Shannon Retzke Smith

Partner | New Haven


Secretary Rosemarie DeVincenzi

 

Shannon is a partner in the private client and tax team.

She focuses her practice on sensitive tax matters, which often involve negotiations with government agencies. Shannon represents clients in a broad range of tax, trust, estate, and business planning issues. Her work involves planning for high net worth US and international families, with particular emphasis on planning for closely-held businesses. Shannon's planning work for clients involves a range of matters, from creating tax-efficient wealth transfer structures to addressing income tax issues arising from investments and operating businesses. She has advised prominent politicians, business people, and well-known athletes. She is known globally as one of the go-to attorneys for individuals with US tax or reporting issues and has represented clients from over 20 countries in the last year.

She is a highly regarded tax controversy attorney who assists clients in resolving high-stakes, complex tax controversies. She regularly represents high net worth individuals, corporations, and partnerships facing federal or state tax liability. Shannon develops strategic responses and solutions to resolve a client's matter privately at the earliest possible point while securing the best possible result.

In addition to the traditional tax controversies, such as representing clients in an audit, she has extensive experience in advising clients on issues regarding foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) obligations, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and the Internal Revenue Service's 2009 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, 2012 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, 2014 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, Streamlined Filing Procedure and other means of resolving US income and reporting deficiencies. Shannon has represented hundreds of U.S. taxpayers with undisclosed foreign bank accounts.

Headshot of Shannon Retzke Smith

Me in a minute

I am an accomplished puzzle-solver, navigating the maze-like tax code like a game

Shannon is an accomplished puzzle solver, navigating the maze-like tax code like a game. She works with individuals and businesses to make the pieces of their stories result in dramatic savings of taxes, penalties and interest. Her passion for puzzles combined with her competitive nature easily translate to deciphering a client's unique tax issues and introducing creative solutions to IRS tax problems.Shannon is a sought after speaker and writer in the field of IRS voluntary disclosure (including FBAR noncompliance and unreported foreign income issues). She is also our in-house certified genius and a member of the Mensa Society. She has been recognized as a rising star Super Lawyer and has a Martindale AV rating. Her mission in life is to find the best bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the world - so far Australia is winning.