Irvine Tax Attorney: IRS and FTB Audit Defense

Kugelman Law is an Irvine tax attorney practice representing individuals, business owners, and cryptocurrency investors across Orange County in serious tax controversy matters.

From our Irvine office, we defend clients in IRS and California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) audits, tax collections, residency disputes, and digital-asset examinations, and we handle high-dollar cases where a premium firm earns its fee. Consultations are paid and protected by attorney-client privilege. To speak with an attorney, call (949) 835-0440.

We are a boutique firm built for high-stakes federal and California tax problems, not routine return preparation. The practice is led by founder and managing attorney Alex Kugelman, nationally recognized for cryptocurrency tax, alongside Otto Bosch, a former IRS Revenue Agent from the Global High Wealth group.

Who we help in Irvine and Orange County

Orange County concentrates exactly the exposure our firm is built to handle: high earners, closely held business owners, tech and real-estate wealth, and cryptocurrency investors, all facing aggressive enforcement from both the IRS and the FTB. We focus on the matters where the dollars and the risk are highest.

That includes IRS and FTB audits, California residency disputes for people moving in or out of the state, cryptocurrency audits and digital-asset enforcement, U.S. Tax Court litigation, and tax collection cases involving liens and levies. If you are a high-net-worth taxpayer or business owner in Irvine facing a large proposed liability or an examination, this is our core work.

Our Irvine office

Our Irvine office anchors the firm’s presence in Orange County and Southern California. We represent clients throughout California and nationwide on federal matters, and because representation is handled remotely, you work directly with your attorney wherever you are located.

Kugelman Law — Irvine
300 Spectrum Center Dr, Suite 400
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: (949) 835-0440

Tax controversy services

Our Irvine and Orange County clients rely on us across the full range of federal and California tax disputes:

• Tax audit defense (IRS and FTB)
• Tax collections, liens, and levies
• U.S. Tax Court litigation
• Unfiled tax returns
• General tax help and representation
• Cryptocurrency accounting and audits
• Streamlined offshore and delinquent FBAR procedures

Meet the attorneys

Alex Kugelman is the founder and managing attorney of Kugelman Law, with nearly two decades of federal and California tax controversy experience, including U.S. Tax Court and U.S. District Court litigation. He is admitted in California and before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Tax Court, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California, and served as San Francisco Chair of the Federal Bar Association Tax Division in 2018. He is nationally recognized for cryptocurrency tax and has been quoted in the Financial Times and the New York Post on California’s billionaire tax and residency audits.

Otto Bosch is a tax controversy attorney and former IRS Revenue Agent from the Global High Wealth group within the IRS Large Business & International division. An IRS Enrolled Agent with an LL.M. in Taxation, he focuses on IRS audit defense, high-net-worth examinations, partnership and S-corporation taxation, and U.S. Tax Court litigation, and represents Spanish-speaking clients in federal tax matters. He was quoted in Tax Notes in May 2026 on IRS examination training and LB&I audit campaigns.

Featured guidance for Orange County taxpayers

Start with our guidance on the issues facing Irvine and Orange County high earners and businesses:

• Why You Need an IRS Tax Attorney in Orange County
• Your IRS Tax Attorney in Huntington Beach
• California Residency Audit: How the FTB Decides If You Really Left
• Los Angeles Cryptocurrency Tax Attorney

Our Los Angeles tax attorney page covers our downtown LA office and the firm’s broader Southern California practice.

Results that matter

Our work is measured in liabilities eliminated and exposure avoided. In one matter, we reduced a $365,000 tax debt to a zero-dollar liability. In another, two IRS Notices of Deficiency proposing more than $557,000 in tax and penalties across six years were settled in U.S. Tax Court down to roughly $38,000 in federal liability, and with avoided interest and California exposure the client effectively saved over $1.2 million.

Results depend on specific facts. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have an office in Irvine?

Yes. Kugelman Law maintains an Irvine office serving Orange County and Southern California, and we also represent clients throughout California and nationwide. Because representation is handled remotely, you work directly with your attorney wherever you are.

Do you handle both IRS and California FTB matters?

Yes. We defend audits, appeals, collections, and litigation involving both the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board, including residency disputes that often involve federal and state exposure at once.

What does an Irvine tax attorney at Kugelman Law cost?

We offer paid consultations that are protected by attorney-client privilege. We do not offer free consultations. Paying for the consultation keeps it confidential and privileged and gives you real analysis of your situation rather than a sales pitch. Call (949) 835-0440 to schedule.

Do I have to meet in person at your Irvine office?

No. We represent clients throughout California and nationwide, and our representation is handled remotely, so you work directly with your attorney from wherever you are.

Speak with an Irvine tax attorney

If you are facing an IRS or FTB audit, a residency dispute, a cryptocurrency examination, or a large tax liability in Irvine or anywhere in Orange County, talk to us before you respond to the government. Schedule a paid, privileged consultation with Kugelman Law by calling (949) 835-0440 or visiting our contact page.

This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice. Every tax matter turns on its own facts. Contacting Kugelman Law does not create an attorney-client relationship.