our professionals > Joseph P. Wilson

Joseph P. Wilson joined the Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor in 2011. Mr. Wilson started his career as an intern in law school at the Internal Revenue Service. In 2003, Mr. Wilson joined 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.

In 2006, Mr. Wilson became 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.

In 2008, 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, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Superior Court. He handled both civil and criminal tax matters.

Prior to rejoining private practice in 2011, Mr. Wilson was 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, focusing on 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.

Education

BS (Business), Providence College, Providence, RI
JD, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
LLM, (Tax), University of San Diego, California

Bar Admissions

California, Supreme Court of the State of California
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

Legal Memberships

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

Recognitions

• Washington DC Delegate, State Bar of California, Tax Section, 2011

• Past Chair, San Diego County Bar, Tax Section, 2007-2008

• Past 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 Law School, 1999-2002

Authored Publications

“Lack of Statutory Levy Restrictions on Retirement Accounts,” Joseph P. Wilson, Esq., 2011 TNT 111-39 (2011)

Published and Unpublished Court Decisions

• United States v. Campbell, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114734 (C.D. Cal. Sep. 3, 2010) (U.S. District Court suit to reduce tax assessments to judgment and foreclose federal tax liens on real property)

• Aller v. United States of America, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46948 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 17, 2010) (U.S. District Court refund suit to reduce trust fund recovery penalty assessments to judgment)

• United States v. Cornejo, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119466 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 20, 2009) (U.S. District Court suit to enjoin tax return preparer)

• Mueller v. United States Corp., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31481 (C.D. Cal. April 10, 2009) (U.S. District Court suit for alleged misconduct against the IRS and its employee)

• United States v. Zurn, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27920 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 29, 2009) affirmed U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit 2011-1 U.S.T.C. 50,396 (May 10, 2011) (U.S. District Court suit to reduce tax assessments to judgment, set aside fraudulent conveyances, and foreclose federal tax liens)

• Meyer v. Commissioner, T.C. Summary Opinion 2007-181 (U.S. Tax Court suit of tax deficiency involving separate entity theory and corporations)

• Struck v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2007-42 (U.S. Tax Court suit of tax deficiency involving the foreign earned income tax exclusion and international taxation issues)