About Tom Stephens, Enrolled Agent
I'm Tom Stephens. I've prepared tax returns since 2009, and I'm an Enrolled Agent, licensed by the IRS to represent taxpayers. My office is at 21380 Lorain Road, Suite 303, in Fairview Park, and the business is Stephens Tax Service, LLC.
From the Navy to tax returns
After I retired from the Navy in 2009, my father and I went into the tax business together, owning a Liberty Tax franchise. Later I sold the franchise and went out on my own. For years I prepared returns from my home office in Olmsted Township and met clients wherever suited them: at their kitchen table, or at the local Panera.
In November 2023 I bought Deming Tax & Associates in Fairview Park and moved into its office. If you used to file with Deming, you're in the right place.
How I work
As a tax professional, the main way I serve a client is to listen. Professional competence matters. Being able to research an answer matters. Turnaround time matters. None of it matters as much as listening.
I also like teaching. If you want to know how a part of the tax code affects you, ask. I'll explain it in plain English, with a bad dad joke at the ready. (The jokes are free. Worth every penny.)
What I promise, and what I don't
I don't guarantee refunds. The numbers are what the numbers are. What I do guarantee is that you'll pay your fair share and not a penny more. I'll dig for credits, find the expenses a self-employed person can legitimately claim, and show you why.
Credentials
- Enrolled Agent (EA), licensed by the IRS. Enrolled Agent is the highest credential the IRS awards.
- At least 16 hours of continuing education every year, plus yearly IRS recertification on the Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Courses and conferences through the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) and others.
- Ohio notary public, at the office or as a mobile notary.
- BBB Accredited Business.
- Thumbtack Top Pro in 2018 and 2019, and a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite in 2024.
Who I work with
Families and individuals across the West Side, military members, the self-employed and contractors, small businesses, families claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, married couples filing jointly or separately, and people going through a divorce.