pay, the Online Payment Agreement tool (many individuals who owe under $50,000 can set up a plan themselves) and the Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier.
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers, by appointment only through 844-545-5640: downtown Los Angeles (300 N. Los Angeles St., Room 1259), El Monte (9350 East Flair Dr.), Van Nuys (6230 Van Nuys Blvd.) and Long Beach (501 W. Ocean Blvd.). They answer account questions and take payments; they do not negotiate for you.
Taxpayer Advocate Service, 300 N. Los Angeles Street, Room 5109, (213) 576-3140: free, for hardship or when normal IRS channels have failed.
Low Income Taxpayer Clinics: free or low-cost representation under an income limit (IRS Publication 4134).
VITA and TCE sites: free return preparation for eligible taxpayers, not representation.
California FTB: MyFTB for balances and payment plans; Los Angeles field office, 300 South Spring Street, Suite 5704 (appointments at 213-897-5196; no cash).
Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs: free tax help resources for residents.
Paid options
Tax attorneys are the right choice when there is criminal exposure or litigation.
CPAs and Enrolled Agents can both represent you before the IRS. Enrolled Agents are licensed by the IRS under Treasury Circular 230 and can represent taxpayers before IRS Collections, Examination and Appeals in all 50 states.
National tax relief companies are another option; get the fee and the plan in writing before paying.
How the tax resolution process works, step by step
Step 1: Free review and transcripts (Form 8821 or 2848)
A signed Form 8821 lets a representative receive your IRS information, and Form 2848 lets the representative act for you; the FTB uses Form FTB 3520. The representative pulls your IRS and FTB account transcripts and wage and income transcripts to see which years carry balances and which returns are missing.
Step 2: Compliance check and missing returns
The IRS will not approve a payment plan, Currently Not Collectible status or an offer while required returns are unfiled. IRS policy generally asks for the last six years to be filed.
Step 3: Your financial picture (Form 433-F or 433-A)
For balances too large for a streamlined plan, or payments you cannot afford, the IRS wants a financial statement on Form 433-F or the longer Form 433-A (the FTB uses form FTB 3561). It tests your expenses against its 2026 Collection Financial Standards, such as $867 a month for one person's food, clothing and other items ($1,558 for two) and, in Los Angeles County, $3,525 a month for housing and utilities for a family of two ($4,141 for four).
Step 4: Choosing the resolution
Payment plan. Individuals owing under $50,000 can usually get a streamlined plan of up to 72 months with no financial statement; the small-balance agreement the IRS must accept applies at $10,000 or less with a 3-year payoff. The failure-to-pay penalty drops to 0.25% a month during a plan; interest continues.
Currently Not Collectible. Collection stops when allowable living expenses leave nothing to pay. Interest and penalties keep accruing and the 10-year collection statute keeps running.
Offer in Compromise. The IRS accepts an offer that equals or exceeds your reasonable collection potential (equity in assets plus future income). In fiscal 2025 the IRS received 38,797 offers and accepted 5,464, about 14%.
Penalty relief. First-Time Abate covers failure-to-file, failure-to-pay and failure-to-deposit penalties for one period when the prior three years are clean and all returns are filed and paid or in a plan. Reasonable cause relief is the other route. Ask by phone, letter or Form 843.
More detail: installment agreements, Offer in Compromise and penalty abatement.
Step 5: Time frames and follow-through
The IRS says a complete offer investigation can take up to 24 months; a rejection can be appealed within 30 days on Form 13711, and an accepted offer requires 5 years of on-time filing and payment. The FTB acknowledges an offer in about 2 to 4 weeks and generally decides within 4 to 6 months after assignment.
Book a free 15-minute tax review if you would like a second opinion on which of these routes fits your balance, or on a notice you have already received from the IRS or the FTB.
The notice sequence
The IRS escalates in a fixed order:
CP14 — What it means and your deadline: First notice of a balance due, not a levy notice; the pay-by date is typically 21 days from the notice date
CP501, CP503 — What it means and your deadline: Reminders that the balance is still unpaid
CP504 — What it means and your deadline: Notice of intent to levy your state tax refund; the failure-to-pay penalty rate rises to 1% a month
LT11 or Letter 1058 — What it means and your deadline: Final notice of intent to levy wages and bank accounts; 30 days to request a Collection Due Process hearing on Form 12153
A federal tax lien can be filed at any point after assessment and demand. The FTB sends a notice and a demand for payment, then can levy a bank account with an Order to Withhold (the bank holds the funds for 10 days) or garnish wages with an Earnings Withholding Order for Taxes (up to 25% of disposable earnings).
Which agency handles what in Los Angeles
IRS — What it handles: Federal income and payroll tax (Forms 941 and 940), notices, liens, levies, audits; 10-year collection statute; Where to reach it: 844-545-5640 (appointments); Taxpayer Advocate Service, (213) 576-3140
Franchise Tax Board (FTB) — What it handles: California income tax; levies, wage garnishments, liens; 20-year collection statute; online payment plans for balances of $25,000 or less payable within 60 months; offers on Form 4905; Where to reach it: 213-897-5196 (appointments); MyFTB
CDTFA — What it handles: Sales and use tax; Where to reach it: 1-800-400-7115
EDD — What it handles: California payroll tax: DE 9 and DE 9C filings, unemployment insurance, State Disability Insurance; Where to reach it: 1-888-745-3886; employment tax offices in Van Nuys and Santa Fe Springs
City of Los Angeles Office of Finance — What it handles: Business Tax Registration Certificate and gross-receipts business tax; renew by the last day of February, even with no revenue (West Hollywood businesses deal with the City of West Hollywood instead); Where to reach it: Office of Finance, separate from the FTB and the IRS
How to check whoever you hire
Before you hire anyone, including me, check four things.
Credential. You can verify any Enrolled Agent's status with the IRS, through its public directory of credentialed preparers or its Office of Enrollment.
A written flat fee. Get it in writing after someone has reviewed your IRS and FTB account transcripts, and ask what it covers. Be cautious about quotes given before anyone has seen your account, fees based on a percentage of your debt and separate upfront "investigation" charges.
Who handles the case. Ask who will personally work your file.
No promised outcome. No one can know in advance what the agencies will accept; "pennies on the dollar" talk is a warning sign.
What we do and how we work in Los Angeles
I'm Sabih Shafi, an Enrolled Agent, and All State Tax Resolution is my Los Angeles firm. We handle IRS and California FTB tax resolution, from payment plans and Offers in Compromise to levy and garnishment release and lien help, plus audit representation and unfiled returns.
We work by phone, video and a secure client portal, so clients do not need to visit an office. We serve Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley and Long Beach remotely from our Los Angeles base (mailing address 1110 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029), and federal cases in all 50 states.
The first review is free. After reviewing your IRS and FTB account transcripts we quote a flat fee in writing, with no separate investigation fee, tied to the work (years, forms and agencies) rather than the size of the debt. Payment plans are available, and we promise no outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find tax resolution services in Los Angeles?
Start with the free routes: the IRS Online Payment Agreement tool, a Taxpayer Assistance Center appointment (downtown Los Angeles, El Monte, Van Nuys or Long Beach), the Taxpayer Advocate Service for hardship, a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic if your income qualifies and MyFTB for state balances. To negotiate, hire a tax attorney, a CPA or an Enrolled Agent. Our firm is a Los Angeles Enrolled Agent practice that works remotely.
What is the process for tax resolution in Los Angeles?
There are five steps: transcripts under Form 8821 or 2848, filing any missing returns, a financial statement on Form 433-F or 433-A if needed, choosing a payment plan, Currently Not Collectible status, an Offer in Compromise or penalty relief, and follow-through. Any notice you already hold comes first, because deadlines such as 30 days for a Collection Due Process hearing request run on their own clock.
Do I have to go to an IRS or FTB office in Los Angeles to settle a tax debt?
No. The IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers work by appointment, answer account questions and take payments, but they do not negotiate for you. The FTB's Los Angeles field office also works by appointment and takes no cash. Notices, levies, audits and payment arrangements can be handled by phone, mail and online, and a representative with Form 2848 (IRS) or Form FTB 3520 (FTB) can do that for you.
Should I hire a tax attorney, a CPA or an Enrolled Agent?
Most resolution work is administrative, handled with IRS Collections, Examination and Appeals rather than in court, and an Enrolled Agent can handle all of it. Add a tax attorney if there is criminal exposure, such as willful evasion or fraud, or if the case is heading to litigation. More than the letters, check who personally handles your case and whether the fee is flat and in writing.
How much does tax resolution cost in Los Angeles?
Fees depend on the representative and the work, so ask for a flat fee in writing after your transcripts have been reviewed. Be cautious about a separate upfront investigation fee or a fee based on a percentage of your debt. At our firm the first review is free, and the flat fee is tied to the work, not the size of the debt.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Sabih Shafi, EA
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This article is general information, not individual tax advice. If you want to talk through your own IRS or state balance, book a free 15-minute review or call or text us directly.
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