Gary M. Slavett
Gary’s Recent Posts
- Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin Attorneys Named 2024 Super Lawyers in Tax Law
- Gary Slavett Quoted in Inc. Magazine Article About Common Taxpayer Mistakes
- Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin Attorneys Named 2023 Super Lawyers in Tax Law
- Gary Slavett & Michele Weiss Analyze Employment Tax Issues in Beverly Hills Bar Association Webinar
- Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin Sponsors 14th Annual NYU Tax Controversy Forum in New York
- Former IRS Senior Trial Attorney
- Former Tax Controversy Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche
- LL.M. in Taxation, NYU
- Judicial Extern, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- Adjunct Tax Law Professor
- Extensive Tax Court Trial Experience
- Selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer in Tax Law, 2011 through 2023
Gary M. Slavett is a principal and founder of Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin, A Professional Law Corporation. Gary has been a California licensed attorney since 1996 and has over 25 years of experience in the practice of tax law. Gary’s practice focuses on all tax controversy matters including issues related to Foreign Bank Accounts & FBAR penalties, tax litigation, tax audit representation, tax administrative appeals, and criminal tax matters. Gary also handles matters related to the Bank Secrecy Act and Administrative and Civil Forfeitures.
Gary frequently represents his clients before the United States Tax Court, U.S. District Court, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), United States Attorneys Office, California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), California State Board of Equalization (BOE), California Employment Development Department (EDD), California Office of Tax Appeals (OTA) and California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB).
Gary was a Senior Trial Attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel. As an IRS attorney, Gary represented the IRS in U.S. Tax Court and provided legal advice to IRS personnel. Gary was assigned to, and advised, two groups of Criminal Special Agents with respect to the development and referral of criminal tax cases. Gary was designated the IRS Chief Counsel liaison to the Los Angeles Office of the Taxpayer Advocate where it was his responsibility to provide legal advice to the Los Angeles Taxpayer Advocate. Gary was also designated Acting Associate Area Counsel to act as the direct supervisor to trial attorneys and paralegals. Gary’s litigation practice at the IRS included assignments to high profile cases and covered numerous substantive areas of tax law including income taxes of individuals, partnerships, and corporations, estate tax, interest abatement, innocent spouse, employee classification, and collection due process.
After leaving the IRS, Gary joined Deloitte’s Tax Controversy Group in Los Angeles. At Deloitte, Gary represented Deloitte’s clients before the IRS and state taxing authorities. Clients included Fortune 500 companies from the banking, healthcare, and toy industries, a professional sports team, a popular television personality, and regional real estate and construction firms.
Gary received an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, a J.D. from the University of San Diego School Law, and a B.S. in Business Administration, cum laude, with a major in accounting from the University of Arizona (Tucson). Gary has been an adjunct professor of tax law at Golden Gate University School of Tax where he taught Advanced Federal Income Tax and Tax Research.
