Why It Matters Who Prepares Your Return
Not all tax preparers are the same. Anyone can enter numbers into software. What sets Porter Law Office apart is what we bring to the table before we ever touch your return.
Attorney Matthew R. Porter holds an LL.M. in Taxation and has spent 12 years preparing returns beginning as a VITA volunteer helping low-income taxpayers and continuing through years of frontline IRS controversy work. He knows exactly how the IRS examines returns, what triggers audits, and where preparers make mistakes that cost clients money later.
Thomas A. Porter is a licensed Enrolled Agent — the highest credential the IRS awards to non-attorneys — and handles return preparation alongside Matthew.
When we prepare your return, we're not just filling out forms. We're thinking about what happens if this return is ever selected for review and making sure it can withstand scrutiny.
- Matthew R. Porter, Esq., LL.M. Taxation
- Thomas A. Porter, Enrolled Agent
- IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA)
- 12+ years of tax preparation experience
- Former IRS VITA Program Volunteer
- AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
What We Prepare
Individual Tax Returns (Form 1040)
We prepare federal and Ohio income tax returns for individuals, couples, and families. Whether your situation is straightforward or complex — multiple income sources, investment sales, rental properties, self-employment income, or life changes like marriage, divorce, or an inheritance — we handle it with the care and accuracy it deserves.
Includes: W-2 income, self-employment (Schedule C), investment income, rental property (Schedule E), itemized deductions, retirement distributions, and more.
Business Tax Returns
We prepare returns for small businesses, including S-corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and sole proprietors. We understand how business income flows through to individual returns and help you minimize your tax liability while staying compliant.
Includes: Form 1120-S (S-Corporation), Form 1065 (Partnership/LLC), Schedule C (Sole Proprietor).
Late & Unfiled Returns
If you've fallen behind on your taxes, you're not alone. The situation is very fixable. We prepare prior-year returns for individuals and businesses, often as the first step toward resolving an IRS collection matter or installment agreement. Getting your returns filed is essential before the IRS files a substitute return for you, one that never includes the deductions you're entitled to.
ITIN Applications & Returns for Foreign Nationals
As a certified IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA), Matthew Porter is authorized to verify identity documents and certify ITIN applications meaning foreign nationals do not need to mail their original passport to the IRS. We prepare U.S. tax returns for non-residents, dual-status filers, foreign nationals with U.S.-source income, and anyone who needs an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Includes: Form W-7 (ITIN application), Form 1040-NR (non-resident return), gambling winnings, and U.S.-source income reporting.
The only tax preparer who can also defend your return
Porter Law Office, LLC is uniquely positioned to walk your return from preparation to refund or all the way through an IRS audit, appeal, or Tax Court without changing hands.
Because Matthew Porter is both a tax attorney and an experienced preparer, he prepares every return with the IRS's scrutiny in mind. He knows which deductions get flagged, how income classifications are challenged, what documentation survives an audit, and how IRS examiners think. That perspective doesn't just protect you if something goes wrong, it helps prevent problems from arising in the first place.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”— Benjamin Franklin
If your return is ever selected for audit or generates an IRS notice, you're already represented. No scramble to find a new attorney. No explaining your situation from scratch to someone who didn't prepare the return. Porter Law Office, LLC is already your counsel.
Before you call
What's the difference between a tax preparer, a CPA, and a tax attorney?+
A tax preparer has limited credentials. A CPA has accounting expertise. A tax attorney like Matthew Porter has a law degree, an advanced degree in taxation (LL.M.), and the ability to represent you in Tax Court and in privileged attorney-client communications. When your preparer is also your attorney, everything discussed in preparation is protected by privilege.
Do you prepare returns year-round or just during tax season?+
We prepare returns year-round. Late filers, extension filers, and prior-year returns are always welcome.
I haven't filed in several years. Can you help?+
Yes. This is one of the most common situations we handle. We'll prepare your back returns and, if needed, help you get into compliance with the IRS through an installment agreement or other resolution.
I'm a foreign national. Can you prepare my U.S. return and get me an ITIN?+
Yes. As a Certifying Acceptance Agent, we can verify your identity documents in-office so you don't have to mail your passport to the IRS. We prepare non-resident returns, dual-status returns, and returns for foreign nationals with U.S.-source income.
What if my return gets audited after you prepare it?+
We handle that too — it's our primary practice. You'll already have a tax attorney who knows your return inside and out, ready to respond to the IRS on your behalf.