Are you looking for a tax lawyer in Bethesda, MD? At Crepeau Mourges, we are Bethesda, MD tax lawyers committed to thorough preparation in every matter we handle.
If the IRS or the Comptroller of Maryland has questioned your return, or you are planning a transaction in Bethesda with serious tax consequences, the details decide the outcome. Crepeau Mourges was founded by two attorneys with backgrounds in accounting and economics, one of whom is also a Certified Public Accountant. Our Bethesda, MD tax lawyer will study your records before anyone responds to the government. Call us today to schedule your consultation to see how our team can help.
Tax Lawyer Bethesda, MD
Our Bethesda tax attorney advises people and businesses on what the tax law requires of them and defends them when a government agency disagrees with what they reported. Audits and collection cases are the most visible part of the job. Much of the rest happens earlier: reviewing a business sale, an inheritance, or a foreign account before a return is filed, so that the position taken can be supported later. Unlike other tax professionals, an attorney can also try the case in federal district court if it comes to that.
The IRS received 52,027 estate and trust income tax returns, 5,704 gift tax returns, and 653 estate tax returns from Maryland in fiscal year 2025, according to the IRS Data Book. Filings of that kind are common in Bethesda, where many households hold investments, business interests, and family trusts.
Types of Tax Cases We Handle in Bethesda
Our Bethesda tax attorneys work with individuals, business owners, estates, government employees, and clients with ties outside the United States. Crepeau Mourges is a tax and business firm, and many matters involve both.
- IRS examinations. Audits of high-income returns tend to reach beyond one line item. We manage document production, attend interviews, and challenge adjustments that the facts do not support.
- IRS appeals. A proposed adjustment is not final. We prepare the protest and negotiate with the appeals officer before the case reaches court.
- Maryland tax audits. The Comptroller examines residency, income, and business tax filings. We represent taxpayers through the audit and any hearing that follows.
- Tax debt resolution. When a balance cannot be paid in full, we evaluate installment agreements, compromise offers, and hardship status, then negotiate terms with the collecting agency.
- Foreign accounts and assets. Clients with accounts, companies, or family abroad face reporting rules that are easy to miss. Our Bethesda tax attorneys correct past filings and defend against the penalties that follow.
- Estate, gift, and trust taxation. Large transfers require returns and valuations that the IRS may later question. We advise on reporting and represent estates under examination.
- Business. A sale, merger, or change in ownership should be reviewed for tax cost before documents are signed. We structure transactions and advise on entity choice.
- Employment tax and worker classification. Agencies audit whether workers are employees or contractors and whether payroll taxes were deposited. We defend companies and their owners.
- Digital asset reporting. Sales and exchanges of cryptocurrency are taxable events that the IRS now tracks closely. We help clients report past activity and respond to inquiries.
- Criminal tax defense and litigation. Some cases involve federal investigators or must be tried. We represent clients in investigations, in Tax Court, and in federal district court.
Bethesda Tax Law Infographic
Why Choose Crepeau Mourges as My Tax Lawyer in Bethesda, MD?
Licensed Across the Washington Region
Tax problems in Bethesda often cross a border. A client may live in Maryland, work in the District, and own property in Virginia. Brandon N. Mourges is licensed in all three, as well as in Pennsylvania and Florida, and he is a Maryland CPA who holds an LL.M. in Taxation. He is a member of the Federal Bar Association, has been featured by Bloomberg News, and was named a Readers’ Choice Top Author in tax by JD Supra in 2020.
Brian J. Crepeau represents individual and corporate taxpayers in federal and state controversies. His practice also includes disputes involving brokers, financial planners, and investment advisers. He earned his law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 2003 and is admitted in Maryland, Florida, and the U.S. Tax Court.
Results in Complex Matters
These outcomes are drawn from Mr. Mourges’ prior engagements. Results in any case depend on its facts.
- A partnership dispute over more than $20 million in disallowed deductions, resolved with no additional deficiency for the partners we represented.
- Approximately $300,000 in proposed penalties for an estate’s foreign reporting, dismissed.
- An examination of a physician’s foreign business transactions and inheritance, closed with no further penalties assessed.
- Tax deficiencies based on unreported gambling proceeds for several individuals, resolved without any assessment.
- A worker classification audit, closed without assessments for employment tax, withholding, or unemployment insurance.
Understanding Tax Cases
Examinations, Assessments, and Resolution Paths for Tax Cases
- Examination. A review of a filed return. It may be limited to one item or cover several years.
- Notice of deficiency. The IRS’s formal statement that more tax is owed. It gives the taxpayer the right to go to Tax Court before paying.
- Assessment. The point at which a tax debt is recorded and collection can start.
- Penalties. Charges added for late filing, late payment, inaccuracy, or missed information returns. Many can be reduced or removed when you work with our Bethesda tax attorney.
- Information returns. Forms that report accounts, entities, and transactions instead of tax. Failing to file them carries penalties even when no tax is due.
- Collection alternatives. Payment plans, compromise offers, and temporary hardship status. We explain how each applies to IRS tax debts.
- Voluntary disclosure. A process for correcting past noncompliance before the government finds it. It is often used in offshore account compliance.
What Are Important Aspects of a Tax Case?
Preparation matters more than argument, and these are the points our Bethesda tax lawyers examine first:
- Where you are taxed. Residency, work location, and property in more than one state can each raise a filing question.
- Foreign connections. Accounts, gifts, and entities abroad trigger international information returns, and the penalties can exceed the tax itself.
- Basis and valuation. The tax on a sale depends on what the asset cost or was worth when acquired. That is a frequent problem with inherited property.
- New asset types. Reporting rules for crypto taxes are still developing, and older returns may need to be corrected.
- Family transfers. Planning for estate and gift taxation should be finished before a transfer is made.
- Records. Statements, closing documents, and appraisals carry more weight than recollection. We ask for them early so that gaps can be filled before the agency asks.
What Is The Tax Case Timeline?
Planning engagements can be completed in weeks. Disputes typically take longer for our Bethesda tax lawyers to handle, and their length depends on how far the agency pursues the issue.
- Initial contact. A notice arrives, or a client identifies an issue and comes to us first.
- Review. We collect returns, transcripts, and records, then measure the exposure.
- Agency stage. Most tax audits are handled through written responses and meetings with the examiner.
- Appeal. If the result is wrong, IRS tax appeals or a Comptroller hearing provide independent review.
- Litigation. A petition or complaint is filed when the administrative process fails.
- Closing. The matter ends with an agreement, a payment arrangement, or a decision.
What Should You Bring to Your Tax Consultation?
A short set of documents is enough for us to give you a useful answer.
- Any notice or letter from the IRS or the Comptroller
- Returns for the years in question, with supporting schedules
- Statements for foreign accounts, brokerage accounts, or digital asset exchanges
- Trust, estate, or business documents related to the issue
- Prior correspondence with the agency, including anything you have already submitted
At the consultation, our Bethesda tax lawyer will review these materials, identify deadlines, and explain what we recommend. We generally schedule consultations within a short time of your first call.
Bethesda and Montgomery County Tax Offices, Courts, and Local Resources
- Comptroller of Maryland, Rockville branch. The Comptroller’s Montgomery County office is at 800 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 105, in Rockville.
- Montgomery County Assessment Office. The State’s assessment office for Bethesda properties is at 30 West Gude Drive, Suite 400, Rockville.
- Circuit Court for Montgomery County. The Circuit Court sits at 50 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.
- U.S. District Court, Greenbelt. Federal tax refund suits and criminal tax cases from Montgomery County are generally heard in the court’s southern division.
- United States Tax Court. The court is headquartered in Washington, D.C., a short trip from Bethesda, and lists its places of trial online.
- IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers. In-person IRS help is by appointment, and the IRS office locator shows the center nearest you.
Reach Out to Crepeau Mourges to Schedule a Consultation
Crepeau Mourges provides a free case review for Bethesda residents and businesses with tax questions or disputes. Our attorneys will look at your documents, tell you where you stand, and outline a plan. Calls are answered at any hour, and we reply to new inquiries promptly. Contact us to schedule a consultation with our Bethesda tax lawyer.
