Not-for-Profit National Industry Team
Stephen J. Kelin, CPA, JD
Nonprofit Specialist
Steve Kelin, CPA, J.D., joined Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman in Bethesda, Md. as a principal in September 2003. Prior to this, he worked for KPMG LLP for nearly three decades, providing extensive tax and consulting services to a wide range of tax-exempt organizations. Kelin was a partner with KPMG for 19 years and managed the firm's Mid-Atlantic Tax-Exempt practice for 10 years. While with KPMG, he was instrumental in the formation of a nationwide network of tax professionals focused on serving exempt organizations.
As partner-in-charge of KPMG's Mid-Atlantic Exempt Organization tax practice, Kelin coordinated all tax planning, return preparation, participation in IRS appellate conferences and preparation of ruling requests from the IRS for more than 400 clients. His clients have included well-known public charities, universities, private foundations, trade associations, healthcare providers and labor unions. He has been a frequent speaker to industry groups on new developments affecting tax-exempt organizations.
Throughout his career, Kelin has applied his unique knowledge and expertise of tax-exempt issues to a diverse nonprofit client base. His client responsibilities have included consulting with many large national and international nonprofit organizations with complex tax planning needs and advising clients on the risks and benefits of exempt status. His experience includes advising clients on many of the special regulations affecting nonprofits, such as lobbying and political activity restrictions, intermediate sanctions, unrelated business activities and cost allocation and charitable giving rules.
In addition to helping clients develop and implement tax strategies, Kelin also assists clients with tax filings necessary to comply with local, state, federal and international tax requirements. Finally, he actively monitors the changing statutory and regulatory environments concerning reporting and operational requirements to assist them in managing risks and taking maximum advantage of the benefits of tax-exempt status.
Kelin is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Bar Association. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from George Washington University and his J.D. from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
