J
ohn F. Copenhagen is a veteran tax and compliance leader with a distinguished 37‑year career at the Internal Revenue Service, where he earned numerous awards from the IRS, the National Treasury Employees Union, and community organizations for his leadership and service.
Throughout his tenure, John held progressively senior roles across multiple IRS divisions, including Taxpayer Service, Currency & Banking, Examination, General Program, Special Enforcement, and the Anti‑Money Laundering Group. His experience spans frontline operations, technical enforcement, and executive management. He served as a Contact Representative, Internal Revenue Agent, Supervisory Internal Revenue Agent, and ultimately Territory Manager, while also contributing as a classroom instructor, on‑the‑job trainer, VITA instructor, community outreach leader, and mentor to future IRS managers.
John led major examination initiatives across diverse industries—money service businesses, gold buyers, convenience stores, construction, healthcare, and restaurants—and coordinated the IRS’s Area‑level marijuana industry project. He also supervised FBAR examination teams, authored white papers for Compliance Initiative Projects, and co‑wrote sections of the Internal Revenue Manual. His enforcement leadership included oversight of tax preparer Due Diligence reviews, Preparer Penalty cases, and extensive collaboration with IRS Criminal Investigation. John has served as a government witness in both civil and criminal matters, including cases highlighted in Forbes.
A committed advocate for IRS employees, John held multiple leadership roles within the National Treasury Employees Union, including Union Steward, Membership and Benefits Coordinator, Assistant Chief Steward, and Treasurer of Chapter 24.
After retiring from federal service, John became an Enrolled Agent and founded Strategic Tax Authority LLC, where he leverages his deep knowledge of tax law, IRS procedures, and enforcement strategy to support clients navigating complex tax situations. He is also the author of the forthcoming book Winning the Audit.
Biography
John led major examination initiatives across diverse industries—money service businesses, gold buyers, convenience stores, construction, healthcare, and restaurants—and coordinated the IRS’s Area‑level marijuana industry project. He also supervised FBAR examination teams, authored white papers for Compliance Initiative Projects, and co‑wrote sections of the Internal Revenue Manual. His enforcement leadership included oversight of tax preparer Due Diligence reviews, Preparer Penalty cases, and extensive collaboration with IRS Criminal Investigation. John has served as a government witness in both civil and criminal matters, including cases highlighted in Forbes.
A committed advocate for IRS employees, John held multiple leadership roles within the National Treasury Employees Union, including Union Steward, Membership and Benefits Coordinator, Assistant Chief Steward, and Treasurer of Chapter 24.
After retiring from federal service, John became an Enrolled Agent and founded Strategic Tax Authority LLC, where he leverages his deep knowledge of tax law, IRS procedures, and enforcement strategy to support clients navigating complex tax situations. He is also the author of the forthcoming book Winning the Audit.
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