IRS Audit Attorney Serving the DMV
Stephen Thienel defends individuals and businesses in IRS audits, appeals, and state tax disputes across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. Free 30-minute consultation.
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IRS audit defense and tax controversy representation for individuals and businesses across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, handled personally by an attorney with an LL.M. in Taxation.
When the IRS selects your return for examination, the letter gives you a deadline, and everything you send after that shapes the outcome. An IRS audit attorney answers the government so you do not have to. Thienel Law, PLLC defends individuals and business owners across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia in IRS audits, appeals, and tax disputes. Stephen Thienel practices tax law with an LL.M. in Taxation, and he handles each examination personally: reviewing what the IRS is actually asking, controlling what goes out the door, and pushing back when a proposed adjustment is wrong. He is licensed in all three DMV jurisdictions, so when a federal audit spills into a state notice, the whole dispute stays with one advisor.
Who needs an IRS audit attorney?
An IRS audit attorney represents taxpayers whose returns are under examination or headed toward a dispute. That includes business owners facing entity and deduction questions, executives and professionals with equity or multi-state income, and individuals whose letter simply proposes a number they know is wrong.
An attorney brings protections a return preparer cannot. Communications with your lawyer sit behind attorney-client privilege, which matters when the facts are complicated. And when a notice of deficiency issues, an attorney can weigh whether a Tax Court petition is the right move before the window closes. Because Stephen also prepares tax returns, clients who come for a controversy often keep the planning, filing, and defense with one advisor afterward.
What is at risk when the IRS audits your return?
An audit rarely stays the size of its first letter. Documents you volunteer can raise new questions, and an examiner who identifies a substantial error can reach back into additional years. What starts as one issue on one return can become several issues on three.
The deadlines are the sharper risk. If you do not respond by the date on the letter, the IRS completes the audit without you and sends a report with its proposed changes. And once a notice of deficiency arrives by certified mail, the clock is fixed: the taxpayer has 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court, and the IRS itself cannot extend that window. Silence does not pause anything. It converts proposed adjustments into assessed tax, with penalties and interest attached.
What does IRS audit and tax controversy representation include?
Stephen handles the examination end to end, whether it is a correspondence audit conducted by mail, an office audit, or a field audit at your place of business. Representation typically includes:
- A review of the audit letter, the returns at issue, and your exposure before anything is sent to the IRS
- A signed authorization so the IRS communicates with your attorney instead of with you
- Document responses that answer what was asked, organized to close issues rather than open them
- Representation in correspondence and meetings with the examiner, including extension requests and objections when the scope creeps
- Challenges to proposed adjustments, supported by the legal authority for your position
- Appeals to the IRS Independent Office of Appeals, which exists to resolve disputes without litigation
- Deadline protection when a notice of deficiency arrives, including advice on whether a U.S. Tax Court petition is worth filing before the 90-day window closes
- Penalty defense, including requests to reduce or remove penalties where the law allows
The same representation extends to state tax audits and assessments in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
How does Steve handle an audit from start to finish?
It starts with a free 30-minute consultation. That call is a fit conversation, not tax advice: you describe the letter you received, Stephen explains how he works, and you both decide whether to work together. If you are ready to hire an attorney for an IRS problem, that is the place to start.
Once engaged, Stephen takes over communication with the government, and the matter runs on modern tools: secure uploads for records, electronic signatures, and online meetings on your schedule. You deal with one attorney from the first response through the closing letter or appeal, not a rotating case team.
What if the dispute is with Maryland, D.C., or Virginia instead of the IRS?
Federal audit procedure is the same in all three jurisdictions, but each state runs its own tax administration with its own clocks, and they are short.
In Maryland, a taxpayer aggrieved by a final assessment from the Comptroller of Maryland generally has 30 days after the notice is mailed to appeal to the Maryland Tax Court. In Virginia, a taxpayer may apply to the Tax Commissioner for correction of an assessment within 90 days, and a notice of intent to file generally pauses collection while that window runs.
The District of Columbia administers its own taxes under separate procedures, and its franchise tax on business income can pull a company into a dispute its owners did not see coming. Because Stephen is licensed in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, a federal adjustment that ripples into state notices stays with one advisor instead of three.
How does audit defense fit the rest of the tax practice?
Audit defense is one piece of a full tax practice. Clients often engage Stephen for the dispute and stay for the planning that prevents the next one:
Tax compliance
And return preparation, so filings are defensible before they are ever questioned
Learn moreTax planning
Structures income and transactions with audit risk priced in
Learn moreBusiness tax
Counsel on entity elections and owner compensation, the questions examiners target most
Learn moreTax resolution
The dispute is over and the remaining balance needs a workable arrangement
Learn moreWhat clients say about working with Steve
I have worked with Steve Thienel for more than 20 years now and the experience has been amazing. Steve and his team are very thorough, they review all sides of a situation, and are very measured in how they approach a solution. They are 100% client focused and a pleasure to work with!
Throughout years, Steve has been my go to guy for business, real estate, and legal work. Steve works fast and is highly reliable. I would recommend Steve to anyone.
Received expert advice including options when applicable. Filings were timely and I was kept informed each step of the way. First class service!!!
I have been receiving services from Mr. Thienel for over 15 years. I have found his legal services to be of exceptionally high value and quality. His services are always timely, professional and thorough!
Reviews are published as given. Thienel Law does not offer compensation for reviews.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first if I get an IRS audit letter?
Read it before you respond. The letter identifies the returns and items under examination and the date by which you must reply. Note the deadline, gather records for the items listed, and do not volunteer documents that were not requested. Real audits start by mail; the IRS does not initiate an audit by telephone, so a surprise call demanding payment is a scam signal, not an audit.
How far back can the IRS audit my returns?
Generally, the IRS audits returns filed within the last three years. It can add years if it identifies a substantial error, though it usually does not go back more than six. You may be asked to agree to extend the assessment deadline, and you do not have to; that decision deserves legal advice, because it trades time against leverage.
Can I fight the results of an IRS audit?
Yes. If you disagree with the examiner's findings, you can request a conference with an IRS manager, pursue mediation, or take the dispute to the IRS Independent Office of Appeals. If the IRS then issues a notice of deficiency, you have 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court, and missing that window allows the tax to be assessed.
Do I have to meet with the IRS auditor myself?
No. You have the right to be represented by an authorized representative. With a signed authorization on file, Stephen deals with the examiner so you do not have to, and the engagement runs remotely through secure online meetings and document sharing.
Does Stephen handle state tax audits too?
Yes. Stephen is licensed in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia and represents taxpayers in state tax audits, assessments, and appeals across all three, as well as before the IRS. That matters because a federal adjustment often triggers state notices, and the deadlines to contest them are short.
Put a Tax Attorney Between You and the IRS
An audit letter comes with a deadline, so the sooner counsel is involved, the more options you keep. If you are ready to hire an attorney for an IRS or state tax dispute, schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Stephen. It is a straightforward fit conversation: you describe the situation, he explains how he works, and you decide together whether to move forward.
- Tell Steve about your matter
- Pick a time that works