About Kelly

Kelly Phillips Erb

Kelly Erb Photo

I'm a tax attorney, writer, and speaker based in Paoli, Pennsylvania — and you may know me online as Taxgirl, a name I've been writing and practicing under for more than 20 years.

I've been practicing tax law at Erblaw since 2000, advising individuals, families, and businesses on tax, estate, and trust matters. My practice includes estate and tax planning as well as tax controversy, with experience in both domestic and international tax issues.

Most of my clients aren't trying to do something wrong. They're trying to do the right thing and got stuck. I help them figure out what to do next — whether that means dealing with a delinquency, responding to an audit, sorting out a complicated tax issue, or finding a path forward with the IRS.

But not all tax work starts with a problem. I also help individuals and families plan ahead, from preparing wills and trusts to thinking through estate, gift, and tax planning and the consequences of major life and financial decisions. Sometimes the best tax problem is the one you can avoid in the first place.

I'm also a longtime tax writer. Today, I cover tax news, policy, law, and tax and financial crime at Taxgirl.com and through my Taxgirl newsletter. Previously, I was a senior writer at Forbes and a staff writer and Insights & Commentary Team Lead at Bloomberg Tax. My work and commentary have appeared on CNN Money, NPR's Marketplace, the BBC, Time, Esquire, Martha Stewart Living, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, among others.

I speak regularly on tax and legal topics at conferences and other events and present continuing education programs that qualify for CLE and CPE credit. My goal is the same whether I'm talking to tax and legal professionals or a broader audience: to make complicated topics accessible without dumbing them down.

Giving back has also been an important part of my work. I've volunteered through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, including traveling to rural Alaska to prepare tax returns at no cost for local residents. Today, I volunteer with Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

My work has been recognized by the International Tax Review's Global Tax 50, the Bloomberg Tax Beltz Award for Editorial Excellence, the Philadelphia Business Journal's "40 Under 40," Main Line Today's "Power Women," the Pennsylvania Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Practice Section Award, and the National Association of Enrolled Agents' Outstanding Supporter of Enrolled Agents award.

I hold a J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University School of Law and am admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Tax Court.

Outside of work, I'm a mom of three, as well as a traveler, reader, sports fan, and enthusiastic plant collector — usually with coffee somewhere nearby.

Find me online:

Twitter: twitter.com/taxgirl

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taxgirl

Facebook: Facebook.com/taxgirl

Instagram: instagram.com/therealtaxgirl

BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/taxgirl.bsky.social

Threads: threads.com/@therealtaxgirl

Ready to work together?

Let's talk. Send me a message and tell me what's going on.

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