Maryland Tax Resolution — the State Side, Not Just the IRS
Most tax resolution firms are federal-only. They settle the IRS balance, close the file, and the Comptroller of Maryland is still owed — with its own powers, its own timeline and no reason to wait.
We handle both. Maryland state matters go directly to the Comptroller alongside the federal case, so one is not resolved into a surprise from the other.
Free 15-minute review with a licensed Maryland CPA.
What can be done about Maryland state tax debt?
The same four things the IRS side offers, with the Comptroller instead: payment plans negotiated on your finances, penalty abatement where the history supports it, Offers in Compromise under the state program, and unfiled Maryland returns rebuilt and filed.
- ·Payment plans with the Comptroller, negotiated on your finances rather than accepted off a form.
- ·Penalty abatement where the compliance history supports it.
- ·Offers in Compromise with the Comptroller, which is a separate program from the federal one with its own criteria.
- ·Unfiled Maryland returns, rebuilt and filed alongside the federal years.
The Comptroller publishes its own guidance for individuals (marylandtaxes.gov), and it is worth knowing the state process is not a smaller copy of the federal one — the deadlines, the notices and the collection tools differ.
Does it matter that the firm is licensed in Maryland?
For the IRS, no — federal representation works from any state. For the Comptroller it matters a great deal, because state collection is its own system with its own powers and deadlines. Bernice Hassan holds Maryland CPA license #0044210 and the state work is done in-house.
For the IRS it does not — federal representation works from any state. For the Comptroller it does. Bernice Hassan holds Maryland CPA license #0044210, the firm is in Columbia, and the state work is done in-house rather than referred out.
Do I have to be near Columbia?
No. Clients come from across the state — Baltimore City and County, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince George's, Frederick, Carroll and Harford, plus the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland. Almost all of it runs by phone, email and secure portal.
The office is in Columbia, in Howard County, and clients come from across the state — Baltimore City and County, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince George's, Frederick, Carroll and Harford, along with the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland. Almost all of it is done by phone, email and secure portal; the drive is optional.
If you are near the office, Columbia, Maryland has the address, parking and hours.
Questions people ask about this
Do you handle Maryland state tax debt, or only IRS?
Both, and that combination is the point. We deal with the Comptroller of Maryland directly on payment plans, penalty abatement and Offers in Compromise, alongside the federal case, rather than resolving one and leaving you to discover the other.
Why does it matter that the firm is licensed in Maryland?
For the state side it matters a great deal. Federal representation is portable, but state collection is its own system with its own powers and deadlines. Bernice Hassan holds Maryland CPA license #0044210 and the whole team works in-house from Columbia.
Can the state collect after the IRS is settled?
Yes, and it frequently does. A state balance has its own timeline and does not clear because the federal one has. That is why we quantify both at the start rather than treating the state as an afterthought.
More on the general FAQs page, or ask us directly on a free 15-minute call.
Get both balances measured before you settle either
If you owe the IRS and the Comptroller, resolving one without the other is not a resolution. The free review covers both.
Fifteen minutes with a licensed Maryland CPA, and an honest read on what each side actually requires.