Tax laws and procedures are complicated, and mistakes in dealing with tax agencies are costly and oftentimes fatal — even when you are correct. As a former Tax Judge, Ovsep Akopchikyan has an insider’s view on how tax agencies argue their cases, and what it takes for taxpayers to prove and win their cases. As a former Am Law 100 litigator and Big Four tax manager, Ovsep is skilled at finding solutions to legal problems — inside and outside the courtroom. At this firm, Ovsep carefully selects his cases and personally handles each one with diligence and expertise.
Our Expertise
Akopchikyan Tax Law, P.C. is a tax controversy law firm practicing exclusively in federal, state, and local tax matters. From its offices in Los Angeles, the firm represents businesses and high-net-worth individuals nationwide in audits, appeals, tax litigation, formal tax opinions, and tax collection cases.
The firm’s practice focuses on the issues its clients most often face, including California residency planning and audits, charitable contribution deductions, disallowed business deductions, worker classification, and the apportionment and sourcing of income generated by businesses operating in multiple states. The firm is particularly skilled in working through novel legal issues and fact-intensive tax classifications such as material participation; dealer, trader, or investor status; and whether an activity is engaged in for profit under Section 183.
The firm resolves matters before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and the City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, with amounts in controversy ranging from $100,000 to over $50 million.
Before founding the firm, Ovsep Akopchikyan served as an Administrative Law Judge at the California Office of Tax Appeals (OTA), where he decided tax appeals involving the state’s largest tax agencies. He witnessed firsthand how those agencies argue and resolve tax disputes — and what it takes for taxpayers to win. Earlier in his career, Ovsep was a litigator at an Am Law 100 law firm and a manager in Deloitte’s Washington National Tax practice. He is a litigator at his core, with experience resolving cases before the U.S. Tax Court, Office of Tax Appeals, U.S. District Court, California Superior Court, and California Court of Appeal.
Ovsep is certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Taxation Law. He has practiced tax law from every side — judge, litigator, and advisor — and uses that unique perspective to resolve matters in line with each client’s business and personal goals.
