Jennifer Benda focuses her practice in the areas of tax controversy and income tax planning and compliance. She advocates for her clients by developing relationships with IRS personnel, IRS Appeals and state examiners, and these relationships bring her clients successful resolution of their tax matters. When necessary, Ms. Benda is prepared to take her cases to court so that her clients are treated fairly. Ms. Benda’s larger cases involve IRS examinations of (i) charitable contributions of conservation easements; (ii) estate and gift tax returns involving the sale and gift of privately held stock, as well as valuation of family businesses; (iii) variable prepaid forward sale transactions; and (iv) IRS Voluntary Disclosures. Ms. Benda represented several taxpayers in resolving cases involving listed transactions, such as various basis-shifting tax shelters and charitable remainder trusts arrangements. Ms. Benda has worked with the IRS and the Colorado Department of Revenue to obtain significant refunds for clients.
Ms. Benda assists clients with income tax planning matters, such as reporting and analysis of estate planning techniques, including planned transfers of real estate and family-owned businesses. In addition, she is part of a team serving as Third Party Examiner in connection with several broker-dealer settlements with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) concerning sales of Class B mutual fund shares. Ms. Benda is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation Committees on Administrative Practice, Civil & Criminal Tax Penalties and Court Procedure & Practice.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Benda was a CPA for 10 years, focusing on corporate tax planning, controversy, compliance and reporting. Ms. Benda’s background as a CPA is an added benefit in cases involving valuation issues, such as charitable contributions of conservation easements and business valuations in estate tax audits. She worked for two of the big four accounting firms where she obtained extensive experience handling IRS exams, state income tax exams, tax shelter disclosure issues, IRS protests, IRS appeals cases and penalty abatement cases. As a CPA, Ms. Benda was also a tax manager for a FORTUNE 500 healthcare company, handling a broad range of tax issues.
Ms. Benda is a regular contributor to Baker Hostetler’s Issues in Tax Controvery blog. See her June 2011 posting: Colorado Enacts Tax Amnesty Program.
Ms. Benda is a Certified Public Accountant in Texas.
7/8/2011 - Denver Business Journal: Benda Quoted on IRS Home Office Expenses
6/1/2011 - Colorado Lawyer: Protecting Communications with Accountants