Season 2 Episode 9: Your Secret Weapon: Strategic Tax Planning for IRS Controversies
May 28, 2026
In this episode, we break down your ultimate financial shield: strategic tax planning. We move past the initial panic of IRS notices and dive into how forward-thinking tax structures can defuse controversies before they even start—and give you the upper hand if they do. Whether you're a business owner or a high-earning individual, it's time to step up your tax game and start taking control. Tune in to turn tax stress into your secret weapon.
In this episode, we discuss:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:01 Navigating IRS Letters: Triggers, Errors, and the Importance of Timing
- 05:41 The Cost of Delay: IRS Collections and Escalating Disputes
- 07:19 Deciphering your IRS Letter: How to Choose Your Next Steps
- 10:07 The Playbook for Penalty Relief
- 16:33 The Payroll Tax Myth: Beating Penalties on Trust Fund Money
- 19:49 Next-Level Defense: The Taxpayer Advocate Service and IRS Conferences
- 22:22 The Power of Relationships and Procedural Persistence
- 28:20 Taking the Fight to Appeals: Hazards, Settlements, and Tax Court
- 32:09 IRS Audits: Boundary Management and Taxpayer Protection
- 38:08 Navigating Administrative Delays: The Impact of Professional Courtesy
- 40:36 The Reality of Audits: Finding the Right Answer
About our guest Charlotte Way
Charlotte Way, JD, LLM, CPA, serves as the firm’s Tax Counsel. Charlotte has extensive experience and success in helping clients manage tax issues and disputes, including IRS and state penalty and collection notices; penalty abatement requests; field and correspondence audit representation; post-audit issue resolution, including representation at appeals, requests for supervisor conferences, and fast-track settlements; Offer In Compromise – Doubt as to Liability; assistance with Taxpayer Advocate Services; research and risk assessment of tax positions before filing a tax return, and other tax compliance issues.
Learn more about Charlotte and her expertise here.
About our host Brent Ullrich
Brent Ullrich is a Partner with Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC, with over 15 years of experience in many areas of taxation and industries, most notably in healthcare, real estate, private equity, technology and professional services. He also serves as the Firm’s Tax Strategy and Research Leader, which offers technical guidance and identifies planning opportunities for the firm to support clients on complex issues across a range of technical tax areas.
Learn more about Brent and his expertise here.
Learn more about our firm here