Steve Lauer has a vast amount of experience working in the practice areas of trusts and estates, with a concentration in taxation.  Prior to joining Marshall Melhorn, he spent over 33 years as an Estate Tax Attorney with the Internal Revenue Service in Toledo. 

During his career in the public sector, Steve was given the assignment of examining numerous Federal Estate Tax returns filed by estates in a 20-county area in northwestern Ohio.  He also examined Federal Gift Tax returns and Fiduciary Income Tax returns filed by individuals, estates and trusts.  Fiduciary Income tax returns are returns filed by estates and trusts, and only a small number of tax practitioners become expert in the requirements for these returns. 

In examining these returns Steve was able to sort through many complex issues and eventually reach agreements on correct final tax liabilities with almost all of the taxpayers that he dealt with.   His willingness to listen carefully to taxpayer positions and apply pragmatic solutions to tax problems resulted in excellent outcomes for both the government and individuals taxpayers. 

Steve’s other major duty while with the Internal Revenue Service was to give presentations throughout northwestern Ohio to attorneys, accountants and other professionals about the always complex Federal tax laws.  In doing this over 30-plus years Steve informed tax practitioners about the numerous changes in the tax laws as they were enacted, and gave them detailed tips about how to help their clients work within the tax system in an efficient and timely manner.  As part of this public outreach Steve always made himself fully accessible to practitioners and individual taxpayers by phone, e-mail or regular mail, and in doing so he answered a great many individual specific questions that helped taxpayers to prepare their tax returns in the best manner possible.