Leading Tax Controversy Experts

James is a CPA, IRS Enrolled Agent, and Tax Resolution Specialist at CanvaTax (canvatax.com), where he helps individuals and businesses resolve complex tax issues including IRS debt, back taxes, and penalty relief through programs like the IRS Fresh Start Initiative. With hands-on experience navigating IRS negotiations and tax compliance, James provides practical, results-driven guidance to clients facing financial uncertainty.

An accomplished executive with over fifteen years of diversified financial and business advisory experience with a broad spectrum of public and privately held companies. A CPA with Big Four accounting experience, who has exhibited strong analytical and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to interact with all levels of the management team while delivering prompt solutions to challenging business issues. A tax lawyer with more than twenty years of experience, who has extensive experience in tax research, litigation, planning, and implementation. Strategic financial management experience in the following areas: financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, treasury and cash management, cash flow analysis, bank loan and credit facility securitization, and risk management. Specialties: Financial Accounting Tax Corporate Law

Do you or someone you know have state or federal tax problems? Perhaps a client or colleague of yours is behind on their taxes, or is being audited. I have helped thousands of people resolve their issues with the IRS and state tax authorities. We don’t just solve tax problems in Michigan, either. Our tax resolution efforts have successfully helped clients all over the U.S., including many expats. Tax problems - resolved. If you have a tax issue, call me - I'll be happy to give you free advice. My team of tax lawyers can help you with: * Tax Debt Relief – IRS or State * Offers in Compromise / Tax Settlements * Unfiled Tax Returns * Unpaid Business Taxes * IRS & State Tax Audit Defense * IRS Tax Appeals / Tax Litigation * Criminal Tax Fraud Defense * Foreign Asset Disclosures / FBAR Issues * Tax Preparer Defense ************************************************************************************* We help our clients get the fresh start they deserve! ************************************************************************************* Visit my website at www.ayarlaw.com or call us at (248) 262-3400 to schedule your appointment for your free legal advice.

Elizabeth Franklin-Best is the principal attorney of Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C., a federal criminal defense and appellate firm, and one of the country’s most experienced federal post-conviction lawyers. Over more than two decades, she has appeared in over 330 federal proceedings — more than 100 of them appeals — and is admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States and all U.S. Courts of Appeals. Chambers USA ranks her in its 2026 guide for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, and Best Lawyers in America 2026 lists her in Appellate Practice. She was named South Carolina Public Defender of the Year in 2010. She has served as counsel of record in sixteen published decisions. She argued United States v. Slager, 912 F.3d 224 (4th Cir. 2019), the sentencing appeal in a widely reported federal civil rights prosecution, and was counsel in United States v. Frias (2d Cir. 2024) and United States v. Joseph (10th Cir. 2024). Her collateral-review work includes capital habeas matters Wood v. Stirling (4th Cir. 2022) and Morva v. Zook (4th Cir. 2016), and Bennett v. Stirling (D.S.C. 2016), where a federal court granted habeas relief in a capital case after finding racial bias infected the sentencing. She was also counsel in Aiken v. Byars (S.C. 2014), the landmark ruling applying Miller v. Alabama to require new sentencing hearings for juvenile offenders. Her practice is devoted to the federal system: direct appeals, 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motions, § 2254 and capital habeas petitions, ineffective assistance claims, compassionate release, and federal sentencing. She is the author of Reversing Your Criminal Conviction: Develop Your Winning Strategy (2023) and writes expert analysis for Law360, most recently on how the Supreme Court’s habeas rulings limit compassionate release. She serves as Co-Vice Chair of the NACDL Amicus Curiae Committee for the Fourth Circuit, Board Chair of Justice 360, and is a charter member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. J.D. and M.A. in Philosophy, University of Wyoming. Admitted in South Carolina and New York. Available to comment on federal appeals and post-conviction practice, Supreme Court criminal rulings and their downstream effects, capital habeas, white-collar defense, and federal sentencing. Contact: (843) 620-1100 · https://federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/about-us/our-team/elizabeth-franklin-best/

Tax Attorney and CPA, Former IRS Agent Host of TaxWhit's Wealth Protection Podcast Published Author and Presenter on Tax and Estate Planning Topics

Texas tax attorney Lawrence Brown has built a reputation as an ethical, professional and zealous lawyer who is able to reach settlements and plea deals for his clients that spare unnecessary resources, stress and risk. He takes into account not just the facts of the case and the law, but how these issues affect his clients’ lives in order to achieve the outcome best suited for the individual client and their case.

Eric Epstein is a former senior federal agency counsel with more than three decades of experience drafting, implementing, and defending major federal legislation and regulations. Before retiring from federal service, he served as Senior Policy Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he was a principal advisor to executive leadership, the Attorney General, and White House officials on complex regulatory, legislative, and national enforcement matters. Over a 32-year career, he drafted and helped implement major federal firearms and explosives regulations and legislation, including the firearms trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and ATF’s “Ghost Gun Rule,” which was later upheld by the United States Supreme Court. He spent 15 years in the field working alongside ATF agents and investigators on criminal and regulatory cases, providing firsthand operational insight into how federal laws are enforced in practice. He also represented ATF before industry leaders at trade conferences and executive meetings, giving him direct experience with how federal regulatory policy affects manufacturers, importers, retailers, and other regulated entities. Throughout his career, he authored dozens of federal regulations and rulings, advised members of Congress on statutory language, and worked closely with the U.S. Solicitor General in Supreme Court litigation. His work shaped administrative records, national enforcement policy, and compliance strategy across regulated industries. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor for career federal employees, as well as the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Epstein is the founder and CEO of Commentari, an AI-based platform that helps individuals and organizations analyze legislation and agency rulemakings and draft substantive public comments grounded in the Administrative Procedure Act. His work focuses on regulatory and legislative strategy, public comment impact, and litigation risk in federal policymaking. He provides commentary on federal rulemaking, legislative drafting, administrative law, regulatory litigation risk, firearms and explosives legislation and regulation, and how federal agencies develop, defend, and enforce major policy decisions. He is available to provide clear and practical insight into complex regulatory and legislative developments. He is based in the Washington, D.C. area.

I have 24 years of experience in the credit counseling industry, specializing in operations, compliance, debt management, and consumer financial education. As Senior Manager of Compliance and Media at Money Fit, I ensure our programs meet strict standards for integrity, accuracy, and regulatory compliance. I am a HUD Certified Housing Counselor and serve on the Board of Directors for the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA). My work focuses entirely on nonprofit credit counseling. I help consumers understand the clear mechanics of regulated debt management versus the risks tied to for-profit debt settlement. Consumers deserve straightforward financial guidance that is realistic, responsible, and built for actual progress.

Taxx Resolution Inc - Get the IRS off your back!Our typical client is an individual taxpayer, a self employed business or a small business who is behind in filing their taxes AND/OR has a balance due to the IRS and can't write one check to pay it off. or someone who is behind in their Tax Obligations and are under a threat of their assets being taken away. We offer a three step IRS Resolution Process:Step 1: Analysis of what the IRS has on you. Step 2: Tax Compliance and past Tax FilingsStep 3: Resolution: Negotiate the best possible Settlement under LawWould you go to court without an attorney? ....then why would you represent yourself before the IRS?Taxx Resolution Inc - call us 331-215-7663. Dont suffer any further! Amit is an Enrolled Agent credentialed with the IRS. As an Enrolled Agent and a seasoned Entrepreneur, he brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to assisting small businesses in achieving financial peace of mind. In today’s dynamic economic environment, businesses, particularly small enterprises, often find themselves entangled in intricate tax matters that demand specialized attention.From IRS disputes and audits to tax debt resolution, he helps alleviate the burdens that can impede the growth and success of businesses. With a keen understanding of tax laws and regulations, he strives to provide solutions specific to the client’s situation.

andace “Candy” Stevens is an Enrolled Agent, tax resolution specialist, and founder of Number Cruncher LLC. She specializes in helping individuals and small business owners navigate stressful IRS problems including back taxes, audits, wage garnishments, tax liens, payroll tax issues, and collection actions. With years of experience working directly with taxpayers, Candy is known for combining technical tax expertise with a calm, compassionate approach that helps people feel less overwhelmed during difficult financial situations. She believes taxpayers deserve honest answers, clear communication, and real solutions without judgment or scare tactics. In addition to IRS resolution work, Candy has extensive experience in small business taxation, bookkeeping, IRS compliance, and helping entrepreneurs better understand the financial side of their businesses. She is especially skilled at breaking down complicated tax topics into simple, relatable language that everyday people can understand. Candy’s insights are valuable for stories involving IRS enforcement, tax debt, small business challenges, taxpayer stress, audits, payroll tax problems, financial mistakes, and practical tax education for the public.

Joe Letorney — Certified Water Treatment Specialist & Founder, WaterCheckup.com Joe Letorney is a Water Quality Association (WQA) Certified Water Treatment Specialist with over 30 years of hands-on experience across every aspect of the water treatment industry. He grew up working in his family's water treatment business starting at age 10, and later became Vice President of Marketing at Durastill Export Inc. — an international water filtration company — while simultaneously founding and running his own company, The Water Pro Inc., based in Rockland, Massachusetts. Over his career Joe has designed, installed, and serviced water treatment systems, conducted water testing and analysis, lectured at industry events including WQA convention educational seminars, and authored articles published in leading water trade journals including Water Conditioning & Purification (WCP Online) and Water Technology magazine. He has sold water systems to customers in over 100 countries worldwide. Today Joe is the founder of WaterCheckup.com — a free public resource that pulls live EPA drinking water data including UCMR5 PFAS monitoring results to show Americans exactly what's in their tap water by ZIP code, and recommends top-rated NSF-certified filters matched to the specific contaminants detected in their water supply. Credentials: WQA Certified Water Treatment Specialist VI · B.S. Marketing, University of Massachusetts · 30+ years water treatment industry · Published author, Water Conditioning & Purification & Water Technology magazine

Tax Attorney and CPA, Former IRS Agent Host of TaxWhit's Wealth Protection Podcast Published Author and Presenter on Tax and Estate Planning Topics

Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA, is Managing Director of Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C. and one of the country’s most-cited authorities on how federal prison sentences are actually served — where a defendant is designated, what the Bureau of Prisons controls, and how much time a person really does. He’s the go-to source when a high-profile defendant is sentenced and the question becomes where they go and what happens there. TIME turned to him on Elizabeth Holmes, CNN on Sean “Diddy” Combs and FCI Fort Dix, and Inc. on Sam Bankman-Fried. Zoukis knows the system from the inside. He served a federal sentence, writing College for Convicts (McFarland, 2014), Prison Education Guide, and the Federal Prison Handbook (2017) while incarcerated, and earned a 2012 PEN America Prison Writing Award. He later authored the Directory of Federal Prisons (2020) and earned his J.D. from UC Davis School of Law, where he was Articles Editor of the UC Davis Law Review. He holds an M.B.A. from Adams State University. His focus: BOP designation under 18 U.S.C. § 3621(b), sentence computation, First Step Act earned time credits and PATTERN scoring, RDAP, prison discipline and conditions of confinement, compassionate release, halfway house and home confinement placement, and reentry. He has advised hundreds of clients and families through federal incarceration. He is Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Defense Center, publisher of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and author of the forthcoming Federal Criminal Defendant’s Handbook and the third edition of The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel. Zoukis is not an attorney; all legal work is handled by lead counsel Elizabeth Franklin-Best, ranked in Chambers USA 2026 for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, named a 2026 Best Lawyer in America for Appellate Practice, and admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court and all U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. The firm assists with federal sentencing, direct appeals, habeas corpus petitions, and compassionate release. Quoted by TIME, CNN, Inc., Fox News, ABC News, the Associated Press, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Bloomberg Law, The Hill, UPI, and Vice News. Contributor to the Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Prison Legal News, and Criminal Legal News. Contact: Chris@ZoukisDefense.com · (843) 620-1100 · https://federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/about-us/our-team/christopher-zoukis/

Rumz is a partner at Dreamy Leads Research, a free U.S. consumer-finance research desk covering insurance, mortgage, debt relief, and solar. He works hands-on with the company's primary-sourced 2026 cost-and-rate data — compiled from NAIC, CFPB, FHFA, NREL, IRS, and U.S. Census figures — to show how households actually experience prices, state by state and city by city, across 1,150+ published pages spanning 56 US cities. The desk's original studies are cited roughly 4,200 times a month in Microsoft Copilot's AI answers, and every claim traces to a named public source. He offers data-grounded commentary on auto and home insurance costs, mortgage affordability, household debt and settlement outcomes, and residential solar economics — answer-first, quotable, and on deadline, always pointing reporters to the underlying numbers and their sources.

I am a publicist, coder, music industry executive and TV Producer with a track record of securing premier media placements and managing high-stakes narratives. At Popularity PR, I help high-profile individuals and corporations across the entertainment, legal, and political sectors navigate the modern media landscape. With an entrepreneurial background that includes building AI-driven intellectual property tools and navigating complex civil litigation, I offer a multifaceted perspective on how business, law, and culture collide. Available for expert commentary on: Public Relations (crisis comms, brand strategy), Entertainment (industry, celebrity narratives), Law (litigation strategy, IP protection), and Entrepreneurship (tech development, startups). Personal Interests: Music, binge-watching Netflix, and diving into complex legal strategy.

James A. Kraehenbuehl is an experienced business attorney, tax lawyer, and executive who has represented hundreds of clients, from individuals with simple tax preparation to global companies with complex legal issues. He started his own firm, Mid-Atlantic Law and Tax, so that he may partner with clients to help them grow and achieve their goals by addressing the annual need for tax preparation, assisting clients in mitigating and managing legal risk, and using financial data to help clients manage and improve their businesses. James’ experiences and the foundation of his family’s accounting business, which has prepared taxes for clients and advised clients on tax issues for over forty years, have enabled him to become this strategic and valuable partner. As a tax attorney, he has worked with clients to prepare simple to complex returns as well as resolve various inquiry letters or tax audits from the IRS and state equivalents. Moreover, in his prior experience as general counsel and executive for a U.S. defense prime contractor, Fincantieri Marine Group, James has directly managed and assisted his clients manage the wide variety of legal risks that businesses face. This includes issues such as managing contracting risk through negotiation and building good templates, investigating and resolving personnel-related risks, managing corporate structures and formalities, as well as managing environmental issues identified in industrial manufacturing settings. James started practicing law at Boies Schiller and Flexner LLP, a nationally known and respected litigation firm. Here, he represented a variety of individuals and major corporations in matters before regulatory agencies and litigated commercial and governmental disputes before a variety of state and federal courts. Prior to the law firm, James served as a law clerk to Judge D. Brooks Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School with Honors and of the Order of the Coif. While there, he served as Managing Editor of the University of Chicago Law Review and won the school’s moot court competition.

Damon Paull, AWMA® - Financial Advisor, Best-Selling Author, Military Veteran As a wealth management advisor and Amazon best-selling author in Money and Business, Damon Paull brings a military precision to financial journalism. His recent collaboration with former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss on "Empathetic Leadership" shows he can take complex financial concepts and turn them into stories that resonate with everyone. With over 8 years of industry experience and a background as a Marine Corps veteran and State Department contractor, Damon writes about: • Intergenerational wealth transfer • Corporate benefit plan optimization • Investment portfolio construction • Business succession planning • Veteran financial empowerment • Global market analysis through a geopolitical lens As a Wealth Management Advisor at Cetera Investors, Damon’s expertise goes beyond traditional financial planning. He uses cutting-edge financial technology and analysis tools to bring you fresh perspectives on emerging trends and investment opportunities. His writing style is data-driven with a storyline, making complex financial concepts accessible to sophisticated investors and general audiences. Regular contributor to discussions on wealth preservation, market dynamics and financial technology. Damon welcomes opportunities to provide professional commentary and in-depth analysis for financial publications looking for expert opinions on wealth management and investment strategies. For editorial inquiries or commentary: Damon Paull, AWMA Damon.Paull@ceterainvestors.com 804.270.2765 Glen Allen, VA Available for national and international commentary Cetera Investors is a marketing name of Cetera Investment Services. Securities and Insurance Products offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. 140 EASTSHORE DR. SUITE 105, GLEN ALLEN, VA 23059. 804-346-4670. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, not recommendations of Cetera Investment Services LLC or its representatives. www.EagleVisionWealthManagement.com www.EagleVisionAccounting.com

Sherman & Ticchio PLLC provides professional legal representation for consumers throughout New York and New Jersey. We are prepared to represent individuals facing challenges with inaccurate background checks, mixed credit files, and identity theft reporting errors. Our attorneys also assist those mistakenly reported as deceased by credit bureaus or financial institutions. We focus on holding reporting agencies accountable under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Whether you are a job applicant dealing with a false criminal record or a consumer facing credit denials due to reporting inaccuracies, we offer supportive and informative legal guidance. Attorneys at Sherman & Ticchio PLLC provide a complimentary initial consultation to help you explore your legal options without financial risk. Visit our website to learn how a credit report lawyer NY, background check attorney, credit report error attorney, and lawyers for identity theft can help protect your rights.

Eric Pemper is Founder & Managing Member of CuraDebt, a U.S. consumer financial-services matching platform he founded in 2001. CuraDebt helps consumers explore debt relief options and, when appropriate, connects them with independent providers offering debt settlement, tax debt relief, personal-loan consolidation, and business or merchant-cash-advance debt solutions. With 25 years of experience building and operating CuraDebt, Eric can comment on how consumers compare debt relief options, questions to ask before enrolling, fees and timelines, creditor and tax-debt program considerations, personal-loan consolidation, business-debt pressures, compliance-minded marketing, lead-generation operations, entrepreneurship, and consumer decision-making. He does not present himself as an attorney, tax adviser, credit-repair specialist, or as the direct provider of every service available through CuraDebt. Eric also founded EverLife Capital in 2025, an independent longevity-biotechnology research publication. His commentary there is educational and is not investment or medical advice.

Writer, speaker author passionate about helping small business owners and consumers make…