Overview
J. David Hopkins graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1989 and was admitted to the Colorado Supreme Court in 1990. The following year, he earned an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver, a second degree from the same institution that formalized the tax law specialization that would define his entire practice. During law school, he served as an editor of the Denver Tax Law Journal, received AmJur awards in Taxation and Trial Advocacy, and was a member of the American Inns of Court. These are not incidental biographical details. They reflect an attorney who engaged with tax law as an academic and professional discipline from the earliest stages of his career.
His practice operates as TaxHelpLaw at 1501 West Kiowa Street, Suite B, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904. The phone number is (719) 232-2587. The website is https://taxhelplaw.com/, which serves as both a contact point and a public tax law education resource featuring guides, videos, audio recordings, checklists, and calculators. Hopkins is the founder and president of TaxHelp, Inc. and is a member of the Tax Attorney Section of the Colorado Bar Association.
The practice serves Colorado Springs and Pueblo clients and is also available to clients nationwide.
Practice Areas
Tax Law (Primary): J. David Hopkins has practiced tax law continuously since his 1990 bar admission, representing clients in IRS audits, tax appeals, tax collections, and federal court tax cases. His court admissions span the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court, the Federal Court of Claims, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. This range of federal court admissions is significant: it means Hopkins can represent clients at every stage of federal tax litigation from the specialized tax trial court through the federal appellate level, without needing to bring in other counsel for appeals.
Tax Controversy: Defense against IRS and state tax authority proceedings is the firm’s defining work. This includes protecting clients from asset seizure, negotiating resolution of tax debts, and representing clients through audit examinations, appeals conferences, and litigation when administrative resolution is not achieved.
Business Taxes: Corporate and small business tax matters, including entity-level tax planning and controversy.
Criminal Tax Litigation: Federal criminal tax defense, which involves the intersection of criminal procedure with the technical requirements of tax law. This is a distinct practice requiring both criminal defense knowledge and deep tax expertise.
Estate Tax Planning: Tax-efficient estate planning that accounts for the estate and gift tax implications of asset transfers.
Full Spectrum Tax Representation: The firm handles the full range of tax categories: income taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and international taxes.
Tax Appeals: Administrative appeals before the IRS Office of Appeals and federal court appeals through the 10th Circuit.
Tax Audits: Comprehensive audit defense at every stage of the IRS examination process.
Bankruptcy and Tax Intersection: Hopkins has written extensively on the relationship between tax debt and bankruptcy relief, including a notable piece on the 10th Circuit’s Mallo v. USA decision. That ruling held that late-filed returns do not constitute “returns” under the applicable filing requirements, meaning the associated tax liabilities cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. This is a technical point with significant consequences for clients who have filed tax returns late and are considering bankruptcy as a path to resolving tax debt.
Identity Theft (Tax-Related): The firm handles IRS identity theft resolution, which arises when fraudulent tax returns are filed using a taxpayer’s Social Security number.
Attorney Profile
J. David Hopkins, JD, LLM (Principal Attorney)
J. David Hopkins received his B.A. in Business Administration in 1984. He then graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1989, where he served as an editor of the Denver Tax Law Journal, received AmJur awards in both Taxation and Trial Advocacy, and was a member of the American Inns of Court. He was admitted to the Colorado Supreme Court in 1990 and received his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver in 1991.
His court admissions include the Colorado Supreme Court, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court, the Federal Court of Claims, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also a member of the El Paso County Bar Association in addition to the Tax Attorney Section of the Colorado Bar Association.
As founder and president of TaxHelp, Inc., Hopkins has developed an educational dimension alongside his practice. The TaxHelpLaw website provides public-facing tax law guides, videos, audio, checklists, and calculators for taxpayers seeking to understand their options before or alongside legal representation. This reflects the commitment to public legal education that earned him the Avvo Top Contributor Award in 2021, a recognition based on substantive public contribution to legal knowledge rather than marketing.
Every client at TaxHelpLaw meets directly with Hopkins. The firm does not use a model where an attorney meets with the client for intake and then hands off work to others. Hopkins prepares an ACTION PLAN for each client that lays out the available options and the consequences of each course of action.
Location and Service Area
The office is at 1501 West Kiowa Street, Suite B, Colorado Springs, CO 80904. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Phone: (719) 232-2587. Website: https://taxhelplaw.com/. The practice serves Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, and also handles matters for clients nationwide.
Client Focus
The firm’s client base includes small business owners, self-employed individuals, divorced spouses dealing with joint tax liability issues, non-filers working to come into compliance, and individuals facing IRS asset seizure. The ACTION PLAN approach is designed for clients who need to understand their full range of options before committing to a strategy, which is particularly appropriate given the high stakes that IRS enforcement actions carry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of being admitted to the U.S. Tax Court and the Federal Court of Claims?
The U.S. Tax Court is the primary federal court in which tax disputes are litigated before the IRS’s collection actions begin. The Federal Court of Claims is an alternative federal forum for tax refund suits. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals hears appeals from both the U.S. District Court in Colorado and certain other federal courts within its geographic reach. An attorney admitted to all of these courts can represent clients at every stage of federal tax litigation without needing to bring in co-counsel for appeals or specialized forums.
What is the Mallo v. USA decision and why does it matter for people considering bankruptcy?
In Mallo v. USA, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals held that late-filed tax returns are not “returns” for purposes of the bankruptcy discharge provisions, meaning that tax liabilities associated with late-filed returns generally cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. This is a technical but consequential ruling for anyone who has filed tax returns late and is considering bankruptcy as a way to address tax debt. Hopkins has written about this decision and advises clients on how it affects their options.
Does the firm handle both federal and state tax matters?
Yes. The firm handles IRS matters, Colorado Department of Revenue matters, and related state tax authority proceedings alongside federal tax representation.
What is an ACTION PLAN and how does it work?
When Hopkins meets with a client, he prepares an ACTION PLAN that identifies the client’s situation, the legal options available to address it, and the likely consequences of each option. This structured presentation allows clients to make informed decisions about how to proceed rather than simply following legal advice without understanding the alternatives. Every client receives this analysis before committing to a course of action.
Can the firm represent clients outside Colorado?
Yes. While the physical office is in Colorado Springs, the firm handles matters for clients nationwide. Federal tax law applies uniformly across states, and Hopkins’s federal court admissions allow him to represent clients in federal venues without geographic restriction.
Closing
J. David Hopkins has practiced tax law at the intersection of advocacy and public education since 1990. His dual University of Denver credentials, his range of federal court admissions including the 10th Circuit, his written work on technical tax law issues including the Mallo bankruptcy ruling, and his TaxHelpLaw educational platform collectively represent a practice defined by depth rather than breadth. The office is at 1501 West Kiowa Street, Suite B, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, and the firm can be reached at (719) 232-2587 or at https://taxhelplaw.com/.