Fundamentals of Representing Clients Before the IRS

This course equips tax professionals with the knowledge to handle common IRS tax issues, including audits, CP2000 notices, collection issues, unfiled returns, and penalties, thereby enhancing client retention and satisfaction.
Tuesday, October 07, 2025
Time: 10:30 AM PDT | 01:30 PM EDT
Duration: 2 Hours
IMG Jim Buttonow
Id: 8572
Live
Session
$149.00
Single Attendee
$299.00
Group Attendees
Recorded
Session
$199.00
Single Attendee
$399.00
Group Attendees
Combo
Live+Recorded
$299.00
Single Attendee
$599.00
Group Attendees

Overview:

The course provides attendees with the basic knowledge of IRS representation and how to solve their clients’ tax problems. This course provides an overview of representation rules and requirements, how to navigate the IRS, and solutions to the most common tax problems. The tax professional will get practice tips on how to get the best results for their clients in audits, CP2000 notices, collection issues, unfiled back tax returns, and penalties.

Why you should Attend:

Understand how to help your clients with an IRS notice or issue. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will provide the IRS more resources than ever to close the tax gap. For tax professionals and their clients, that means dealing with more issues and notices for clients after they file.

Tax professionals with a good working knowledge of handling tax problems and dealing with the IRS increase client retention and have higher client satisfaction. 

Areas Covered in the Session:

  • The categories of IRS tax problems
  • Navigating the IRS
  • The Rules of Practice: IRS Circular 230
  • IRS Authorizations: Forms 2848 and 8821
  • The basics of representing clients with the 5 most common tax problems: Audits/underreported notices, unfiled returns, collection issues, penalties, and account issues
  • Best practices in dealing with the IRS

Who Will Benefit:

  • CPA's
  • Enrolled Agents
  • Tax Preparers
  • Tax Staff

Speaker Profile

Jim Buttonow CPA, CITP, has been a leader in helping taxpayers and tax professionals resolve tax problems with the IRS. For 19 years, Jim worked at the IRS in various compliance enforcement positions. Since 2006, Jim has been in private practice and tax and accounting software development. Jim consulting practice focuses on the areas of tax controversy and tax administration. Jim led product development and marketing for a successful software company that developed tax problem software for tax professionals and has developed and implemented post-filing tax services to large tax providers, such as H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. This software is currently being used by tens of thousands of tax professionals and businesses in the United States.

Jim has been an IRS partner in improving IRS operations and post-filing service to taxpayers. Jim served as chairperson of the IRS Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) in 2015 and 2016 during which ETAAC played a central role in promoting the IRS digital strategy to develop transformative technology solutions to systemic challenges in tax administration. Jim also served as the North Carolina representative on the IRS’ Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) from 2020-2022.

Jim regularly speaks on areas of tax administration and problem solving to national associations and has testified before Congress in areas of tax administration. He has also published many articles in industry publications. In his articles, Jim focuses on delivering practical insights, advocating for IRS transparency and efficiency, and proposing innovative large-scale solutions for taxpayers and tax professionals. Jim currently authors CCH’s Tax Problems and Solutions Handbook, a publication aimed at helping tax pros work more effectively in post-filing matters and resolving their clients’ most common tax problems. Jim can be reached at Jim@buttonowcpa.com or at his website at buttonowcpa.com.