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Jonathan P. Decatorsmith
also known as Jon
About Jonathan
Biography
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.
Practice Areas
1
Practice Area
Tax
100%
40 years | 1,200 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Illinois for 39 years
State: Illinois
Acquired: 1986
No misconduct found
Licensed in Minnesota for 26 years
State: Minnesota
Acquired: 1999
No misconduct found
Location
Jonathan Decatorsmith
565 W. Adams Street, Suite 600, Chicago, IL, 60661-3652
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Jonathan P. Decatorsmith's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
4 Client Reviews
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Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Posted by anonymous | July 11, 2012
Rescued Me From the IRS
I'd spent years trying to resolve IRS/State tax payments and penalties. Three years ago, I began to work with Jon,and he's demonstrated both the experience and insight required to resolve these situations. He'll file my OIC shortly, and I look forward to his assistance in the future with credit repai...
Posted by Diane | July 08, 2012
Jon saved me from the IRS!
My friend died and named me executor of her estate. I had never done this before. The accountant I saw to file her taxes advised me that I could pay medical bills before I paid Becky's taxes. That seemed off to me, but I foolishly listened to him and paid a few doctors (she left a TINY estate - ab...
Posted by Kristina | June 18, 2012
COMPETENT, REASONABLE, EXEMPLARY ATTORNEY-A ROLE MODEL FOR ATTORNEYS
I am known to dislike attorneys in general since they usually work towards using your retainer. But not this one. Mr Decatorsmith has been my attorney for over 5 years now on a very complex tax matter.He has been honest with my chances. He ie very reasonable with costs. He has asked me to call his c...
Posted by John P. Macchione | June 18, 2012
Criminal tax case
My case involved a criminal conviction for taxes so it was a more involved , and time consuming. I have been notified and kept up on all aspects of the case. I am very pleased with the way it is being handled. Everything is throughly explained in a way that I can understand. I would highly reccom...
Jonathan P. Decatorsmith's Lawyer Endorsements
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Mary Reyna
Immigration lawyer
Ana Mencini
Immigration lawyer
Tina Gagliano Mandell
Criminal defense lawyer
Lisa Knauf
Estate planning lawyer
William Bochte
Appeals lawyer
Bradley Giglio
Criminal defense lawyer
Jonathan Anderson
Administrative law lawyer
Donato Pesce
Divorce and separation lawyer
Eric Zelazny
Tax lawyer
Anthony Pankau
Estate planning lawyer
Michael Locicero
Estate planning lawyer
Brian Mirandola
Criminal defense lawyer
Experience
Honors
1995
Lead Instructor, National Trial Skills School
1994
Attorney of the Year, Internal Revenue Service
1993
Special Act Award, Internal Revenue Service
1992
Special Act Award, Internal Revenue Service
1991
Special Act Award, Internal Revenue Service
1990
Special Act Award, Internal Revenue Service
1989
Special Act Award, Internal Revenue Service
1988
Special Act Award, Internal Revenue Service
Work Experience
2000 - Present
Clinical Professor, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
1999 - 2000
Senior Associate, BlueDog, Olsen and Small
1996 - 1999
Adjunct Professor, University of Minnesota
1990 - 1995
Adjunct Professor, DePaul University
1987 - 1999
Senior Trial Attorney, Internal Instructor, Chief Counsel Office of the Internal Revenue Service
Associations
2012 - Present
Northwest Suburban Bar AssociationMember
1987 - Present
Chicago Bar Association, Federal Taxation CommitteeMember
1987 - Present
Chicago Bar AssociationMember
1986 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Kaider v. Commissioner
for Petitioner
Rosenbloom v. Commissioner
for Petitioner
Bozick v. Commissioner
for Petitioner
Investment Research Associates v. Commissioner
For Petitoner
Campbell v. Commissioner
For petitioner
Education
1986
University of Colorado School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1983
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2011
2011 IRS LITC Conference
Appeals Collection Issues
2010
Low Income Taxpayer Annual Conference
Tax Law
2009
2009 IRS LITC Conference
Nonfilier Issues
Publications
2015
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
IRS Appeals "Independence" ?
2015
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
History Repeats itself, Again- The IRS Hates Offer in Compromise
2014
Illinois Jurisprudence
Volume 30: Immigration (Chp. 24 Taxation)
2014
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Crisis Averted?
2014
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Why Do Taxpayers Lose Most Every Case Against The IRS in Tax Court?
2014
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Test Your IRS Knowledge: A Short Quiz
2013
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
The State of The IRS
2013
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
" Furlough Time, Again"
2013
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Collection Due Process-The Grand Illusion?
2013
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Our Unsung Heros
2013
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Welcome Back, Non-Essentials!
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
"Settle with the IRS For Pennies on a Dollar?"
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Why Can't I Do This Myself?
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
The Increased Automation of IRS Collection
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
The Court Like No Other
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Don't make up stories about IRS!
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Five Reasons You Shouldn't Hire an Offer Mill
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
A Three-Piece Suit and the Truth
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
Those Nasty IRS Letters...
2012
Chicago-Kent Tax Clinic Blog
There's Nothing Wrong with Cash!
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Answers
Q&A
Court Summons for not paying city income tax. Need Advice.
16 Feb 2013
Q&A
I owe 60,000 in taxes; have a lein against me. Should I attempt to negoiate with IRS?
09 Aug 2012
Q&A
Can I sue the IRS for harassment? An IRS agent questioned my parenting skills during an audit. I feared retaliation.
08 Aug 2012