Trained by the IRS and built in some of the largest companies on earth, I now Zealously Represent Taxpayers in Federal, State, and Local Tax Controversies.
Utilizing over a decade of experience from his time working in public accounting firms, two fortune 500 companies, the IRS, and a top 50 national law firm, the firm’s attorney delivers comprehensive and thorough tax controversy services for individuals and businesses.
Justin L. Yarnell, JD, CPA
Education
Christopher Newport University, B.S.B.A., Accounting, 2011
Summa Cum Laude
Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2014
Professional Licenses
Certified Public Accountant, Ohio
Admitted to Practice Law, Ohio, 2015
Admitted to Practice Law, Indiana, 2014
Public Notary, Ohio
Courts
Admitted to the U.S. Tax Court
Awards
Recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America - Litigation and Controversy - Tax, 2026
Recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America - Tax, 2025-2026
3x IRS Performance Award Recipient
Earned Special Detail in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel
Christopher Newport University, VSCPA Accounting Student of the Year Award, 2011
Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Sigmund J. Beck Award, 2014 (best performance in bankruptcy or commercial law topic)
Presentations
IRS Update, KYCPA, December 10, 2025
IRS Audits, OSCPA, December 10, 2025
IRS Update, OSCPA, December 9, 2025
Pig Butchering Scams, OSCPA, December 4, 2025
Ins and Outs of an IRS Audit, OSCPA’s Accounting Show, October 23, 2025
IRS Update, OSCPA’s Accounting Show, October 22, 2025
OSCPA’s 2025 Fraud and Forensic Conference, August 21, 2025
Ins and Outs of an IRS Audit, OSCPA CoreCon-CPE Day, May 22, 2025
Lorman National Webinar, Ins and Outs of IRS Audits, March 13, 2025
Prior Career Successes
Represented publicly traded company in IRS Collections Matter; Filed Collections Appeal Program Request in response to Terminated Installment Agreement; Successfully had Company’s $13,000,000 Installment Plan re-instated.
Represented individual taxpayer in amending federal income tax return to claim refund from incorrect Schedule K-1; Obtained $86,000 refund for client.
Represented individual taxpayer in U.S. Tax Court regarding Foreign Earned Income Exclusion; Obtained IRS Settlement and Decision resulting in taxpayer owing $0 tax deficiency.
Represented individual taxpayer in IRS Collections Matter; Successfully set up Installment Payment Plan with Minimum Payment amount at $1,500 less than the amount originally approved by IRS.
Represented Estate in U.S. Tax Court regarding Substitute Return; Obtained Settlement with Chief Counsel reducing taxable income by $70,000.
Represented Taxpayer in Pro-bono matter in City of Trenton, Ohio Municipal Income Tax Assessment Dispute; Obtained settlement increasing Taxpayer’s refund by over 4X.
Represented S-Corporation and Individual Taxpayer in Indiana Tax Appeal
Settled a Taxpayer’s $130,000 Ohio Unemployment Tax Liability for $20,000 with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office . Obtained a release of lien.
Served as Special Tax Counsel regarding $1.6M of IRS Claims in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Litigation.
Represented an aggregate group of companies in an IRS audit of $2.5M of Employee Retention Credit claims involving a PEO. Analyzed IRS’ ERC Guidance and Responded to IRS’ Draft Form 886-A, which had disallowed all $2.5M of the Taxpayer’s ERC claims. Response to Draft Form 886-A resulted in allowance of over $2.3M of the ERC claims.
Analyzed Individual Taxpayers’ Transcripts over an 8-year period, reconciled payments, transfers, and credits. After recommending a solution, recovered a $1.6M refund for Individual taxpayers that CPA had not been able to obtain.
Obtained a full abatement of a $280,000 civil penalty assessed for a publicly traded company’s failure to file Forms 5471.
Represented two Partnerships in two Collection Appeal Program requests; Obtained full abatement of $31,000 failure to file penalty for each Partnership.
Represented the Target of a Grand Jury’s Investigation of the commission of IRC Section 7201 tax evasion and the filing of an IRC Section 7296 false tax return; Successfully obtained District Court’s Denial of Federal Government’s Motion for Disclosure of Privileged Documents based the Crime-fraud Exception.
Represented Individual Taxpayer in Mail Audit regarding $855,000 disallowed Cryptocurrency Theft Loss deduction; Obtained a complete no change for the client.
Key team member in a multi-million IRS Wrongful Levy Action filed in US. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in which we obtained a favorable settlement for our client with the Department of Justice.
Represented individual taxpayer in an IRS Appeal of a disallowed alimony deduction, resulting in a complete no-change for our client, wiping out close to $70,000 of tax, interest, and penalties.
Represented individual taxpayer in an IRS Request for Innocent Spouse Relief, resulting in the IRS’ grant of complete relief for two tax years, wiping out over $105,000 of federal tax debt for our client.
Represented individual taxpayer in Taxpayer Advocate Request, reducing $175,000 tax liability to a $9,000 refund.
Represented business in Taxpayer Advocate Request, recovering a refund in excess of $140,000.