10 Best Tax Lawyers in Southlake, TX 

This guide covers 10 tax attorneys and firms serving Southlake and the Northeast Tarrant County area, including firms based in Southlake itself and nearby Fort Worth and Dallas practices that regularly take on Southlake clients. We looked at each firm’s tax credentials (former Department of Justice Tax Division or IRS service, CPA licenses, LL.M. degrees in taxation, and board certification in tax law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization), the depth of its experience with IRS audits, collections, Tax Court litigation, and criminal tax investigations, and whether tax law is the firm’s main focus or one practice area among many.

When comparing options, ask three practical questions. First, does the attorney handle the kind of tax problem you actually have? IRS collection work (liens, levies, offers in compromise), audit and Tax Court litigation, criminal tax defense, and estate or business tax planning are different skill sets. Second, has the attorney worked on the government side, at the IRS or the DOJ Tax Division, and do they have first-hand knowledge of how a tax case is built against a taxpayer? Third, can the firm handle Texas-specific issues such as franchise tax, sales tax, and property tax alongside federal matters? This list is not ranked and not sponsored.

Firm details come from each firm’s own website, cross-checked against attorney directories including Super Lawyers, Justia, and the Texas Legal Guide directory of Tarrant County tax attorneys.

1. David Coffin PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: David B. Coffin, Founding Tax Attorney and CPA
• Headquarters: 300 Miron Drive, Southlake, TX 76092
• Phone: (817) 251-7049
• Website: davidcoffinlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Tax Debt and IRS Collections, Tax Audits and Appeals, Tax Litigation (U.S. Tax Court, Court of Federal Claims, Federal District Court), Business and Payroll Tax, Income Tax, Installment Agreements, Penalty Abatement, Offers in Compromise, Taxes and Bankruptcy, Tax Preparation
• Firm Size: Boutique tax firm (2 attorneys) with more than 40 years of combined tax experience; founder is a former Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division

About the Firm: David Coffin founded his Southlake firm after more than a decade as a government attorney representing the IRS, including service as a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice, Tax Division, where he litigated on behalf of the IRS in federal district and bankruptcy courts. That background gives him a working knowledge of how the government evaluates, builds, and litigates tax cases, which he now uses on the taxpayer’s side. He is also a licensed CPA, so he can work through the accounting behind an audit or a collection file without handing it off.

The firm’s practice is built entirely around tax: IRS debt and collections, audits and appeals, payroll tax problems for businesses, and litigation in the U.S. Tax Court, the Court of Federal Claims, and federal district court. Associate attorney Alejo Pacini holds an advanced tax law degree from Georgetown University, has more than 10 years of tax controversy experience, previously worked directly for the IRS Commissioner, and is fluent in Spanish. The firm is recognized in Best Law Firms (Regional Tier 1), and its Miron Drive office serves clients across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, statewide in Texas, and nationwide.

2. Newsom Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Chris G. Newsom, Founder, Business and Tax Attorney
• Headquarters: 280 Miron Drive, Southlake, TX 76092
• Phone: (817) 879-4000
• Website: chrisnewsomlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Tax Planning and Controversy (IRS Audits, IRS Collections, Innocent Spouse Relief, Texas Franchise Tax, Texas Sales Tax, Property Tax), Business Transactions, Estate Planning, Non-Profit Organizations, Homeowners Associations
• Firm Size: Solo practice; Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2005

About the Firm: Chris Newsom is one of the few attorneys based in Southlake who holds board certification in Tax Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential he has held since 2005. He earned an LL.M. in Tax Law from SMU and an accounting degree before law school, and he spent part of his early career at a Big Four accounting firm, which shaped a practice that sits at the intersection of tax and business planning.

His tax work covers both sides of the problem: advising on the tax consequences of a transaction before it happens, and representing clients in IRS audits, collection matters, and innocent spouse requests after the fact. He also handles Texas franchise tax, sales tax, and property tax issues, and other professionals, including accountants and financial planners, bring him in on difficult tax questions. As a solo practitioner, clients work directly with him, though there is no bench of associates for a very large or fast-moving litigation matter.

3. Brown, PC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Lawrence Brown, Founder
• Headquarters: 201 Main Street, Suite 1550, Fort Worth, TX 76102
• Phone: (817) 870-0025
• Website: browntax.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Tax Matters, Tax Litigation and Civil Tax Law, IRS Audits and Appeals, IRS Collection Matters, Business and Employment Tax, Offshore Accounts and FATCA Compliance, White-Collar Defense, PPP and ERC Fraud Defense
• Firm Size: Boutique federal tax firm (3 attorneys); founder is a former DOJ Tax Division Trial Attorney with 25 years of tax and criminal defense experience

About the Firm: Lawrence Brown is a former Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division, and his downtown Fort Worth firm is built around the kind of matters where that background matters most: IRS criminal investigations, tax evasion allegations, and civil tax disputes with large dollar amounts at stake. He is admitted in Texas, Maine, and Massachusetts and before the U.S. Tax Court and multiple federal district and appellate courts, and he holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Brown describes the firm as a selective, high-stakes boutique rather than a volume practice, representing individuals, corporations, and high-net-worth clients, including athletes and business owners, nationally and internationally. It also handles newer enforcement areas such as PPP and Employee Retention Credit fraud investigations and offshore account compliance. That focus makes it a strong fit for serious federal exposure, though a Southlake resident with a routine balance-due notice may find a collections-focused practice a more economical match.

4. Law Offices of Nemeth & Flores, PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Nick Nemeth, Founder; Jamie Flores, Managing Partner
• Headquarters: 4101 McEwen Road, Suite 750, Dallas, TX 75244 (additional offices at 5601 Bridge Street, Suite 550, Fort Worth, TX 76112, and 1415 Legacy Drive, Suite 205, Frisco, TX 75034)
• Phone: (972) 484-0829
• Website: myirsteam.com
• Practice Areas: IRS Tax Resolution (Audits, Tax Investigations, Tax Debt, Unfiled Returns, Liens, Levies, Wage Garnishments, Installment Agreements, Offers in Compromise, Innocent Spouse Relief, Penalty Abatement, Currently Not Collectible Status, Payroll Tax Disputes, Cryptocurrency Tax Issues, IRS Notice Response)
• Firm Size: Multi-office DFW tax resolution firm; founder has more than 25 years as an attorney

About the Firm: Nick Nemeth has practiced law for more than 25 years and built his firm exclusively around IRS problems for individuals and businesses. He was named “IRS Tax Lawyer of the Year, USA” at the FM Taxation Awards in 2024, and the firm was a 2026 DFW Favorites winner for Tax Law in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s reader poll.

The firm’s day-to-day work is collections and resolution: stopping levies and wage garnishments, filing unfiled returns, negotiating installment agreements and offers in compromise, and responding to IRS notices, along with audit representation and payroll tax disputes. Its Fort Worth office is the closest to Southlake. Because the firm handles a high volume of resolution cases, clients should ask up front which attorney will be responsible for their file.

5. Freeman Law, PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jason B. Freeman, Managing Member
• Headquarters: 7011 Main Street, Frisco, TX 75034 (additional offices in Dallas, Austin, Washington, D.C., and Mexico City)
• Phone: (214) 984-3000
• Website: freemanlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Tax Litigation (IRS Penalty Defense, U.S. Tax Court Litigation, International Tax Compliance), White-Collar Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Bankruptcy, Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets, Outside General Counsel
• Firm Size: Mid-size tax and litigation firm; founder is a dual-credentialed attorney-CPA ranked by Chambers & Partners

About the Firm: Jason Freeman is an attorney and CPA who founded Freeman Law as a tax controversy and litigation firm. Chambers & Partners has named him among the leading tax and litigation attorneys in the United States, and he was recognized as Leading Tax Controversy Litigation Attorney of the Year for Texas in 2019 and 2020. He has taught at SMU’s Dedman School of Law for nearly a decade and has chaired both the Texas Society of CPAs and the Dallas Society of CPAs.

The firm handles contested IRS matters through Tax Court litigation, international tax compliance problems, and white-collar cases with a tax component, and it has built a practice around cryptocurrency and digital asset tax issues. It holds a U.S. News “Tier 1” designation and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating. Its offices are in Frisco and downtown Dallas, roughly a 35 to 40 minute drive from Southlake, so in-person meetings take more planning than with a local firm.

6. Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Sean A. Bryan, Partner and Chair of the Tax Section
• Headquarters: 201 Main Street, Suite 2500, Fort Worth, TX 76102 (additional offices in Austin, Midland, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans)
• Phone: (817) 332-2500
• Website: kellyhart.com
• Practice Areas: Tax Litigation, Tax Compliance and Controversies, State and Local Taxation, Income Tax, Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations, plus the firm’s full commercial practice
• Firm Size: Large regional firm; 10-attorney tax litigation team; 56 attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America 2027

About the Firm: Kelly Hart & Hallman is one of Fort Worth’s largest home-grown law firms, and its tax section, chaired by partner Sean A. Bryan, pairs tax attorneys with the firm’s litigation group. The tax litigation team of roughly 10 attorneys handles audit defense, negotiated settlements, and representation before administrative tribunals in both federal income tax and Texas state and local tax disputes.

The firm is a particularly strong option for businesses and nonprofits: its tax group advises on federal tax exemption, Texas franchise tax, sales and use tax, and ad valorem tax, and represents organizations in IRS audits and appeals. The trade-off is typical of a large firm. Rates reflect big-firm overhead, and an individual with a modest IRS balance is not the practice’s core client.

7. The Blum Firm, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Marvin E. Blum, Founder and Managing Partner
• Headquarters: 777 Main Street, Suite 550, Fort Worth, TX 76102 (additional offices in Dallas and Austin)
• Phone: (817) 334-0066
• Website: theblumfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Estate and Tax Planning, Tax Controversy, International Tax, Tax-Exempt Organizations, Trust and Estate Litigation, Probate and Estate Administration, Guardianships, Corporate Law, Prenuptial Agreements, Mediation
• Firm Size: Mid-size estate and tax firm (33 attorneys); founder is a CPA and Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law

About the Firm: Marvin Blum is both a CPA and an attorney Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law, and he graduated first in his accounting class at UT Austin and second in his class at UT Law. He has been named to Worth magazine’s list of the nation’s top 100 attorneys and to Thomson Reuters’ Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers, and he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates since 2015.

The Blum Firm’s tax work centers on estate, gift, and income tax planning for families and business owners, especially where significant wealth or a family business is involved, and it also handles tax controversy and international tax matters. For a Southlake household planning a business succession or a large estate, that depth is a real advantage. For someone facing an IRS levy or an unpaid payroll tax balance, a collections-focused firm is likely a better fit.

8. Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Michael V. Bourland, Founding Shareholder
• Headquarters: 301 Commerce Street, Suite 2500, Fort Worth, TX 76102
• Phone: (817) 877-1088
• Website: bwwlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Tax Planning, Tax-Exempt Organizations, Charitable Gift Planning, Estate Planning and Probate, Business Planning, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Oil and Gas Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Fiduciary Litigation, Real Estate
• Firm Size: Mid-size Fort Worth firm founded in 1983; founder holds an LL.M. in Taxation and has practiced since 1969

About the Firm: Michael Bourland founded Bourland, Wall & Wenzel in 1983 after earning an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Miami and serving as a JAG Corps captain in the U.S. Air Force. He is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and received the 2021 REPTL Lifetime Achievement Award as Distinguished Probate Attorney. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at Baylor Law School.

The firm’s tax practice leans toward planning: structuring businesses and transactions, charitable giving strategies, tax-exempt organization work, and estate tax planning, along with oil and gas matters that come with their own tax issues. That makes it a good fit for Southlake business owners and families thinking ahead, rather than for taxpayers who need IRS audit or collection defense right away.

9. Jackson Walker LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Tax practice group (firmwide)
• Headquarters: 777 Main Street, Suite 2100, Fort Worth, TX 76102 (Fort Worth office; additional Texas offices in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and elsewhere)
• Phone: (817) 334-7200
• Website: jw.com
• Practice Areas: Federal and Texas Tax Planning and Compliance, Tax Controversy and Litigation, State and Local Tax, Estate and Tax Planning for Families, Energy Tax Credits, Complex Investment Structures
• Firm Size: Large Texas firm; 88 attorneys ranked in Chambers USA 2026 and 74 named Texas Super Lawyers

About the Firm: Jackson Walker’s tax group serves clients ranging from multi-billion dollar corporations to family-held businesses, private equity funds, and governmental bodies. Many of its tax attorneys hold LL.M. degrees in taxation or CPA licenses, and members of the group are recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Tax Law. The group handles federal and Texas tax controversies as well as planning.

The firm’s strengths show on complex matters: recent engagements include a $60 million intercompany payment controversy, qualified opportunity zone financing, and multi-billion dollar family office restructuring, plus energy tax credit planning. As with any large firm, it is best suited to businesses and high-net-worth clients with complex issues, and hourly rates reflect that.

10. Stanton D. Goldberg

• Attorney/Key Figure: Stanton D. Goldberg, Attorney and CPA
• Headquarters: 10440 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1040, Dallas, TX 75231
• Phone: (972) 960-2200
• Website: stantongoldberg.com
• Practice Areas: IRS Audits and Appeals, IRS Collections (Liens, Levies, Wage Garnishment), Offers in Compromise, Installment Agreements, Payroll and Employment Tax, Unfiled Tax Returns, Tax Litigation, Estate Tax Planning, Business Income Tax Planning
• Firm Size: Small practice; attorney-CPA with an advanced degree in tax law

About the Firm: Stanton Goldberg is both an attorney and a CPA, and he holds a master’s degree in tax law, a combination that lets him read the financial records behind an IRS dispute as closely as the legal issues. His practice covers the full range of individual and small-business IRS problems, from audits and appeals to collection actions, unfiled returns, and payroll tax liabilities.

He also handles tax litigation and planning work, including estate tax and business income tax planning, so clients can stay with the same adviser once an IRS problem is resolved. The office is in North Dallas, which puts it farther from Southlake than the Tarrant County firms on this list.

Understanding Southlake, TX Tax Dispute Procedures

• IRS Examination (Audit): A federal tax dispute usually begins with an IRS letter opening a correspondence, office, or field audit. Under Internal Revenue Code § 6501, the IRS generally has three years from the date a return is filed to assess additional tax, extended to six years for a substantial omission of income and unlimited for fraud or unfiled returns.
• 30-Day Letter and IRS Independent Office of Appeals: If the examiner proposes changes you disagree with, the IRS issues a 30-day letter, and you can request a conference with the IRS Independent Office of Appeals, which settles most disputes before they reach court.
• Notice of Deficiency (90-Day Letter): Under IRC § 6213, a taxpayer has 90 days from the date of a Notice of Deficiency to petition the U.S. Tax Court without paying the tax first. The Tax Court holds trial sessions in Dallas, and disputes of $50,000 or less per tax year can use the simplified small tax case procedure.
• IRS Collections and Collection Due Process Hearings: Once tax is assessed, the IRS generally has 10 years to collect it (IRC § 6502). After a Final Notice of Intent to Levy or a lien filing notice, taxpayers have 30 days to request a Collection Due Process hearing (IRC §§ 6330 and 6320), where installment agreements, offers in compromise, and other alternatives can be raised.
• Refund Suits: Taxpayers who pay first and file a refund claim (generally within three years of filing the return or two years of paying the tax, under IRC § 6511) can sue in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, or in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
• Texas Comptroller Audits: Franchise tax and sales and use tax audits are handled by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. A business can request a redetermination hearing within the deadline stated on the Notice of Tax Due, with contested cases heard by an Administrative Law Judge at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), or it can pay under protest and file suit in Travis County district court within 90 days.
• Property Tax Protests: Southlake property owners protest appraised values with the Tarrant Appraisal District, generally by May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later. Unresolved protests go to an Appraisal Review Board hearing, and an ARB order can be appealed to district court or, in qualifying cases, to binding arbitration.

Southlake, TX Tax Resources

• IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (Fort Worth): The closest in-person IRS office to Southlake, located at 819 Taylor Street in downtown Fort Worth, for account questions, payments, and identity verification. Service is by appointment.
• Taxpayer Advocate Service: An independent office within the IRS that helps taxpayers whose IRS problems are causing financial hardship or have not been resolved through normal channels. The national intake line is (877) 777-4778.
• U.S. Tax Court: The federal court where taxpayers can challenge a Notice of Deficiency before paying. Petitions are filed electronically, and North Texas cases are typically tried at the court’s Dallas trial sessions.
• Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: The state agency that administers franchise tax, sales and use tax, and other state taxes, and that conducts state tax audits and redetermination proceedings.
• Tarrant Appraisal District: Sets appraised values for property in Southlake and accepts property tax protests, including online filings.
• Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector (Southlake Office): Located at 1400 Main Street in Southlake, handling property tax payments and vehicle registration for local residents.
• SMU Dedman School of Law Federal Tax Clinic: A Low Income Taxpayer Clinic that provides free representation to eligible taxpayers in IRS disputes, including audits, offers in compromise, and U.S. Tax Court cases, for clients generally within 100 miles of Dallas. Phone: (214) 768-8299.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Texas has no state income tax. What tax issues do Southlake residents actually need a tax attorney for?

Most tax attorney work in Southlake is federal: IRS audits, unpaid balances, liens and levies, unfiled returns, payroll tax problems for business owners, and IRS criminal investigations. At the state level, Texas businesses deal with the franchise tax (often called the margin tax) and sales and use tax, both administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and homeowners deal with local property tax. Firms such as Newsom Law Firm and Kelly Hart & Hallman handle Texas franchise and sales tax alongside federal matters.

What is the difference between a tax attorney, a CPA, and an enrolled agent?

All three can represent taxpayers before the IRS in audits and collections. The differences show up when a matter escalates. Only an attorney can generally represent you in federal district court or the Court of Federal Claims, and attorney-client privilege offers protections that do not fully extend to CPAs and enrolled agents, which matters if there is any chance of a criminal referral. Several attorneys on this list, including David Coffin, Jason Freeman, and Stanton Goldberg, are also CPAs, so they bring both skill sets to one file.

What does board certification in tax law mean in Texas?

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization certifies attorneys in specific practice areas, including Tax Law and Estate Planning and Probate Law. Certification requires substantial experience in the specialty, peer references, and passing a written exam, and it must be renewed. Board certification is not required to practice tax law, and many strong tax attorneys, including former DOJ Tax Division trial attorneys, are not certified, but it is a useful signal of concentrated experience. Chris Newsom in Southlake is Board Certified in Tax Law, and Marvin Blum and Michael Bourland hold board certification in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Where would a Southlake tax dispute be heard?

Most IRS disputes are resolved administratively, through the examination process and, if needed, the IRS Independent Office of Appeals. If a case goes to court, a taxpayer who files a Tax Court petition after receiving a notice of deficiency can generally have the trial in Dallas, one of the cities where the U.S. Tax Court holds trial sessions. Refund suits go to federal district court, which for Southlake is the Northern District of Texas, or to the Court of Federal Claims. Firms such as Freeman Law and Brown, PC focus heavily on litigated tax matters.

How do property tax protests work in Southlake?

Most of Southlake sits in Tarrant County, with a small portion in Denton County, so most homeowners protest their appraised value through the Tarrant Appraisal District. Under the Texas Tax Code, the protest deadline is generally May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later, and unresolved protests go to a hearing before the Appraisal Review Board. Homeowners often handle these themselves or through a property tax consultant, while commercial owners and complex valuation disputes are where a tax attorney is more likely to be involved.

Should I choose a small tax boutique or a large firm?

It depends on the problem. For IRS collections, unfiled returns, and most audits, a focused boutique such as David Coffin PLLC or the Law Offices of Nemeth & Flores handles this work every day and is usually more cost-effective. For criminal tax exposure, a former DOJ Tax Division attorney such as Lawrence Brown is a natural fit. For complex corporate tax, energy credits, or multi-entity restructuring, large firms such as Jackson Walker and Kelly Hart & Hallman have the depth across tax, corporate, and litigation groups. For estate and succession tax planning, The Blum Firm and Bourland, Wall & Wenzel specialize in that work.

Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an attorney referral. It is not a ranked or sponsored list, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement by, or affiliation with, any named firm beyond what is stated. Attorney credentials, case results, and contact details change over time; confirm current information directly with each firm before making a hiring decision. Past results described here do not guarantee similar outcomes in any other case.