Josie Harris-Walton
Partner
Atlanta Office
365 Northridge Road, Suite 230
Atlanta, Georgia 30350
Josie Harris-Walton is a partner in the Atlanta office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.,who specializes in defending clients in civil and criminal tax controversy and litigation matters. She focuses on tax professionals with high-stakes IRS audits, creditability issues of characters, criminal defense, and investigations. For more than 15 years, Ms. Harris-Walton has resolved hundreds of civil and criminal tax matters. With an illustrious reputation in tax law for tax professionals, she is affectionately known as of the "TaxPros Attorney." She is renowned for her innovative TaxPros Concierge framework, a solution that ensures tax professionals remain in compliance with the IRS and tax laws, granting them relief for any legal entanglements or imprisonment.
Ms. Harris-Walton draws on her experience as civil and criminal tax attorney of The Walton Firm, of which she is the founder. Her skill set is particularly suited for complex tax professional penalties, fraud, or even criminal issues that may arise. She has successfully assisted clients in cases involving PPP loans, employment taxes, trust fund recovery penalties, and preparer penalties. She counsels and defends tax professional clients in IRS and state administrative investigations, grand jury investigations, and federal prosecutions. Additionally, she has investigated and litigated cases throughout the country involving tax preparers. While completing her Business Administration degree from the University of West Alabama, she served in the United States Army Reserve.
In 2008, Ms. Harris-Walton obtained her Juris Doctor from Samford University, Cumberland School of Law. After attending law school, she worked as corporate counsel for SITTI, a healthcare and technology-training center. She also attended DePaul University College of Law to obtain her master's in law in Taxation (LLM Taxation). During her time at DePaul University College of Law, she volunteered as a tax attorney for the Tax Care Clinic, a non-profit organization, focused on helping low-income taxpayers. She also worked as an extern for the Internal Revenue Services'' Office of Chief Counsel division. After completing her LL.M., she accepted a position as an associate attorney with Deming, Parker, Hoffman, Campbell, & Daly, LLC.
In 2013, Ms. Harris-Walton became a senior tax consultant at Strategic Tax Advisors, where she provided tax consulting to companies around the United States. The following year, she owned and managed Coleman & Walton, LLC, a boutique tax and bankruptcy law firm, where she represented individuals and businesses in tax controversy issues. In 2018, she returned to Deming, Parker, Hoffman, Campbell, & Daly, LLC, to manage their tax practice and in 2020 she opened The Walton Firm.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Harris-Walton is also an active member of the legal community. As a sought-after speaker, she shares her insights at conferences, seminars, and events, while her contributions to articles and publications on criminal and civil tax law topics further solidify her standing as a respected authority in her field.
She is admitted to practice law in Alabama and Georgia.
Representative Matters
- Represents multiple tax preparers under criminal investigations by IRS concerning tax preparers fraud.
- Represents multiple individuals under criminal investigations by DOJ concerning PPP fraud.
- Represents multiple tax preparers under criminal investigations by Alabama and Georgia Department of Revenue concerning tax preparers fraud.
- Represents multiple small businesses in IRS audits.
- Represents multiple individuals and businesses in US Tax Court.
- Represents multiple businesses in employee retention credits audits.
Honors & Awards
- Attorney of the Year Award, Deming & Parker, 2020
- Volunteer Attorney of the Year, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, 2021
Publications
- Contributing Author, Solving the Puzzle: How Small Business Owners Can Grow Their Business and Avoid Tax Trouble, Cathy Strobeck CPA, September 3, 2020
- Foreword, Tax Strategies for Small Business, Dr. Cozette M. White and multiple tax professionals, January 12, 2023
- Article, Tax Strategies for Small Business, Women of Dignity Media, February 25, 2023
- Cover Article, Cracking the Case: When Tax Returns Leads to Criminal Charges, The Taxzaza Times, September 15, 2023
- Author, Tax Professional's Due Diligence Audit Preparation Workbook, December 2023
- Tax Insights & Commentary, Treacherous Terrain of Tax Preparation Requires Strongest Ethics, Bloomberg Tax, January 31, 2024