SC&H Group, a leading audit, tax, and consulting firm, announced that Karen T. Syrylo, CPA, has joined the Firm as a Principal in its State & Local Tax practice.
With more than 30 years of multistate tax consulting experience, Syrylo will help expand SC&H Group’s services in state income and franchise tax, sales and use tax, and other areas. In addition to serving clients, she will contribute to the firm’s presence as a thought leader in the state and local tax arena through her continued writing and speaking engagements.
“We are excited to add such an accomplished and renowned expert in multistate tax to the team,” said Todd Workman, Managing Director of SC&H Group’s robust State and Local Tax division, which consists of nearly 90 professionals, serving companies across the Country. “Karen’s depth of experience and unrelenting passion for state and local tax make her a natural fit among an already extremely talented group.”
Throughout her career, Syrylo has been at the forefront of leading state and local tax issues, including the identification and development of the constitutional issues that were recently and successfully argued before the Maryland Court of Appeals on behalf of the taxpayer in the Wynne v. Comptroller case. She has advised numerous clients in a wide variety of industries on matters of multistate tax planning and analysis, as well as state and local tax audit defense and appeals.
Syrylo has also played significant roles in the crafting of tax policy and legislation – whether by serving on legislative commissions such as the Business Tax Reform Commission or by assisting the Maryland Chamber of Commerce in informing legislators on implementation issues of proposed tax legislation. In this latter role, Kathy Snyder, President of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, has called Syrylo “the CPA who speaks English.”
A tireless business advocate and educator, Syrylo’s voice has influenced legislative and administrative issues that have shaped the local tax landscape today, including Maryland’s repealed “tech tax,” combined reporting, and changes to the estate tax. Syrylo is also highly respected as a thought leader in tax administration, which has led to many longstanding professional relationships with the region’s top tax administrators. In addition, she was instrumental as one of the originators of the multistate tax day curriculum, which is a major component of the Advanced Tax Institute, held annually by the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) and the Maryland Bar Association.
Recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Maryland Daily Record, Syrylo has been active in many organizations including the Council on State Taxation, Tax Executive Institute, and the MACPA where she is a current member and past chair of the MACPA State Tax Committee. She also serves as the State Tax Policy Consultant for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce where she works on the Chamber’s legislative and educational efforts on tax and fiscal matters. Syrylo is active in the community as a Board member and volunteer teacher for Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. Additionally, she is a long-time member of an advisory committee for Baltimore County Public Schools. Syrylo is a graduate of Loyola University in Maryland.
About SC&H Group
SC&H Group is an audit, tax, and consulting firm applying “expertise that works” to minimize risk and maximize value. SC&H Group’s practices advise leading companies from emerging businesses to the Fortune 500 on accounting, tax, profitability and strategy solutions. Clients in all states and worldwide benefit from SC&H Group’s commitment to delivering powerful minds, passionate teams, and proven results on each and every engagement.
