RJS LAW - Tax and Estate Planning

RJS LAW: San Diego Tax Attorney | IRS | FTB | CPA | California

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S FINEST
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SAN DIEGO
(619) 595-1655
El CAJON
(619) 777-7700
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Chandara Diep, ESQ., LL.M.

Chandara Diep RJS Law Partner

Managing Partner

Email:  [email protected] 

Chandara Diep is a Managing Partner at our firm. She was our firm’s first hire, and has been with RJS LAW since its transition from a solo practitioner into a full-service law firm. Mrs. Diep handles collection cases with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Franchise Tax Board (FTB), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), and the Employment Development Department (EDD).

Prior to her current role, Mrs. Diep has worked in various positions at our firm. She obtained her paralegal certificate from the University of San Diego and completed her training at a local law firm in San Diego where she worked on real estate contracts and corporate tax legislation. As a paralegal at RJS LAW, Mrs. Diep handled the case management for our firm and assisted with hundreds of civil and criminal tax controversy cases involving the federal and state government, including audits, installment agreements, offers in compromise, and penalty abatements. At her current position, Mrs. Diep continues to specialize in federal and state tax controversy and international tax, and she is a key member of our team on many active cases.

Chandara Diep received her Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of San Diego School Law. While at USD she worked with the Federal Income Tax Clinic where she helped low-income individuals resolve their tax problems. She also earned her Juris Doctor degree from the California Western School of Law, where she focused her studies on tax controversy and corporate law. She was awarded with a scholarship to California Western, and was an honor roll student and a member of California Western Law Review where she helped write and edit scholarly articles to be published in the California Western Law Review Journal. Mrs. Diep also completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California San Diego in Political Science and Law and Society.

Chandara Diep is an active member of the local community. She serves as an instructor of Federal Tax Procedure at both the University of San Diego School of Law and at the University of California San Diego. She also co-teaches a Federal Tax Procedure and Policies class at the University of San Diego School of Business. Through her teaching, Mrs. Diep shares her expertise and practical experience with the next generation of tax professionals.

Her excellence in the legal field has been recognized through numerous honors, including Best of the Bar in 2017, San Diego Best Attorneys in 2018, Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2022 and 2023, and San Diego Super Lawyers in 2026. These accolades reflect her commitment to excellence, professionalism, and client advocacy.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Mrs. Diep is devoted to her family and community. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Adam, and her two children, Jacob and Emma. In her free time, she loves cooking, baking, and experimenting with new recipes.

Awards:

Practice Areas:

  • Civil Tax Controversy and Planning
  • Criminal Tax Defense
  • Business and Real Estate Transactional Law
  • Estate Planning
  • Nonprofit Law
  • Tax Planning
  • Individual and Entity Tax Planning

Representative Matters:

  • Successfully resolved a criminal failure-to-pay case by negotiating its reduction to a civil matter, eliminating the risk of incarceration.
  • Negotiated the resolution of a criminal tax case involving over $1 million in unreported income, securing a civil settlement with no jail time.
  • Defended clients in complex IRS and EDD audits, achieving no-change results and zero payment obligations for the taxpayers.
  • Secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refunds for a client through a successful Claim for Refund with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB).
  • Secured multiple taxpayer settlements through the IRS Offer in Compromise program, successfully reducing two liabilities exceeding six figures to less than 5% of the total amount owed.
  • Obtained an IRS penalty abatement totaling over $500,000, fully eliminating the assessed penalty.
  • Supported and successfully defended high-stakes IRS audits, including representation of a prominent commercial real estate developer and entrepreneur with hundreds of thousands of dollars at issue.
  • Successfully represented clients facing Employment Development Department liabilities and abated half million-dollar penalties down to zero.
  • Managed and resolved several high value insurance claims for a major corporate client caused by the September San Diego blackouts.
  • Successfully negotiated with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) to obtain penalty abatements, halt enforced collection actions, and establish manageable payment plans for numerous clients.
  • Assisted lead counsel in a major criminal tax investigation ultimately resulting in no jail time for the accused client.
  • Represented clients before the U.S. Tax Court and IRS Counsel, securing favorable settlements and significant reductions in tax liabilities.
  • Handled complex real estate matters and landlord-tenant disputes on behalf of individual and corporate clients.
  • Formed multiple corporate entities and advised clients on small business tax planning and compliance matters.
  • Represented franchisees and local business owners in California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) matters, including numerous Subway franchise audits.
  • Successfully negotiated favorable CDTFA settlements that saved several successful businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential liabilities.
  •  Advocated for clients in appeals before the IRS, FTB, EDD, and CDTFA, consistently achieving positive and cost-saving results.
  • Represented clients in trust fund recovery penalty cases, achieving substantial reductions and favorable resolutions with both the IRS and CDTFA.
  • Successfully obtained full relief for clients in innocent spouse claims in appeals, completely eliminating their liability exposure.
  • Minimize and mitigate large audit liabilities through strategic negotiation, appeals advocacy, and settlement execution.

Professional Affiliations:

Admitted to Practice before the following Courts:

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