Experience

Firm Founder Joseph P. Wilson, Managing Shareholder, has numerous years of handling tax controversy matters. He is a former Federal tax prosecutor, trial attorney for the IRS and trial attorney for the Franchise Tax Board. He has litigated a wide variety of civil and criminal tax cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Federal district court, U.S. Tax Court, California Superior Court, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Board of Equalization, California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and Property Tax Assessment Appeals Boards, in matters arising from various types of tax assessments, collection matters and criminal tax investigations.

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Mr. Wilson has a particular expertise in handing civil tax audits, civil tax litigation and criminal tax matters, including tax evasion, tax return preparer fraud, white collar crime and asset forfeiture. His experience is extensive representing individuals, businesses, corporations and S-corporations, partnerships, estates, owners, return preparers, and beneficiaries in matters involving income tax audits, FBAR and offshore voluntary disclosure, tax collection, tax litigation, civil injunctions, estate and gift tax, sales tax, payroll tax and property tax. Mr. Wilson actively represents clients in a broad range of international tax matters, including voluntary disclosures, foreign trusts, international compliance, international businesses, and foreign partnerships. Mr. Wilson brings to the firm extensive experience with private and government entities, which greatly benefits our clients.

Mr. Wilson began his career at the Tax Division at Deloitte & Touche LLP in San Diego, California. He handled state and local taxes, real estate law, mergers and acquisitions, international taxation, Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and employment and contract law. Mr. Wilson assisted with the codification of California Assembly Bill 964 into Revenue & Taxation Code §§ 401.17, 441 and 1153.5, involving the tax assessment and audit methodology for certified aircraft.

Mr. Wilson worked as a trial attorney for the IRS, Office of Chief Counsel in San Diego, California. Mr. Wilson represented the IRS in civil tax litigation matters before the United States Tax Court and provided legal guidance to the IRS Exam Division and the Collection Division. He also worked on criminal tax matters, including IRS referrals to the Department of Justice for tax prosecution.

Mr. Wilson became an Assistant United States Attorney with the Tax Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Wilson represented the United States of America in virtually all types of tax litigation in United States District Court, Bankruptcy Court, and Superior Court. He handled both civil and criminal tax matters, and bankruptcy tax matters. Mr. Wilson worked on cases that were upheld on appeal with the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Wilson held the position as a Tax Counsel III Specialist with the Legal Division of the California Franchise Tax Board, working as lead technical counsel in numerous areas of tax law, specializing in abusive tax shelters as well as penalties imposed in connection with tax avoidance transactions at both the participant and promoter level and other subject matter areas. Mr. Wilson acted as a hearing officer in protest hearings and prepared complex income and franchise tax cases in administrative appeal hearings before the State Board of Equalization.

Prior to founding the Wilson Tax Law Group, Mr. Wilson worked for a tax controversy firm in Santa Ana.  Mr. Wilson is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, where he graduated with a full merit scholarship.  He earned his Master of Tax Laws from the University of San Diego School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Providence College, where he graduated with a full merit scholarship.  In addition to being qualified to represent clients administratively before California and Federal taxing agencies, he is admitted to practice in numerous courts and jurisdictions and has held leadership positions in various organizations, including officer positions at the State Bar of California, Executive Committee, Tax Section, Orange County Bar Association Tax Section and the Tax Procedure and Litigation group of the California Bar Association Tax Section.

Recognition & Awardshttp://bars

Top 5% of Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers 2024
Lawyers of Distinction 2024
Top Rated Lawyers in California, American Registry 2024
Top 3 Tax Attorney in Orange County, Three Best Rated 2024
Best Civil & Criminal Tax Law Firm in Southern California, AI Legal Awards 2023
Top 3 Tax Attorney in Orange County, Three Best Rated 2023
Top 5% of Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers 2023
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2022
Top 5% of Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers 2022
America’s Most Honored Lawyers – Top 1% – American Registry (Reflecting confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary), 2021
Top 5% of Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers 2021
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Judicial Edition (Reflecting confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary), 2021
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2021
Top 5% of Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers 2020
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2020
Top 5% of Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers 2019
Top 1% of Attorneys in America, Tax Law, Premier Lawyers of America 2019
Top 3 Tax Attorney Newport Beach, California 2019: Three Best Rated
Federal Tax Lawyer of the Year – USA: Finance Monthly Taxation Awards 2019
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2019
Excellence in Tax Law Recognition Award, 2018, Lawyers of Distinction
Selected Editor-in-Chief, California Tax Lawyer, (the official legal tax publication for the California Lawyers Association), 2018
Executive Committee Member, State Bar of California, Taxation Section 2018
Tax Lawyer of the Year in California: International Advisory Experts Award, 2018
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2018
Golden Adviser Awards: Worldwide Financial Adviser Awards Magazine 2017
Top 100 Lawyer, American Society of Legal Advocates 2017
Executive Committee Member, State Bar of California, Taxation Section 2017
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2017
Articles Editor, California Tax Lawyer, State Bar of California, Taxation Section’s official publication, 2017
Tax Chair Recognition Award, Orange County Bar Association, 2016 (received)
Executive Committee Member, State Bar of California, Taxation Section 2016
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2016
Top 100 Lawyer, American Society of Legal Advocates 2016
Awarded Who’s Who in Tax Law by Orange County Lawyer magazine – April 2015 edition
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2015
Recognized as OC’s Top Lawyers, OC Register Metro, 2014
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2014
Rating of 10.0 on Avvo, the highest rating possible (Avvo is an independent lawyer ranking system)
Client Choice Award, Avvo, 2015
Chair, California Tax Procedure & Litigation Committee, State Bar of California, Tax Section, 2014-15
Chair, Orange County Bar Association, Taxation Section, 2015- 2016
Vice-Chair, Orange County Bar, Taxation Section, 2014
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating (Highest Possible Rating Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards), 2013
Second Vice-Chair, California Tax Procedure & Litigation Committee, State Bar of California, Tax Section, 2012-13
Editor-in-Chief, California Journal of Tax Litigation, 2012-13
State Bar of California, Tax Section, Sacramento Delegate, State Bar of California, Taxation Section, May 2013
State Bar of California, Tax Section, Washington DC Delegate, State Bar of California, Taxation Section, 2012
State Bar of California, Tax Section, Washington DC Delegate, State Bar of California, Tax Section, 2011
Chair, San Diego County Bar, Tax Section, 2007-2008
Chair, Tax Section, State Bar of California, Tax Section, Young Tax Lawyers, San Diego Chapter, 2003-2007
Applause Award, Deloitte & Touche LLP, October 2005 (assisted in obtaining a $26 million dollar reduction from the State Board of Equalization that generated over $550,000 in tax savings for a new client)
Domino Award, Deloitte & Touche LLP, October 2005 (leadership and advanced team planning and management)
Domino Award, Deloitte & Touche LLP, September 2005 (leadership and advanced team planning and management)
Outstanding Service Award, Legal Aid Society of San Diego, May 2005 (contribution to the Legal Aid Society’s Low Income Tax Clinic)
Wiley W. Manual Pro Bono Services Award, State Bar of California, May 2005 (contribution of pro bono services to San Diego residents)
Applause Award, Deloitte & Touche LLP, November 2004, (outstanding leadership and client development)
Outstanding Service Award, Legal Aid Society of San Diego, May 2004 (contribution to the Legal Aid Society’s Low Income Tax Clinic)
Wiley W. Manual Pro Bono Services Award, State Bar of California, May 2004 (contribution of pro bono services to San Diego residents)
AMJUR Award- Tax Valuation, Judge David Laro, US Tax Court 2003
Full merit scholarship, University of Arizona, College of Law (all three years)
Full merit scholarship, Providence College (all four years)

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Publications

Message from the Chair, California Journal of Tax Litigation (Feb. 2015 Ed.) – Joseph P. Wilson
Taxation Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Part 3,  California Journal of Tax Litigation (November 2014) -Joseph P. Wilson
Taxation Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Part 2, California Journal of Tax Litigation (September 2014) -Joseph P. Wilson
Taxation Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Part 1,  California Journal of Tax Litigation (May 2014) – Joseph P. Wilson
IRS recommendations in actions relating to Tax Court Decisions, California Journal of Tax Procedure and Litigation (August 2013)
Update on the FBARs, California Journal of Tax Procedure and Litigation (May 2013)
Tax-Exempt Mortgage Bonds: A Way to Alleviate the Self-Inflicted Damage Caused by CALHFA’s Reading of IRC Sec. 143, Sacramento Delegation (Feb. 2013)
US Officials Accuse IRS of Digital Espionage in Criminal Tax Investigations, California Journal of Tax Litigation (May 2013)
Editor’s Note, California Journal of Tax Procedure & Litigation (August 2013 Ed.)
Editor’s Note, California Journal of Tax Procedure & Litigation (May 2013 Ed.)
Editorial Comment, California Journal of Tax Procedure & Litigation (May 2013 Ed.)
Editor’s Note, California Journal of Tax Procedure & Litigation (Feb. 2013 Ed.)
Editor’s Note, California Journal of Tax Procedure & Litigation (Nov. 2012 Ed.)
The Franchise Tax Board Gets More “Firm” About Collecting Delinquent Taxes, California Tax Lawyer, V. 21, No. 3 (Fall 2012)
Senate Bill 86 Financial Institution Records Match, Los Angeles & San Francisco Daily Journals (Aug. 2012)
Proposed Revision to Administrative Procedure for CDP Hearings Pursuant to IRC Section 6330, Washington DC Delegation (May 2012)
Lack of Statutory Levy Restrictions on Retirement Accounts, Tax Notes Today 2011 TNT 111-39 (2011)
The Property Tax Function and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Institute of Professionals in Taxation, www.ipt.org (2005)

In addition to his own publications,  Mr. Wilson has been selected to serve as the 2018 Editor-in-Chief of the California Tax Lawyer, the official legal tax publication for the State Bar Taxation Section.

Speaking Engagements

Virtual Currency Update Straight Up with an Estate Planning Twist, Joseph P. Wilson (Presenter), California State Bar, Annual Lawyers Conference, San Diego (2021)
Household Employee and Employment Taxes, California State Bar, Annual Lawyers Conference, San Diego (2017)
Cannabis Taxation, Taxation Law Section’s 4th Annual Young Tax Lawyers Conference, San Francisco (2017)
Medical Marijuana Taxation Section 280E, Orange County Bar Tax Section, (2016)
Appeals Division Board of Equalization, State Bar Tax Procedure Litigation Committee Meeting (2015)
Tax Court Litigation Boot Camp, Annual Meeting of the California Tax Bar and California Policy Conference (2014)
Tax Litigation in US District Court, State Bar Tax Procedure and Litigation Committee Meeting (2013)
Tax Proposals, US Tax Court and White House, Washington, D.C. (2012)
Taxation Hot Topics,Tax Procedure and Litigation Committee Meeting (2012)
Amendments to the Financial Institution Record Match (FIRM) Program, Orange County Bar Association Meeting (2012)
IRS Criminal Investigation and Prosecution of Return Preparers, California Association of Attorney & CPAs (2012)
Legislative and Regulatory Proposals, Before US Senate House Ways and Means Committee (2011)

Bar Admissions

California, Supreme Court of the State of California (and all lower courts)
United States Southern District Court of California
United States Central District Court of California
United States Bankruptcy Court Central District of California
United States Court of Federal Claims
United States Tax Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Memberships

Executive Committee, State Bar of California
State Bar of California, Taxation Section
Orange County Bar Association, Taxation Section
Newport Harbor Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section
San Diego County Bar Association, Taxation Section
State Bar of California, Taxation Section
American Bar Association, Taxation Section
Association of Tax Counsel

Education

LL.M. Taxation University of San Diego, School of Law (San Diego, California)
J.D. University of Arizona, College of Law (Full Merit Scholarship)(Tucson Arizona)
B.S. Providence College (Full Merit Scholarship) (Providence, Rhode Island)
Loyola High School (Los Angeles, California)

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