Frequently Asked Questions
Petrova Law is a boutique business law firm focused exclusively on tax and business law matters. The firm assists businesses with tax strategy, IRS representation, sales and purchases of businesses (M&A), and general corporate law from startup launch through growth and maturation to exit and succession.
Send Allie an email or call us at 336.310.1210 to discuss your matter and how we can help you. Before we can begin representing you, we need to confirm there are no actual or potential conflicts of interest. Then, we would provide with a copy of our engagement letter, which you can read and sign.
Common reasons for tax disputes requiring IRS appeals lawyers include discrepancies in reported income, disallowed deductions or credits, and disagreements over tax liability assessments. Taxpayers may also contest penalties and interest charges.
Engaging in the IRS Appeals Process can significantly impact business operations, causing financial strain and affecting cash flow. Experienced IRS appeals lawyers help to minimize disruptions and aim for favorable outcomes. The IRS Office of Appeals offers an administrative pathway to resolve disputes without litigation, saving time and resources.
IRS appeals lawyers use various strategies to negotiate favorable settlements in tax disputes, including presenting compelling evidence, leveraging tax law precedents, and negotiating with the IRS Office of Appeals. Their goal is to resolve disputes through the IRS Appeals Process, reducing tax liabilities and avoiding court, which helps maintain business stability.
The process can take several months to over a year, depending on the case’s complexity and the IRS Appeals Office backlog.
While you can represent yourself, having an experienced IRS appeals lawyer increases your chances of a favorable outcome by navigating the complex process, preparing a strong case, and negotiating effectively with the IRS.
When dealing with the 90-day deadline for filing a Tax Court petition, you must ensure the IRS has your most up-to-date address. The 90-day period starts from the date listed on the IRS Notice of Deficiency, not when it is received. If you are outside the U.S. when the Notice of Deficiency is mailed to you, you have 150 days to file a Tax Court petition. This deadline is strict – if missed, your case will be dismissed. To avoid this, act quickly. Missing the deadline may leave you with the option of paying the tax in full and suing for a refund in another federal court. If the IRS sends this notice to an outdated address, you risk missing the deadline, which can result in your case being dismissed. Filing Form 8822 (Change of Address) ensures you receive critical IRS correspondence promptly. For more information, you can visit the IRS website.
You can resolve your dispute with the IRS before and during Tax Court litigation. Pre-litigation settlements may eliminate the need to file a petition in Tax Court and lead to more favorable terms. Settling with the IRS during litigation can help avoid the uncertainty and costs of a trial. Our attorneys guide you through every step of the settlement process.
Tax Court is typically the last step in defending a tax position in a dispute with the IRS. The process involves filing a petition, presenting evidence, and negotiating settlements. An experienced attorney can guide you through each stage, help prepare your case, and improve your chances of securing a favorable outcome.
Recent IRS enforcement trends target high-income earners, large corporations, and complex partnerships. With Inflation Reduction Act funding, the IRS uses advanced technology and AI to identify tax avoidance schemes and enhance audit targeting.
Businesses that have leveraged Inflation Reduction Act tax credits have the best chances to prevail by demonstrating a strong tax position and compliance. Proper documentation can significantly impact the court’s decision, and expert representation ensures all credits are adequately defended.
We can help you evaluate your chances of success in Tax Court. While you can represent yourself in the Tax Court, on a pro se basis, having legal representation significantly improves your chances of success. If you lose, your case in Tax Court, potential liabilities include additional taxes, penalties, and interest.
You are welcome to call us at 336.310.1210 or send our team an email to share about your matter and find out how we can help you. We typically would discuss the matter with you to understand the context and evaluate whether we are the best fit.
Before our firm may begin representing you, we are required to complete a conflict check and confirm no actual or potential conflicts of interest exist. Then, we would provide you with a copy of our service agreement, which you can read and sign. You would need to remit a retainer deposit for work to begin. We have a structured new client onboarding process and make it easy for you.
It is our standard business practice to communicate with all clients regularly via email correspondence. Our clients are computer savvy and communicate via email correspondence.
We care deeply about our clients and are client friendly. We do our best to minimize legalisms and communicate with our clients in plain English and in practical ways clients can understand.
Petrova Law is a boutique law firm focused exclusively on Tax Law and Business Law.
At Petrova Law, you get the personalized attention customary to a boutique firm setting, combined with Allie Petrova’s business background and big firm experience. The outcome is tailored legal solutions designed to minimize legal risks and optimize the results.
We provide comprehensive Tax 360 expertise. It combines business tax planning on the front end with IRS defense in audits and appeals on the back end. Attorney Petrova’s tax expertise is an added bonus, which enables her to solve major tax problems and arrange business transactions in a tax-efficient manner.
To learn more, visit Philosophy and About Petrova Law.
As a full-service business law firm, we handle a broad spectrum of legal needs for our business clients.
We counsel and guide our business clients through multi-member LLC formations, risk management and asset protection, business succession planning, acquisitions and sales of businesses. We serve as general counsel to high-growth businesses contemplating exit. Every business owner ultimately exits their business. We guide clients, so they can exit on their own terms.
We pride ourselves in offering tax-sensitive business planning to our corporate clients and in the context of M&A transactions.
We offer strategic IRS representation in tax audits and appeals. We negotiate settlements of substantial tax balances and suitable resolution of various tax disputes with the IRS and state tax authorities for businesses and their owners.
For a complete overview of our legal services, visit on Tax Law and Business Law.
You need a business lawyer to protect your best interests. A well-drafted legal document can save you money and unnecessary headaches when a dispute arises or a lawsuit is filed in court. We work with business owners who are proactive and want to do things right.
Ms. Petrova assists corporate clients with legal matters in all phases of their business operations and provides counsel based on her own rigorous experience as a business owner.
To learn more, visit Allie’s attorney profile. Consider our Business Counsel Services for pragmatic business counsel and guidance with identifying risks and opportunities in your business negotiations.
Most events in life and business are accompanied by tax consequences.
If you are in business, you need a tax lawyer to resolve serious tax issues and advise you on structuring transactions from a tax perspective. If you have received an IRS notice indicating you have a tax problem, a tax lawyer can evaluate, strategize, and take action for you.
Tax is a complex field, which requires thorough understanding of the Internal Revenue Code and the elaborate labyrinth of tax laws. We remind our clients that the U.S. government at the federal and state levels takes tax matters with individuals and businesses with significant gravity.
Ms. Petrova applies her experience and advanced tax training to handle significant tax problems and assists with proactive tax planning for M&A transactions. To learn more, visit Allie’s attorney profile. Consider using our Tax Counsel Services for strategic tax advice and resolution of complex tax problems.
Ms. Petrova has advanced legal training in tax law and extensive prior business experience, a rare combination in a boutique law firm setting. At the Georgetown University Law Center, Ms. Petrova earned her Juris Doctorate (law degree) and Master of Laws in Taxation (advanced tax law degree). In Washington, D.C., Ms. Petrova attended Supreme Court hearings and worked on cases for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Attorney Petrova applies her experience with the Internal Revenue Service, where she worked at the IRS Office of Chief Council to analyze emerging legal issues and international tax matters arising from tax examinations of large businesses. Also in Washington, she advocated on behalf of small businesses, nonprofits, and individual taxpayers at the National Taxpayer Advocate’s Office.
Allie counseled multinational companies at European law firms and Ernst & Young in New York. Before her legal career, Ms. Petrova worked in the business world in the finance departments of a Fortune 500 company and a private U.S. business with international operations. She has earned a Master of Laws in International Economic Law from La Sorbonne in Paris. Allie earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Economics with a Finance concentration and an Accounting minor from Greensboro College, where she graduated magna cum laude.
Attorney Petrova is admitted in North Carolina and New York. To find out more, visit Allie’s attorney profile.
We do not accept every case. We take on the representation of only few clients who will truly benefit from our services. We have a very specific process to determine whether your matter would be a good fit for representation at Petrova Law.
The best way to determine whether you would be a good fit is to schedule an initial callback with our office or an initial consultation with Attorney Petrova. This allows us to learn more about your facts, goals, and needs, and gives you an opportunity to ask questions you may have.
There’s no obligation past the initial consultation. It allows you to find out whether our services offerings and approach are right for you. A case evaluation callback is short in direction (10-15 minutes), complimentary (free), and typically conducted by one of our team members. A paid initial consultation is a one-on-one discussion with Attorney Petrova and involves substantive guidance, including preliminary answers to your questions. After the consultation, Attorney Petrova will explain how we can assist and what the work plan looks like for you.
If we accept the representation, the pricing typically depends on several factors, including the value we deliver, the complexity of the work, and the level of urgency.
We love our work and take our cases very seriously.
Transparency and easy billing are central to the firm’s core values.
We believe in collaborative and trusting attorney-client relationships. We know that clocking every minute of an attorney’s time can make fees unpredictable. We also know that each client works with a budget, and setting aside funds for unknown costs can be challenging.
Our experience shows that discussing legal costs upfront helps with our clients’ peace of mind. For this reason, we discuss pricing upfront.
Our deliverable-based fee arrangements reflect the value we deliver, the complexity of the work, and the level of urgency. We offer clients options and a certain degree of control over the variables they can control. Our fee arrangements allow us to deliver strategically, rather than transactionally, and build a true partnership with you founded on efficiency, predictability, and peace of mind. For certain document preparation, we can offer predictable fee packages. Other matters require Ms. Petrova’s engagement on an hourly basis. Because we know that every client and matter is different, we take on a flexible approach.
At the conclusion of our first meeting, we can sit down with you to go over billing options and answer your questions if you so choose.
We bill on a monthly basis for the work performed in the prior month. Depending on the volume of work, we may issue invoices on a bi-weekly basis. Our invoices are due upon receipt.
We welcome questions and are open to discussing billing at any time throughout the representation.
Convenience to our clients is essential to our client relationships. If you prefer to make a payment electronically, you can use our secure LawPay platform, which has been approved by the North Carolina State Bar. Please note that a convenience processing charge applies to all payments made by credit or debit card. No such charge applies to payments made by ACH debit from a bank account.
We work with business clients statewide. Some of our business clients are located in the Triad and the greater Charlotte area while many are located across North Carolina, in other states, and in other parts of the world. We have worked with clients all over North America, Europe, and Central America, and Asia.
It is not unusual for out-of-town and out-of-state clients to be referred to us, particularly in the healthcare space, M&A transactions, and clients with business tax needs.
Our clients find telephone calls and video conferences very convenient.
