Gatlin Tax, Ltd. is a Minneapolis-area CPA firm helping business owners keep more of what they earn and stay on solid footing with the IRS. Founder Carrol Gatlin has been perfecting responsible tax reduction since 1992, and opened Gatlin Tax, Ltd. in 2011. Every engagement begins with a free initial consultation.

Proactive, year-round tax planning paired with accurate preparation — so filing season holds no surprises. We look past this year's return to the moves that lower your liability over time, always within responsible, well-documented positions.

Who it's for: small and medium-sized businesses, franchise owners, service professionals, and the individuals behind them.

• Strategic tax planning to reduce liability responsibly
• Business and individual tax preparation and filing
• State tax compliance and audit support
• Entity and transaction planning as your business grows

New Business & Startup Advisory
The choices you make early — how you structure your entity, set up your books, and plan for taxes — shape what you'll pay and how smoothly you'll run for years. We advise new and growing businesses on entity selection, tax setup, and accounting foundations, so you start on solid footing. Ideal for first-time founders and early-stage owners ready to do it right from day one. 

Received an IRS notice? Don't ignore it, and don't panic. We help you become compliant first, then build a strategy to resolve any outstanding balance — so you can approach the IRS from a position of strength rather than fear. Those pesky notices stop being something to dread.

Who it's for: individuals and business owners facing IRS notices, audits, or wage garnishments, and anyone who has fallen behind and wants a clear path back to compliance.

• Review and respond to IRS and state notices
• Represent you through audits and examinations
• Address garnishments and collection actions
• Bring filings current and negotiate a workable resolution

Bankruptcy Tax Return Preparation

Bankruptcy cases run on clean tax compliance — and that's often where they stall. We prepare current-year and past-due (unfiled) tax returns for individuals and businesses in bankruptcy, so debtors meet their filing obligations and cases keep moving. We work directly alongside bankruptcy attorneys and their clients, and we're equipped to handle the IRS tax issues that frequently accompany a filing.

Who it's for: bankruptcy attorneys who need a reliable CPA to bring a client's returns current, and individuals or businesses preparing for or navigating a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filing.

How we help:
• Prepare current-year and past-due tax returns
• Bring filings current to satisfy trustee and court requirements
• Coordinate with your bankruptcy attorney and, where needed, the trustee
• Address related IRS notices, balances, and tax-compliance issues 

An independent, defensible determination of what a closely-held business — or an ownership interest in one — is truly worth, documented in a written report you can stand behind. Our valuations are prepared in accordance with the AICPA's Statement on Standards for Valuation Services (SSVS), and, for tax matters, consistent with the factors set out in IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60. We know what the IRS looks for, so our reports are built to meet their standards for process and detail.

Who it's for: owners settling an estate, gifting to heirs, donating to charity, preparing for a sale, merger or buyout, bringing in partners or capital, planning succession, or resolving a shareholder dispute.

Attorneys and business owners rely on us for the valuation and financial analysis that legal disputes demand — delivered in clear, well-documented reports that hold up under examination. We work alongside your legal team to translate complex financial questions into credible, defensible conclusions.

Who it's for: attorneys and their clients involved in shareholder disputes, ownership and contract matters, and other proceedings that require an independent valuation and financial analysis.