
Josh Maxwell
Managing Partner
3465 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92108
619.980.4476
josh@honemaxwell.com
Hone Maxwell LLP Managing Partner Josh Maxwell brings a unique blend of finance and law to his practice as a tax attorney, focusing on international tax law and controversy. A CPA with an extensive accounting and finance background, Josh helps clients navigate the underlying issues and transactions related to tax plans and has a winning record representing taxpayers before taxing authorities.
Josh prioritizes traveling abroad to form strong relationships with his foreign clients and a deep understanding of the business and societal cultures in which they operate. Under his leadership, HMLLP grew into a firm of experienced, successful attorneys and professional staff members who are almost all bilingual in Spanish or Mandarin.
Josh handles international tax and federal, state and local tax issues, particularly civil and criminal tax controversy defense. He advises clients on a wide variety of international tax issues including the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), treaties and IRS informational reporting. Josh coordinates and defends clients during audits by the IRS and California taxing authorities, including the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the Board of Equalization (BOE) and Employment Development Department (EDD). Additionally, Josh works with clients on collection issues with the same agencies, including installment agreements, offers in compromise and issues surrounding liens, levies and wage garnishments.
A prolific writer and sought-after speaker on tax law updates, Josh is an active member of many foreign and domestic business, finance and tax professional groups. In addition, he was recently invited to join the University of California, Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education Customer Experience Board, where he uses his client-first philosophy to help business leaders improve their customer service.
A New York native, Josh earned bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Finance from Syracuse University before graduating from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in Tax. While attending ASU, he worked at a large CPA firm. After graduating, Josh worked in CBIZ’s Federal Tax group, performing compliance and consulting for multiple types of entities, and was accredited as a California Certified Public Accountant. Josh left CBIZ to earn his law degree and master’s degree in taxation from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he then returned as an adjunct professor.
After law school, Josh returned to public accounting at KPMG’s International Corporate Services group. He was responsible for a broad range of U.S. multinational and foreign-owned clients doing business as single entities or in complex ownership structures. He advised these clients on IRS compliance, foreign compliance and a wide range of complex international tax matters relating to businesses. Josh also served in KPMG’s Federal Tax group advising on transactions and providing tax due diligence, tax compliance and regulatory assistance, and tax structuring advice.
Josh’s unique experience, including public accounting with a strong international focus, and education as both a CPA and attorney, allows him to understand the underlying issues and transactions when preparing tax plans or defending taxpayers in front of the taxing authorities.
Josh lives in San Diego with his wife, Lucy, and their two children.
Admitted to Practice
- California
- U.S. Tax Court
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Education
- University of San Diego School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2008
- University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 2007
- Arizona State University, Master of Taxation, 2003
- Syracuse University, B.S., Finance and Professional Accounting, 2002
- California Board of Accountancy
- American Chamber of Commerce – Bangkok
- Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce
- “U.S. International Tax,” Club Campestre, Tijuana, Mexico, December 2022
- “U.S. Tax Updates – 2022,” AMCHAM Thailand, November 2022
- “U.S. Tax: Transparency and Misconceptions,” U.S. – Mexico Bar Association, Monterrey, Mexico, October 2022
- “U.S. Tax and Legal Considerations,” Entrepreneurs’ Organization, October 2022
- “U.S. International Tax,” Colegio de Contadores Publicos de Baja California, Mexico, October 2022
- “U.S. International Estate Tax,” PreceptsGroup International, Singapore, April 2022
- “U.S. International Tax Reporting,” Foreign Correspondents Club, Bangkok, Thailand, April 2022
- “U.S. Income and Transfer Tax,” PreceptsGroup International, Singapore, April 2022
- “U.S. Tax Updates – 2021,” AMCHAM Thailand, November 2021
- “U.S. Taxation of Cross Border Businesses and Individuals,” ANADE Mexico, September 2021
- “U.S. Investment: Business and Tax Considerations,” CETYS University, Tijuana, Mexico, May 2021
- “Update on Tax Issues for Businesses and Investments in the U.S.,” Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, April 2021
- “Tax Treaty Considerations,” ANADE Mexico, February 2021
- “Estate Planning Practitioners Limited (EPPL),” Estate Planning and Wealth Succession Asia Forum 2020, October 2020
- “GILTI and the Transition Tax,” AMCHAM Thailand, June 2020
- “Tax and Business Considerations for U.S. Investment,” Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, October 2019
- “Thai Samakkee Summit – Effects of New U.S. Tax Laws on Business,” Thai Samakkee Summit, October 2018
- “Foreign Reporting and U.S. Tax Debts, Hispanic Association of Service Professionals,” October 2018
- “Business and Tax Considerations for U.S. Investment”
- Private Law Firm In-House Training, Hong Kong, September 2018
- STEP Hong Kong, September 2018
- Hong Kong Institute of CPAs – September 2018
- “U.S. Transition Tax”
- Hispanic Association of Service Professionals, July 2018
- Academia de Derecho Fiscal, Tijuana, Mexico, June 2018
- “Business Expansion into U.S. Market,” Private Accounting Firm Client Presentation, Mumbai, India, January 2018
- “U.S. Tax System,” Private Law Firm In-House Training, Delhi, India, January 2018
- “New Tax Laws and Other Considerations for U.S. Business Expansion,” Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, January 2018
- “U.S. Expat Reporting: Who Must Report, What Must be Reported, and How to Get Into Compliance,” International Fiscal Association of Hong Kong, January 2018
- “FATCA y sus Programas de Regularizacion en Estados Unidos y la Reforma Fiscal de Donald Trump,” Asociacion Nacional de Abogados de Empresa (ANADE), Tecate, Mexico, September 2017
- “Expectativas en Mexico para 2018, basados en la administracion actual de Donald Trump,” Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Publicos, Tijuana, Mexico, July 2017
- “U.S. Tax System”
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University, March 2017
- Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, March 2017
- Private Law Firm In-House Training, Various Law Firms (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen), March 2017
- “U.S. Tax System and Foreign Investment,” Sinowel Wealth Management, Private Presentations (China; Shenzhen, Qingdao, Beijing, Weihai), October 2016
- “FATCA and U.S. Taxes”
- Taxation Institute of Hong Kong, September 2016
- Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, January 2016
- “FATCA and OVDP Update,” Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, September 2016
- “Tax Considerations When Opening a Business or Investing in the U.S.,” Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, January 2016
- “FATCA Update,” STEP Hong Kong, January 2016
- “FATCA and the IRS Amnesty Programs,” Defensa Fiscal, Puebla, Mexico, October 2015
- “FATCA: Practical Application, Potential Problems, and Unintended Consequences,” International Fiscal Association of Hong Kong, September 2015
- “FATCA from a Practical Perspective,” Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, September 2015
- “Tax Implications of Business Between the U.S. and China,” Joint Presentation with Orangefield, May 2015
- “FATCA and U.S. Tax Reporting,” Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, May 2015
- “FATCA and the IRS Amnesty Programs,” Defensa Fiscal, Mexico City, Mexico, May 2015
- “FATCA and the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program,” Tijuana Bar Association, February 2015
- “Careers in Tax Law,” Association of Latino Professionals for America, February 2015
- “United States Tax Basics, Including FATCA, Foreign Bank Account Reporting, the OVDP, and Other U.S. International Tax Issues Important for Expats and U.S. Investors,” Singapore Management University, January 2015
- “U.S. International Tax Topics,” American Club of Hong Kong, January 2015
- “FATCA and the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Programs”
- CalCPA International Tax Discussion Group, September 2015
- CalCPA North County Discussion Group, August 2015
- Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos, August 2015
- CalCPA La Jolla Discussion Group, June 2015
- Bookkeepers of Tijuana, May 2015
- San Diego Accounting Day, May 2015
- San Diego Private Bank, April 2015
- Chaldean Chamber of Commerce, March 2015
- New York Life Insurance, Tijuana, Mexico, March 2015
- Calexico Chamber of Commerce, December 2013
- ” International Business Considerations,“ ANADE, April 2023
- ” U.S. International Tax Basics,“ PreceptsGroup International, Singapore, April 2023
- ” U.S. – Thailand: Cross-border Market Entry Strategies,“ Mahanakorn Partners Group, Bangkok, Thailand, April 2023
- ” Manufacturing in Mexico through a U.S. Base,“ Chinese Manufacturers Association, Hong Kong, May 2023
- ” Tax and Business Considerations for U.S. Investment,“ Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, Hong Kong, May 2023
- ” U.S. International Estate Tax,“ Estate Planning Practitioners (HK) Limited, Hong Kong, April 2023
- ” U.S. International Tax Basics,“ Lavine Lofgren Morris & Engelberg, May 2023
- Leaders in Law Finalist, San Diego Business Journal, 2021
- San Diego Super Lawyers, 2021
- Rising Star, San Diego Super Lawyers, 2016
- Best of the Bar, San Diego Business Journal, 2014, 2016
- Top Attorney, San Diego Daily Transcript, 2015
- Top Attorney, San Diego Leaders in Law, San Diego Business Journal, 2022
- “FATCA Update,” Asia Pacific Journal of Taxation, co-author, April 2017
- “FATCA: What it Is, What it Isn’t, and What’s Next,” Asia Pacific Journal of Taxation, co-author, April 2016
- “How FATCA and CRS Affect U.S. Investment,” Tax Notes International, co-author, August 2016
- “Add Tax Plans to the Disagreements Between Trump, Clinton,” San Diego Business Journal, interview, September 2016