Jonathan Decatorsmith Lawyer Reviews & Ratings - Chicago

Jonathan Decatorsmith Bio
Chicago tax attorney Jonathan Decatorsmith has been practicing tax law for more than 26 years. Prior to joining the Law Offices of Chicago-Kent, Professor Decatorsmith was a senior trial attorney and internal instructor with the Internal Revenue Service for 11 years. He has tried more than 40 cases before the United States Tax Court, and previously served as adjunct professor at DePaul University in Chicago and the University of Minnesota.. In 2000, Professor Decatorsmith joined the IIT Chicago-Kent Law School as a full-time clinical professor, and took over the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (now the Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic). Over the years, the clinic grew from formally representing 42 indigent clients (in 2000) to more than 350 individual taxpayers annually, gaining a reputation as one of the preeminent tax clinics in the country. Utilizing the services of student interns, whom Professor Decatorsmith trained in the practice of aggressive and ethical tax controversy representation, the clinic became particularly recognized for its numerous appearances on behalf of lower income petitioners in the United States Tax Court.. In January 2012, the tax clinic was transformed into its present, fee-based model. Services were expanded to include tax return preparation, tax and business transaction counseling, not-for-profit organization formation and compliance, and general civil (commercial) litigation.. Professor Decatorsmith teaches courses on federal tax practice and procedure, international business transactions, estates and trusts, tax fraud, and other topics. He is a sought-after speaker, and has presented annually at the IRS Low Income Taxpayer Clinic conference in Washington, D.C. on a variety of topics, including IRS Appeals, Collection Strategies, and Tax Court Practice. He has also lectured on Tax Debt Relief Strategies to the Chinatown Merchants Association and various community organizations in the Chicago area. He is also the author of Chapter 24 on Taxation of the Illinois Jurisprudence volume on Immigration.. As a strong advocate for taxpayers' rights, Professor Decatorsmith is frequently cast as the lone defender of powerless against the IRS Chief Counsel Office and the IRS Collection Division. The Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic, under his leadership, has become particularly adept at negotiating creative and successful resolutions to significant federal and state tax debts.