Shumaker tax lawyers make the tax laws work for our clients, providing them a comprehensive set of services that integrates tax planning, transactional assistance and tax controversy resolution. We provide tax advice and representation for-profit and nonprofit businesses and individuals at the federal, state and local levels. Our emphasis is on creative guidance that helps achieve financial objectives while maximizing tax advantages and minimizing tax liabilities. Because every level of government and taxing authority (international, federal, state, municipal and local) has its own tax objectives, organization and statutes, we keep abreast of the constantly changing law and regulations and are known for interpreting them with skill and insight.
What Makes Us Different
With Shumaker’s extremely diverse business tax clientele, we have experience with a broad range of complex tax issues in an array of industries. Our guidance on concerns such as the structuring of sophisticated acquisition and financing transactions for domestic and foreign companies, the organization of business activities for U.S. and non-U.S. enterprises to achieve optimal foreign, federal, state and local tax outcomes, the resolution of audits and disputes with tax authorities, and compliance with filing and reporting requirements in the U.S. and abroad are all customized to each client’s specific needs. We employ an entrepreneurial, practical approach to addressing our clients’ tax issues, reflecting business realities for large and small companies alike.
Our lawyers also work with a diversity of nonprofit organizations, including large health care systems, so no tax issue involving the tax exempt area is new to us. Frequently we find that our experience in dealing with legal issues in one nonprofit sector enables us to help our clients in other sectors more effectively with their tax problems. We place primary emphasis on maintaining our clients’ tax-exempt status, but also take a wider view that integrates tax planning, transactional assistance, employment law and employee benefit advice, and general business guidance.
Our Clients
- Publicly owned corporations
- Private and family-owned companies
- Private equity funds
- Real estate ventures
- Professional associations
- Financial institutions
- Co-operatives
- Nonprofit organizations
- High net worth individuals and families
Why You Benefit
The primary goal of our tax lawyers is to achieve your business, organizational or personal goals while minimizing overall tax costs. To accomplish that, we work closely with our clients and their accountants, financial planners and business advisers. With our years of experience representing both small and large companies, nonprofits of every type (including large health care systems), and individuals and families with complex tax needs, we often can suggest new methods of limiting tax exposure with which other professional counselors might not be familiar.
Core Services
- Business, nonprofit organization and individual tax planning.
- Choice of entity decisions.
- Structuring and planning of taxable and non-taxable business reorganizations, acquisitions and dispositions.
- Integrated tax and estate planning advice for business owners and high net worth individuals.
- Representation before the IRS in civil audit and appellate conference proceedings.
- Taxpayer advocacy in the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District and Appellate Courts.
- Resolution of controversies over assessment of sales and use taxes, employment taxes, property taxes, commercial activity, gross receipts, and all types of other state and local taxes.
What You Can Expect From Shumaker
Shumaker’s tax lawyers use their knowledge and experience to craft practical, creative solutions to tax issues faced by our clients. We have a “can do” attitude that focuses on solving tax problems rather than creating them. Whether it be choosing between a C corporation, S corporation, partnership or limited liability upon creation of a business, dealing with organizational, operational and financing issues, or developing the most effective structure for the acquisition or sale of a business, Shumaker’s tax lawyers work to efficiently and effectively maximize client value by minimizing exposure to liability for tax.
Tax disputes can be troubling matters with potentially dire financial consequences. Shumaker’s tax lawyers work doggedly to protect our clients’ interests in tax audits and appeals at the federal, state and local level. We represent clients in controversies concerning every type of tax, including income, employment, estate and gift, sales and use, commercial activity and gross receipts taxes. We use our knowledge and experience to take a firm, but pragmatic approach that in most cases allows us to achieve the right kind of settlements on behalf of our clients.
But if settlement is not possible, we are vigorous advocates for our clients at trial. Similarly, we can offer customized support in pursuing tax reductions before local government Boards of Revision and Board of Tax Appeals. And, although these strengths are central to our practice, those clients that rely on us for skillful tax planning often never have to use them.
