Tax Compliance Attorney Serving the DMV
Thienel Law keeps individuals and businesses current with their Maryland, D.C., and Virginia filing and reporting duties, with returns prepared in-house.
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Thienel Law keeps individuals and businesses current with their federal, Maryland, D.C., and Virginia tax filing and reporting obligations, with returns prepared in-house by one attorney who holds an LL.M. in Taxation.
Tax compliance is the ongoing work of filing the right returns, reporting the right information, and paying the right amount on time, so a tax problem never starts. Thienel Law handles that work for individuals, business owners, and fiduciaries across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, as part of the firm’s wider tax practice. Because Stephen Thienel holds an LL.M. in Taxation and prepares returns in-house, the same attorney who reads your obligations also files the return that meets them. Most compliance failures are quiet. A missed information return, a late entity filing, or a return that takes an unsupported position can sit unnoticed until a notice arrives. Staying compliant costs far less than fixing the gap after the government finds it.
What is a tax compliance attorney, and who needs one?
A tax compliance attorney makes sure your returns, reports, and payments meet what federal and state law require, and fixes the gaps when they do not. The work is part filing and part judgment: reading how the rules apply to your facts, then reporting them accurately and on time. It differs from tax planning, which shapes a decision before it happens, and from tax resolution, which clears a debt already owed.
The people who need it most carry more than a single W-2. Business owners with entity and payroll filings, professionals with equity or self-employment income, fiduciaries filing for a trust or estate, and anyone with foreign accounts or multi-state income all face duties that are easy to miss. If you have fallen behind, or you are not sure what you still owe, compliance work is where you start.
What happens when tax compliance slips?
A compliance gap rarely announces itself. It grows in the background while penalties and interest accrue on top of the tax you already owed.
An unfiled return is the worst version. The clock that normally limits how far back the government can look does not start until you file, so an open year stays open. Miss an information return, and the numbers on your filing no longer match the records the IRS already holds, which invites a notice.
For a business, a late payroll or entity filing can put the owners themselves in the government’s path. None of this requires bad intent. It usually comes from a busy year and an obligation no one was tracking.
What does tax compliance work with Thienel Law cover?
Compliance is built around the returns and reports you actually owe, not a generic list. The work commonly includes:
- Preparing and filing individual, business, trust, and estate income tax returns.
- Meeting information-reporting duties, including contractor 1099s and foreign-account and foreign-asset reporting.
- Handling entity-level filings for corporations, partnerships, and LLCs in the jurisdictions where you operate.
- Keeping payroll and employment tax deposits and returns current for businesses with staff.
- Bringing unfiled or delinquent returns current and getting you back into good standing.
- Reviewing the positions on a return before it is filed, so each one can be supported if questioned.
What is it like to work with Steve on compliance?
Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute consultation. It is a fit conversation for people who are ready to hire a tax attorney: you explain what you need to file and where things stand, and you and Steve decide together whether to work together. From there you deal directly with Stephen Thienel, not a handoff to staff you never met.
The practice runs online. Secure document sharing, electronic signatures, and video meetings let you send records, review a return, and file from wherever you are. You agree clear terms up front, so you know what the compliance work will cost before it begins.
How do Maryland, D.C., and Virginia change what you have to file?
Federal returns are only part of the picture in the DMV. Each jurisdiction adds its own filings, and a taxpayer who lives in one and earns in another can owe in both.
Maryland layers a local tax onto the state return. Every Maryland county imposes a county income tax on its residents’ Maryland taxable income, reported with the state filing, so where you live drives part of what you owe. Washington, D.C. reaches unincorporated businesses directly. The District levies a franchise tax on the taxable income of unincorporated businesses, subject to statutory exemptions, so a sole proprietor or single-member LLC operating there can have an entity-level return to file that a Virginia neighbor would not. Virginia runs its own system with separate rules. Because Stephen is licensed in all three and works with the IRS, one attorney can keep the whole filing picture current instead of a single piece of it.
Where does tax compliance connect to your other tax and business needs?
Compliance rarely stands alone. It touches the planning behind your decisions, the business you run, and any tax matter already open.
What 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 does a tax compliance attorney do that my accountant does not?
Both can prepare returns, but a tax attorney interprets how the law applies to an unclear or contested position and does it under attorney-client privilege. Stephen prepares returns in-house and can also represent you if a filing is later questioned, so the same office handles the compliance and any dispute that follows. Many clients keep an accountant and bring Stephen in for the judgment calls.
What should I do if I have unfiled or late tax returns?
File as soon as you can, because the deadline to assess older years often does not start until a return is in. Stephen can prepare the missing returns, bring you current, and position you for any penalty relief you qualify for. Getting compliant first also puts you in a stronger spot if the IRS or a state has already noticed.
Do I have to file tax returns in more than one DMV jurisdiction?
You might. Maryland, D.C., and Virginia each tax based on where you live and where you earn, so a resident of one who works or runs a business in another can owe filings in both. Stephen is licensed in all three, so one attorney can sort out where you actually have to file.
Can Thienel Law both prepare my return and represent me if it is audited?
Yes. Stephen prepares returns in-house and defends audits and tax disputes, so the compliance work and any controversy stay with one attorney. That continuity matters, because the person who filed the return already knows every position on it. You are not handing your file to a stranger when a notice arrives.
How is tax compliance different from tax resolution?
Compliance is staying current: filing the right returns and reports on time. Resolution deals with a tax debt or collection problem that already exists. They connect, because getting compliant is usually the first step in resolving back taxes. Stephen handles both, so you do not have to move between offices.
Ready to get your tax filings current and keep them there?
Stephen Thienel keeps individuals and businesses compliant with their federal, Maryland, D.C., and Virginia tax obligations, with returns prepared by the same attorney who reads the rules behind them. If you are ready to hire a tax attorney, schedule a free 30-minute consultation and find out whether the fit is right.
- Tell Steve about your matter
- Pick a time that works