Tax Planning for Small Businesses

Deborah Phillips, Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC

Deborah A. Phillips, CPA, MST, operates her own tax controversy practice where she specializes in partnership and S corporation tax law as well as IRS audits and procedures. Debbie has been very successful petitioning and resolving tax issues under the jurisdiction of the United State Tax Court. She is proficient in the Section 199A provisions and computations as well as all aspects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. She works with various CPA firms during tax season preparing all types of tax returns. In addition, she utilizes her forensic accounting skills for tax preparation of clients involved in potential IRS criminal prosecution. Debbie retired from the Large Business and International Division (LB&I) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where she was a Senior Manager in the Flow Through Issue Practice Group (IPG). The IPG specializes in S corporation and partnership tax issues for LB&I. Debbie worked for the IRS for over 32 years. She has extensive accounting and taxation knowledge of individual, corporate, and partnership federal tax returns. She was the Operations and Technical Assistant to the Deputy Commission International, the Technical Assistant to the Director of PFTG, a Territory Manager in the Retail, Food and Pharmaceuticals Industry, a Team Manager in the Heavy Manufacturing Industry, and the IRC Section 263A Technical Advisor. Debbie taught graduate and undergraduate courses in accounting and taxation as an adjunct faculty member at Delaware State University, Wilmington College, and Goldey-Beacom College. She has been a seminar presenter for approximately 20 years as well as a textbook author. In 2015 through 2018, she received the Surgent Outstanding Discussion Leader Award because of her consistently high evaluations for knowledge and presentation skills. Debbie earned her master’s degree in taxation from Widener University.