Years ago, I found myself sitting in law school in Moot Court wearing an oversized, itchy blue suit. It was a horrible experience. In a desperate attempt to avoid anything like that in the future, I enrolled in a tax course. I loved it. I signed up for another. Before I knew it, in addition to my JD, I had an LL.M. in Taxation. I needed only to don my cape… Taxgirl® was born.
While at law school, I interned at the estate & gift tax attorney division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where I participated in the review and audit of federal estate tax returns. At one audit, where I was the lead, opposing counsel read my report, looked at his file, and said, “Gentlemen, she’s exactly right.” I nearly fainted.
Today, I am a managing shareholder at The Erb Law Firm, P.C., where I focus on tax law, including domestic and international estate and tax planning, tax compliance and controversy matters such as tax delinquencies, offers in compromise, and audits. I am licensed to practice in PA and in the U.S. Tax Court. I’m also a senior writer at Forbes, and previously served as Team Lead for Insights and Commentary at Bloomberg Tax and Accounting.
I’ve written and been interviewed about taxes for CNN Money, CNBC, Reuters, Time, and US News & World. I’ve also been asked to explain taxes in plain English by media outlets like National Public Radio’s Marketplace, Esquire, CBS Radio, Inc., Martha Stewart’s Living, and MarketWatch, as well as a number of podcasts. I also host the Taxgirl podcast. It’s been on a bit of a hiatus, but a relaunch is in the works — so keep an eye out.
I still give interviews and speak as much as my schedule will allow. Recent stops include AICPA Engage 2026 in Las Vegas, the National Association of Tax Professionals’ 2026 Taxposium in Cleveland, and The Tax Retreat in San Antonio. I’m also a regular presence at law schools and universities, bar associations, and professional committees — recent stops include lecturing for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, addressing students at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and the Salt Lake City Estate Planning Committee’s winter event this past December.
And to clarify, there are a number of folks flitting about the internet who feel that it’s okay to use my trademarks (Taxgirl®, Ask The Taxgirl®, and Taxes From A To Z®). It’s not. If you find yourself a bit confused, here are a few tips:
- If it says Taxgirl® and doesn’t talk about tax, it’s probably not me. And if it’s giggly stuff about staying out too late and partying, also not me (I have three kids, who are you kidding?).
- And if it involves anything illicit, definitely not me—remember, my mother could be reading.
- I don’t answer questions on yahoo.com or other sites like Quora or sell tax (or other) software.
- Most importantly, if it’s a tax site not affiliated with taxgirl.com, it’s not me.