Stephen McFarlane
MBA, JD, LLM (Tax Law)
Stephen McFarlane is a Former IRS Trial Attorney with over 25 years of experience representing individuals, companies, and estates facing tax controversies.
Stephen’s expertise focuses on IRS collection and examination problems, federal and state Tax Court litigation, appeals of IRS and ADOR determinations, employment & payroll tax problems, IRS trust fund investigations, innocent spouse relief, offshore & foreign asset reporting, , IRS criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, and the use of bankruptcy to resolve IRS problems.
Bar Admissions: Mr. McFarlane is licensed to practice in Arizona, before the U.S. Tax Court, the Arizona Tax Court, the US Court of Appeals, and the U.S District Courts in Arizona and Colorado. As a Former IRS Litigation Attorney, he tried over 60 cases before the US Tax Court.
Experience: In private practice, Mr. McFarlane focuses on Tax Litigation before both the US Tax Court and the Arizona Tax Court, Tax Controversy and Dispute Resolution before all administrative levels of the IRS, the ADOR, and local tax authorities, including the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
From 1990-1995, Mr. McFarlane represented the IRS in tax litigation and administrative actions. From 1996 – present, he has practiced in the private sector representing individuals and businesses against the IRS and ADOR.. He lectures on tax and business topics to attorney groups and CPAs. He is active in the Arizona State Bar Association Tax Law Section. He is also a member of the College of Estate Planning Attorneys (CEPA), the American Bar Association, the Scottsdale Bar Association, the East Valley Estate Planners Association, and the Phoenix Chapter of the Thunderbird Alumni Association.
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Tax Litigation & Tax Controversy
Legal & Business Specialties
- Masters Degree in Tax Law (LLM, Tax), Boston University, School of Law, Graduate Tax Law Program, 1990
- Master’s Degree in Business Management (MBA), Thunderbird – The American Graduate School of International Management
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1997
- Washington, 1990
- U.S. Tax Court, 1990
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 2000
- U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2000
Education
- Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
- Degree Achieved: LLM (Tax) - May, 1990
- Honors: Taxpayer Assistance & Tax Litigation Clinic
- Law Journal: Boston University Journal of Taxation
- Seattle University, School of Law, Seattle, Washington
- Degree Achieved: J.D. - 1989
- Thunderbird - The American Graduate School of International Management, Glendale, Arizona
- Degree Achieved: M.B.A. in finance and marketing
- Honors: Vice President, Student Government Association
- Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Degree Achieved: Double majors, B.A. in Political Science and French
- Honors: National Political Science Honor Society
- University of Strasbourg, France (College Junior Year Abroad Program)
- Degree Achieved: 3eme Superior
- Assistant Editor, Journal of Arizona Taxation, 1998 - 2001
Classes/Seminars
- Tax Aspects of Entity Selection, Harris Trust Bank, annually 2005 - 2007
- Family Ltd Partnerships, Family Wealth Counselors, 2003, 2004, 2005
- Tax Controversy With the IRS, College of Estate Planners, 2003 - 2004
- Choice of Entity, Seminar to Attorneys and CPA's, 2006
- Are Family Ltd Partnerships Still Viable? Harris Trust Bank, 2006
Past Employment Positions
- Bredemann & McFarlane, PLC, Tax Litigation Attorney, 2003-2015
- Morrill & Aronson PLLC, Tax Litigation Attorney, 1998 - 2003
- Beus, Gilbert & Morrill, Tax Litigation Attorney, 1996 - 1998
- IRS, Dept. of the Treasury, Tax Litigation Attorney, 1990 - 1995
- Daisy Mfg & Ertl Mfg, Int’l Director of Marketing & Sales, 1981 - 1986
Ancillary Practice Areas
- Tax Return Preparation (Individual, Payroll, Sales & Use Tax, Estate & Gift, Fiduciary, and unfiled returns)
Languages
- French
