Tax Attorney Allison Soares has more than a decade of experience helping business owners navigate the complexities of the tax code. Entrepreneurs and individuals hire her when they are facing audits, collections and international compliance issues. She is fluent in federal, state and local tax regulations and has successfully engaged with auditors at the IRS, FTB and EDD and the CDTFA on behalf of hundreds of business owners. Ms. Soares brings to bear not only her legal and negotiation experience, but her balance sheet acumen. She has a JD and Master of Laws in Taxation as well as an MBA in Forensic Accounting.

Prior to joining Vanst, Ms. Soares was an associate attorney for four years with a prominent law firm in North San Diego County, where she advised an array of clients on complex business transactions and developed an in-depth knowledge of corporate, contract, and tax law. She advised clients on avoidance and resolution of problems with federal, state, and local taxing authorities, performed tax-based calculations, executed tax related research and ensured compliance with state, federal, and international law.

She was named a Top Lawyer by San Diego Magazine in 2018 and 2019, as well as a Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent: Highest Excellence in Legal Ability and Ethical Practice. As an adjunct professor at San Diego StateUniversity, Ms. Soares teaches a course on tax procedures, practice and ethics in the Charles W. Lamden School оf Accountancy.

Ms. Soares received her BA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin, and her JD from St. Thomas University School of Law. At St.Thomas she ranked in the top twenty percent of her class and was an Articles Editor for the Law Review. While there, she earned her MBA in Accounting, with a focus on forensic work. Later, at the University of San Diego School of Law she earned a Master of Laws in Taxation.

Her extensive experience in accounting and law includes internships at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the United States Attorney’s Office and for the Honorable William M. Hoeveler, a Senior United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.

Active in public service, In 2021, she was appointed by Mayor Todd Gloria to serve as a member of the City of San Diego’s Balboa Park Committee. The Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Mayor, the City Council and City Manager on policy issues relating to the acquisition, development, maintenance and operation of the region’s Crown Jewel. Originally from Wisconsin, she lives in the South Park community of San Diego with her husband and two sons.