For more than 35 years Douglas has represented individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, not-for-profits, and bankruptcy, divorce, decedent’s estates and trusts, and receivership estates in tax and related matters. His knowledge of issues related to tax controversy and litigation, environmental taxation, tax planning, and estate planning has aided hundreds of clients. He has substantial experience representing both individuals and companies before the IRS, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in connection with tax examinations, collection matters, trials, and appeals.
Often a speaker on tax-related subjects, Douglas is the author of The Complete Handbook of Investigations & Privacy Rights 3rd ed. published by Woodstock Avenue Press. He has written many tax and estate planning articles in both the popular and scholarly press. For a number of years, he wrote a tax advice column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He currently writes columns in the Milwaukee Bar Association Messenger and Northshore Neighbors.
After being awarded a B.A. at Oberlin College, Douglas spent a year as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow in Israel. At the Northwestern University School of Law, he was the articles editor for the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. After law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Thomas Tang of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and for 5 years was a senior trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice tax division.
Clients
- Individuals
- Corporations
- Partnerships
- Trusts
- Estates
- Not-for-profit Organizations
Notable Representations
Served as court-appointed special master or successor trustee in highly contested estate and trust cases.
Reduced a married couples’ federal tax liability from $43 million to $15,000, and saved their house from IRS foreclosure.
Assisted an individual under “federal supervision” secure a $1,800,000 refund from the Internal Revenue Service and a $65,000 refund from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
Managed defense for a well-regarded business owner in connection with a criminal tax investigation.
Advised individuals in connection with offshore account matters.
Prosecuted and argued cases before the U.S. district courts, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Tax Court, and the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission.
Tried matter in Wisconsin Circuit Court in connection with disposition of decedent’s remains.
Gained offer in compromise settlements for individuals and businesses in connection with liabilities owed to the Internal Revenue Service, Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Illinois Department of Revenue, and the Indiana Department of Revenue.
Represented individual and business in IRS and Wisconsin Department of Revenue examinations—including matters involving trust fund liability, TEFRA, voluntary disclosure, sales and use tax, valuations, and exceptions to the discharge of indebtedness income rule.