The Tax Prophet® - Firm Profile
 Who is the
Tax Prophet?
Types
of Clients
Description
of Services
Experience
Education
Articles
Speeches - (Outlines of presentations
are available in the Publications Section)
Mandatory
Continuing Legal Education Lectures
Pro
Bono Work and Affiliations
Organizations
How to
Contact the Tax Prophet
The Tax Prophet is written by Robert L. Sommers of San Francisco, California, a
sole practitioner, with more than 25 years experience as an attorney. He has been
Certified as a Specialist in Taxation Law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the
State Bar of California. He has practiced law in Hawaii, New York and California. He also
wrote a bi-weekly tax column for the San Francisco Examiner newspaper from 1995 through
2000.
He represents U.S. and Foreign Individuals, Entrepreneurs and Small Companies,
including:
- Closely-held Corporations
- Limited Liability Companies
- Trusts and Estates
- Partnerships
Robert Sommers has a general tax and business law practice, with emphasis on the
following areas of law:
- Estate planning - revocable living trusts, gifts and wills
- Federal and California tax controversies, audits and collections
- Tax appeals and litigation
- Foreign tax (foreign taxpayers investing or doing business in the U.S. and U.S.
taxpayers investing or doing business abroad)
- Real property exchanges, purchases and sales
- Business purchases, sales and tax-free reorganizations
- Formation, operation and dissolution of corporations, partnerships, trusts and limited
liability companies
Robert Sommers has represented and advised numerous U.S. and foreign individuals and
small companies on a variety of tax, business and estate planning matters since 1976. He
is a lecturer for California's mandatory continuing legal education program
("MCLE") for the tax courses listed below.
He has been certified as a Tax Specialist by the California Board of Legal
Specialization of the State Bar of California, a distinction earned by less than .05% of
all attorneys licensed to practice law in California. He also received a postgraduate
legal degree (LL.M.) in taxation from New York University School of Law in 1985, the
premier graduate tax program in the U.S.
- New York University School of Law, LL.M. in Taxation, 1985.
- University of San Francisco, School of Law, J.D., 1976.
- University of California at Santa Cruz, B.A. in Economics, 1972.
Speeches are located in a separate
directory.
- Do You Really Owe Taxes on Your Baby-Sitter?, Tax
Notes, July 19, 1993. (Reprinted from the Recorder, 6/22/93).
- Like-Kind Prop. Regs. Create New Safe Harbors While
Adding Complexities, Taxation for Accountants, July, 1990.
- Trading Down a Principal Residence Need Not Be Taxable,
Journal of Taxation, July, 1990.
- Deferred Like-Kind Exchanges Under Section 1031(a)(3)
After Starker, Journal of Taxation, February, 1988.
- ISOs Meet the AMT, Tax Notes,
June 18, 2001
The following lectures have been approved for MCLE credit by the State
Bar of California:
- Federal Tax Instructor, Tax-Aid: a non-profit organization assisting low income
taxpayers file their federal and state tax returns, February - March, 1994; and January -
February, 1995.
- Legal Advice and Referral Clinic, San Francisco Bar Association: A monthly clinic
that advises low income citizens on a variety of legal issues.
- American Bar Association, Tax Section.
- San Francisco Bar Association, Tax Section.
- Executives Association of San Francisco.
The author, Robert L. Sommers, a tax attorney practicing in San Francisco, California,
may be contacted at: rls@taxprophet.com.
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