ABOUT US
YAHNIAN LAW CORPORATION specializes in providing legal advice and solutions in the following areas:
- Business and Corporate Law & Planning
- Estate Planning & Administration
- Real Property Law & Planning
- Tax Law Planning & Defense
- Asset Protection Planning
Attorney/CPA/LLM/CFP®
Mr. Yahnian is an Attorney, a CPA (California inactive) and a CFP® (inactive) with an LLM (Masters) in Taxation from New York University (NYU).
NYU is the number one tax program in the US according to Business Week, the Major Law firms, and Law School professors.
Biography
D. Steven Yahnian, JD, CPA (California), CFP® , LLM (Tax), MS (Taxation)* has been a member of the California State Bar since 1980. In addition, Mr. Yahnian is one of a small group of attorneys who are California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Specialists both in Taxation Law, as well as Estate Planning, Trusts, and Probate Law. Mr. Yahnian is the only attorney in Tulare County and Kings County with both designations.
*UCLA Extension Equivalent
Professional Experience and Practice Areas
From 1980 to 1982, Mr. Yahnian worked in Public Accounting, part of that time of which was spent with an international accounting firm. He became licensed as a California CPA in 1984.
Mr. Yahnian has practiced as an attorney since 1984. He specializes in the following areas:
- Business and Individual Law and Planning;
- Estate Planning, Probate and Administration
- Real Estate Law and Planning;
- Tax Law Planning and Defense; and
- Asset Protection Planning
Mr. Yahnian, has advised on and implemented the formation and operation of a large number of business or professional of entities as well as numerous business and professional transactions. He has also prepared numerous Estate Plans, and conducted numerous Estate administrations. Mr. Yahnian has also handled numerous real estate transactions, provided tax planning and opinions saving his clients millions of dollars in taxes and been victorious in numerous tax matters involving both the IRS and California taxing agencies. Finally, Mr. Yahnian has advised upon, designed, prepared and implemented numerous asset protection plans.
Educational Background
Mr. Yahnian obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from USC (1977) and his Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles (1980). In addition, he obtained his LLM (Master of Laws) in Taxation from New York University in 2010. Finally, he obtained an MS Taxation* (With Distinction) from UCLA (Extension).
*Equivalent
Multi-Disciplinary Advocacy
Mr. Yahnian’s multi-legal, multi-discipline professional and practice experience delivers many tangible advantages to his clients. These advantages include the ability to recognize and deal with issues across a wide spectrum. This is because each area of his law practice is a compliment to the others and further, accounting, tax, business and financial issues come into play in nearly every legal matter.
Since 1980, Mr. Yahnian has crafted a comprehensive, multi-faceted legal services and problem solving approach to the needs of his clients utilizing each of his Legal, Accounting, Business and Financial Planning backgrounds. All of this experience and perspective is brought to bear in the identification and solution of legal problems, whether for existing clients or for you, as a new client.
Multi-Disciplinary Advocacy
Mr. Yahnian’s multi-legal, multi-discipline professional and practice experience delivers many tangible advantages to his clients. These advantages include the ability to recognize and deal with issues across a wide spectrum. This is because each area of his law practice is a compliment to the others and further, accounting, tax, business and financial issues come into play in nearly every legal matter.
Since 1980, Mr. Yahnian has crafted a comprehensive, multi-faceted legal services and problem solving approach to the needs of his clients utilizing each of his Legal, Accounting, Business and Financial Planning backgrounds. All of this experience and perspective is brought to bear in the identification and solution of legal problems, whether for existing clients or for you, as a new client.
For more information concerning Yahnian Law Corporation, please visit the rest of this web site or call 559-733-8505 (Visalia) or 559-737-8100 (Fresno).
Our Practice and Client Philosophy
Our goal is to provide excellent, cutting edge, legally effective and applicable solutions to those who seek our services. We strive for client satisfaction. We are dedicated to client service.
We invest heavily in the most up to date computerized legal databases and libraries knowing that to reach our goals requires that we have access to the most timely information available.
The law continuously changes. In response, we attend continuing education seminars and courses on a regular basis. We invest significant time and resources to ascertain and assimilate changes in the law.
Practice Philosophy
Since commencing practice, Mr. Yahnian has crafted a comprehensive, multi-faceted legal services and problem solving approach to the needs of clients.
With his expertise in several areas of law and his multi-discipline background, Mr. Yahnian is especially well-suited to deal with legal issues and planning in a complete, thorough and accurate manner for his clients.
Mr. Yahnian works regularly with other professionals such as other Attorneys, CPAs and Financial Advisors in a team approach to accomplish client goals. His background in Accounting and Financial Planning enhances his ability to communicate with and work as a team with the client’s CPA and Financial Advisors. Mr. Yahnian’s philosophy is that each member of the professional team brings special expertise to problem solving and adds significant value to planning for the client.
Certified Specialist Designation
Mr. Yahnian is one of the few attorneys who are California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Specialists.
For your information, Mr. Yahnian has the following California State Bar Certified Specialist designations:
- Taxation Law and
- Estate Planning, Trusts & Probate Law
What is a Certified Specialist?
To be a certified specialist in California, an attorney generally must be certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. California attorneys who are certified must have taken and passed a written examination in their specialty field, demonstrated a high level of experience and competence in the specialty field, fulfilled ongoing education requirements, and been favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with their work.
What is a California Certified Legal Specialist?
The State Bar of California offers California lawyers the opportunity to become certified in 11 areas of law practice.
In order to be identified as a “certified” specialist in California, an attorney must be certified either by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, or an organization whose certification program has been accredited by the State Bar. (Such an organization must have requirements for certification that are at least equal to those of the State Bar’s program.)
California attorneys certified as specialists must pass a written examination in their specialty field, demonstrate a high level of experience in the specialty field, fulfill ongoing education requirements and be favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with their work, on an ongoing basis (every five years following the original certification).
An attorney does not need to be a California State Bar ‘Certified’ Specialist to practice in any given area of the law. In addition, an Attorney may be a legal ‘specialist’ in a given area of law practice, even though that Attorney may not be a California State Bar Certified Specialist.
“The quality of legal services varies widely among Attorneys”.AARP
That hardly comes as a surprise to anyone seeking legal help.
Legal problems and issues are an inevitable fact of life. As a practical matter, coming face to face with legal problems is just a matter of time for all people. The question is whether you are going to prepare in advance to address, avoid or minimize such problems.
Since 1980, Steve Yahnian has been an innovator and leader in Business, Estate Planning, Real Estate and Tax law matters. He has provided legal, accounting and business consulting services for many years and has a reputation for success, thoroughness, quality, excellence, innovation, toughness where appropriate, and technical pioneering.
Where others have failed, he has achieved surprising and unexpected victories for his clients.
Keep the following in mind: In any legal problem, you usually have only one opportunity to do it right. Therefore, this is one matter for which corner-cutting and bargain-hunting is ill-advised. We urge you to do your homework, study the contents of my web site, and talk to others. To help you do just that, keep in mind these important guidelines:
- Is your Attorney a California State Bar Certified Specialist?
- How many years of experience in the legal matter at issue does he have?
- Does your Attorney have any advanced degrees?
- Is he also a CPA?
- Does he understand accounting, business, finance, taxes and economics?
- Is he also a CFP?
- Has he prepared any business plans?
- How many hours of Continuing Education does he get in a given year?
- Have they ever been to U.S. Tax Court?
- How many Estate Plans have they prepared?
- How many Business Plans have they prepared and implemented?
- How many tax free exchanges have they advised upon?
- How many real estate transactions have they been involved in?
- How many Tax audits or appeals have they handled?
- What does a plan prepared by them contain in the way of documentation?
- Does it contain the elements of asset preservation?
- Does it save taxes?
- Do they specialize in the area of law for which you have sought them out?
- How many Estate Administrations have they conducted?
- Have any of their estate plans ever been tested and succeeded the test in Tax Court?
- What do you get in the estate plan that will be prepared?
- Does your Attorney also know and practice Tax, Business and Real Property law?
- How many victories against the Taxing agencies does the attorney have?
- What do the judges think of them?
- What do other attorneys think of them?
- What do their clients think of them?
It’s a Dangerous World; Sometimes, you need help from Professionals
Most would agree with that assessment.Over the years, we have assisted over a thousand persons in planning and implementing all manner of business, estate, real estate, and tax plans and transactions. During that time we have also been their advocate, whether administratively or in court, where necessary.
Those who seek our help in today’s complex and dangerous world do so for many reasons. Some are struggling with governmental agencies or other antagonists. Others seek to minimize their taxes, maximize their investments or protect their assets. At least half are looking for help and the other half are not even sure just how in need of legal representation they are. Most who contact us ask, “Do you help people like me?” “Do you handle problems like mine?” The chances are that we do, having helped individuals, families, businesses, trusts, executives, managers, and professionals from virtually every part of our society, community and occupational base. We do this with concentrations in Business, Estates, Real Estate and Tax matters. D. Steven Yahnian, the owner of Yahnian Law Corporation is an Attorney/CPA/Business Consultant with numerous years of experience, advanced degrees and professional designations.
Our Approach
We provide assistance and guidance in many ways. Our philosophy is to help you manage and solve your legal problems with a professionally run engagement. Our approach to legal problems or issues is to utilize our significant experience, expertise and tenacious approach, simultaneously, to get the best result for you. Our goal is to help you acquire the best possible outcome or plan in the most efficient possible time.
First Things First
We first get to know you as a person and client, taking the time to completely understand your legal situation before proceeding. Together, we identify and pinpoint your best options. This positioning determines the legal strategies (legal entities, tax planning, estate plan, contracts, court or administrative hearing, etc.) best suited to meeting your needs, goals and aspirations.
Second: Helping you Prepare or Going to Your Defense
We also help you prepare for every hearing or negotiation. We take the lead, usually appearing in your place if the law permits, for example, with respect to governmental hearings or tax audits.
We also assist you with contract review or preparation as well as an array of other documents in order to provide you with the optimum plan among available choices. For example, our estate plans provide for and go well beyond that provided by the average law firm. We don’t simply give you a binder of word processor driven documents that may or may not be appropriate for you.
Finishing the Job
As an example, when you come in for a living trust estate plan, you get far more than simply a generic living trust from YAHNIAN LAW CORPORATION. No, you get a complete package that addresses things like character of marital property, strategies to minimize taxes on the death of a spouse, and supplemental documents such as business powers of attorney that are flexible and comprehensive rather than generic. And, unlike many law firms, we make certain your trust is funded, that is, title to assets and beneficiary designations are changed to reflect and effectively implement your new estate plan. You see, an unfunded living trust is not a probate avoidance tool at all. Finally, you get a turn key checklist for you to use to implement and operate your trust. We also see the job through for corporations, LLCs, and other projects for which we are engaged. We listen and we execute.
We give complete instructions on how to operate your corporation, LLC, partnership, etc, after the documents are all signed. Few other firms do this in California. This proven methodology creates a controlled, complete, and smooth operation of your legal strategies meant to generate benefits throughout your life or that of the new entity you have established. And, we follow-up periodically to make certain that you are still on track.
Fees
We do charge a fee for our services, assuming that we agree to work together. That fee varies from client to client, since it is based in large part upon each client’s desired outcome and the type of services he requests.
For example, the investment you make with us can exceed $10K or more for the highest level of living trust estate plan. Smaller plans will be less, of course, and are the norm. But your investment return in terms of plan efficacy, effectiveness, efficiency, tax and other cost savings will significantly outweigh your investment with us.
Before any obligation exists for you or YAHNIAN LAW CORPORATION, however, a careful evaluation will be completed to establish that amount and the exact work to be done for you in accordance with your legal goals.
Our Guarantee
In keeping with our standard policy, we guarantee to be thorough in our analysis and implementation. You will find that we do not do our work in a generic manner. Our approach to and style of problem solving is like no one else’s. But, that is to your benefit in the short and long run.
Summarizing the above, consider the following possibilities:
- Strong, effective representation to improve chances for the best result;
- Discovering Tax savings ideas;
- Recommending and Implementing Tax-Free or Tax Savings Strategies;
- Prevention of being taken advantage of in a transaction or when dealing with the Government;
- Trouble-shooting often overlooked problems;
- Fix and repair defective estate, tax or business plans;
- Discovering and implementing long-term solutions;
- Warning of hidden traps;
- Discovering and pointing out legitimate shortcut solutions to problems;
- Insight to and analysis of quick, simple and easy solutions that others might have missed;
- Asset Preservation;
- Improved cash flow;
- Proactive effort;
- Creative planning;
- Legal, accounting, financial and tax issues recognized and dealt with by one professional at the same time;
- Experienced and resourceful advocacy;
- Results and solutions;
- Increased chances of victory;
- Post-Transaction guidance;
- Cutting of Governmental ‘red tape’;
- A barrier between you and the tax auditor or collector;
- Help in maximizing your investment; and
- Plan formulation to achieve goals that takes into account the business law, real estate law, tax law and estate side of the legal aspects as well as the accounting, financial and business side of the non legal characteristics.
Yahnian Law Corporation Benefits In your search for legal counsel, consider the following benefits and features Yahnian Law Corporation offers to its clients:
The Business, Individual and Consumer Law & Planning Advantages and Benefits we offer to our Clients
- Experience. Mr. Yahnian has been in practice since 1980
- Business, Individual and Consumer Law & Planning Expertise. He has advised and consulted upon, represented numerous clients and handled numerous business, individual and consumer plans and transactions as well as rendered numerous opinions and substantial, continuous guidance over the years to his clients. He has prepared or reviewed countless business documents of every variety including, but not limited to, business purchases and sale, business buy sell agreements, trademark licensing agreements, franchise agreements, personal property lease and rental agreements, covenants not to compete, technology licensing, Secured transaction documents, promissory notes, and many others.
- Success. Mr. Yahnian has a track record of extraordinary success in handling business, individual and consumer law matters.
- CPA and CFP. He is also a CPA and a CFP which means he has significant familiarity with tax, accounting, business, insurance, annuity, and retirement plan matters, both from a legal and non legal standpoint. He can converse knowledgeably with your accountant and your financial planner, insurance advisor and stock broker as they combine to help plan your estate, tax or business matters and related financial affairs. As a CPA he understands the accounting issues that apply to your business.
- Certified Tax Specialist. Mr. Yahnian is a California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Taxation Law Specialist. This means that he is recognized by his peers as having a high level of experience and expertise in Tax matters.
- Uniquely Positioned. Being a California State Bar Certified Specialist also means that in this day and age of complex tax laws impacting just about any transaction, including planning and defense against the taxing authorities, he is uniquely positioned to advise you upon and prepare plans or defend you.
- Owns and has owned his own businesses. As the owner of YAHNIAN LAW CORPORATION and YAHNIAN ACCOUNTANCY CORPORATION as well as a number of other businesses over the years, Mr. Yahnian has significant practical experience dealing with the common, everyday as well as unusual problems, practical and otherwise, that small businesses face. He understands what Small business faces day after day in this grueling, and fluctuating economy, as well as a hostile government whose seeming goal is to put business out of business with confiscatory taxes, egregious, non sensical regulations and administrative incompetence. This includes, but is not limited to the following.
- Meeting payrolls,
- Paying operating costs;
- Balancing checkbooks;
- Keeping a sharp eye on cash flow;
- Achieving a balanced budget;
- Interviewed, hired, disciplined and terminated employees,
- Engaged in marketing studies and developed marketing plans,
- been heavily engaged in sales,
- Instituted a research and development department and monitored the same,
- Involved in searches for suitable business locations,
- Negotiated with landlords,
- Argued with vendors over price increases or prices that differed from the advertised or agreed to price;
- Shopped for the best prices for equipment and other tools of trade;
- Negotiated deals;
- Researched and implemented business cost cutting strategies
- Managed his staff on a day to day basis,
- Contracted with independent contractors,
- Dealt with the fluctuations in business growth and profits,
- Prepared budgets,
- Written Business Plans,
- Applied for loans and other sources of capital including private investors;
- Dealt with past due accounts and customer and client bankruptcies;
- Formed strategic alliances,
- Performed tax planning for his own ventures,
- Applied for and obtained necessary licenses,
- Studied various business and accounting software options;
- Made hard, intuitive decisions needed on day to day or even in split second situations demanding the same;
- Dealt with the government and cut through red tape, and
- Done day to day bookkeeping and accounting.
- Real Estate, Estates and Tax Lawyer also. He is also a Real Estate, Estates and Tax lawyer. Business, Individual and Consumer law is not practiced in a vacuum. Those other areas of law (Real Estate, Estates and Tax law) also very often come into play in business, individual and consumer law and planning matters.
- Excellent Staff. He has an excellent staff of paralegals and legal assistants ready to provide him and you with expert and knowledgeable assistance to you for your your business, individual and consumer legal needs.
- Continuing Education. In the never ending world of changes to the law, Mr. Yahnian attends business law and tax law seminars on a continual basis becoming familiar with the cutting edge concepts, tools and techniques put forth in the profession and the newest attacks by the government and third parties on existing businesses, business ideas and planning techniques.
- Technology. Mr. Yahnian’s office has implemented the latest technologies and subscribes to the most complete and up to date online legal databases in order to have comprehensive and current information at his fingertips at a moment’s notice.
The Estate Planning and Estate Administration Advantages and Benefits we offer to our Clients
- Certified Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate Law Specialist. Mr. Yahnian is a California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate attorney. This means that he is recognized by his peers as having a high level of experience and expertise in estate planning. There are very few California State Bar Certified Specialists in California as a percentage of the total number of admitted lawyers.
- Certified Tax Law Specialist. He is also a California State Bar Certified Tax Lawyer, which means that in this day and age of complex tax laws impacting estate planning he is uniquely positioned to advise you upon and prepare estate plans that take tax laws into consideration and plan accordingly. There are relatively few lawyers who are California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Tax Specialists.
- Experience. He has been in practice since 1980.
- Expertise. In all his years of practice, Mr. Yahnian has prepared numerous estate plans from the small and simple to the large and complex. He has also handled numerous estate administrations including probates, non probate proceedings and procedures also known as summary estate administration, Living Trust Administrations, preparation of Estate Tax Returns, and other post mortem planning.
- Business, Real Property and Tax Lawyer. He is also a Business, Real Estate and Tax lawyer. Estate planning is not practiced in a vacuum, and those areas of law also come into play in estate planning and estate administration.
- Many Successes and Victories for Clients. Mr. Yahnian has a track record of extraordinary success in handling estate matters.
- CPA/CFP. He is also a CPA and a CFP which means he has significant familiarity with tax, accounting, business, insurance, annuity, and retirement plan matters, both from a legal and non legal standpoint. He can converse knowledgeably with your accountant and your financial planner, insurance advisor and stock broker as they combine to help plan your estate and related financial affairs.
- Excellent Staff. He has an excellent staff of paralegals and legal assistants ready to provide him and you with expert and knowledgeable assistance as you implement your estate plan.
- Continuing Education. In the never ending world of changes to the law, Mr. Yahnian attends estate planning seminars on a continual basis becoming familiar with the cutting edge concepts, tools and techniques put forth in the profession and the newest attacks by the government on existing planning techniques.
- Cutting Edge Technology. Mr. Yahnian’s office has implemented the latest technologies and subscribes to the most complete and up to date online legal databases in order to have comprehensive and current information at his fingertips at a moment’s notice.
The Real Property Law & Planning Advantages and Benefits we offer to our Clients
- Certified Tax Specialist. Mr. Yahnian is a California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Taxation Law Specialist. This means that he is recognized by his peers as having a high level of experience and expertise in Tax matters.
- Uniquely Positioned. Being a California State Bar Certified Specialist also means that in this day and age of complex tax laws impacting just about any transaction, including real property transactions and also anticipating and planning and defense against the taxing authorities, he is uniquely positioned to advise you upon real property planning and the preparation of documents.
- Owns and has owned real property. As the owner of a number of real properties over the years, Mr. Yahnian has significant practical experience dealing with the common, everyday as well as unusual problems, practical and otherwise, that land owners and landlords face. He understands what land owners face day after day in this grueling, and fluctuating tax and regulatory environment as well as a hostile government whose seeming goal is to cause land owners to lose their real properties or tax them out of their ownership with confiscatory taxes, egregious, nonsensical regulations and administrative incompetence.
- Success. Mr. Yahnian has a track record of extraordinary success in handling Real Property law matters.
- CPA and CFP. He is also a CPA and a CFP which means he has significant familiarity with tax, accounting, business, insurance, annuity, and retirement plan matters, both from a legal and non legal standpoint. He can converse knowledgeably with your accountant and your financial planner, insurance advisor and realtor or other representative as they combine to help plan your real estate transactions or deal with real estate issues, tax, business matters and related financial affairs. As a CPA he understands the accounting issues that apply to your real property.
- Excellent Staff. He has an excellent staff of paralegals and legal assistants ready to provide him and you with expert and knowledgeable assistance to you for your your real property legal needs.
- Continuing Education. In the never ending world of changes to the law, Mr. Yahnian attends real property law and tax law seminars on a continual basis becoming familiar with the problems as well as the cutting edge concepts, tools and techniques put forth in the profession and the newest attacks by the government and third parties on existing real property and planning techniques.
- Technology. Mr. Yahnian’s office has implemented the latest technologies and subscribes to the most complete and up to date online legal databases in order to have comprehensive and current information at his fingertips at a moment’s notice.
- Experience. He has been in practice since 1980
- Business, Estates and Tax Lawyer also. He is also a Business, Estates and Tax lawyer. Real Property law is not practiced in a vacuum. Those other areas of law also very often come into play in Real Property law and planning.
- Numerous Matters. He has advised and consulted upon, represented numerous clients and handled numerous real property law plans and transactions as well as rendered numerous opinions and substantial, continuous guidance over the years to his clients. He has prepared and reviewed countless real property law transactions documents of every variety.
The Tax Defense and Planning Advantages and Benefits we offer to our Clients
- Certified Tax Law Specialist. Mr. Yahnian is a California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Taxation Specialist. This means that he is recognized by his peers as having a high level of experience and expertise in Tax matters.
- Certification’s Benefit to our Clients. As a California State Bar Certified Tax Specialist that also means that, in this day and age of complex tax laws impacting just about any transaction, including planning and defense against the taxing authorities, he is uniquely positioned to advise you upon and prepare plans or defend you.
- Experience. He has been in practice since 1980
- Related and complimentary Legal Practice Areas. He is also a Business, Estates and Real Estate lawyer. Taxation law is not practiced in a vacuum, and those areas of law also very often come into play in tax planning as well as tax defense.
- Expertise. He has prepared numerous tax plans and opinions over the years and successfully handled numerous matters against the IRS, the California Franchise Tax Board, the California State Board of Equalization and the California EDD.
- Success. Mr. Yahnian has a track record of extraordinary success in handling tax matters.
- CPA/CFP. He is also a CPA and a CFP which means he has significant familiarity with tax, accounting, business, insurance, annuity, and retirement plan matters, both from a legal and non legal standpoint and from the micro to the macro.
- Cross Professional Expertise, Knowledge and Communication Skills. And, also as a CPA/CFP, he can converse knowledgeably and effectively with your accountant and your financial planner, insurance advisor and stock broker as they combine to help plan your estate, tax or business matters and related financial affairs.
- Excellent Staff. He has an excellent staff of paralegals and legal assistants ready to provide him and you with expert and knowledgeable assistance as you implement your business, estate, real estate or tax plan and defense against the IRS and state taxing agencies.
- Continuous Obtaining of Knowledge and New Ideas. In the never ending world of changes to the law and development of techniques and strategies for solving client tax problems, Mr. Yahnian attends taxation seminars on a continual basis becoming familiar with the cutting edge concepts, tools and techniques put forth in the profession and the newest attacks by the government on existing planning techniques.
- Technology. Mr. Yahnian’s office has implemented and makes full use of the latest technologies.
- Current and Comprehensive Online Libraries of Information to Serve His Clients. Mr. Yahnian subscribes to the most complete, comprehensive and up to date online legal and tax libraries and databases in order to have comprehensive and current information at his fingertips, at a moment’s notice. This enables him to deal with client legal problems, tax or otherwise, by accessing the most current laws and commentaries, as well as tools to defend his clients from the IRS and other taxing agencies.
- Tax Attorney/CPA is the best Choice for Tax Planning or Defense. There are very few Attorney/CPAs around. There are even fewer Tax Attorney/CPAs. Steve Yahnian is one of the few. Why is a Tax Attorney/CPA your best choice for Tax Planning and Defense against the IRS and other tax agencies? The main reason is attorney client privilege. Attorney/CPAs have it. CPAs who are not attorneys only have it in limited circumstances. If you wish to keep what you say to your tax advisor confidential, it pays for that person to be an Attorney/CPA, rather than merely a CPA.