Tax Attorney Edgar A. Darden
About Edgar A. Darden
Tax Attorney Edgar Alan Darden brings more than 30 years of experience in tax law, general legal practice, accounting, and finance. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, one of the nation’s most prestigious and historically top-ranked law schools, Mr. Darden built upon his legal education with experience at two of the world’s leading public accounting firms: Arthur Andersen and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This combination of legal, tax, accounting, and financial experience provides Mr. Darden with a multidisciplinary perspective, enabling him to evaluate complex tax and business matters from both a legal and financial standpoint.
TaxAttorney Edgar A. Darden
Saved a Client Over $760,000 in Past due Tax.
Amended
2004 Form 1120-S (Subchapter S Corporation),
2004 Form 1040 (Individual Income Tax Return),
2003 Form 1040
Prepared
Form 1045 (Net Operating Loss Carry back and Application for Tentative Refund)
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE
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Tax ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP
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DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE ▶︎ Tax ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP ▶︎
Mr. Darden’s Georgetown law degrees include a Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.-Taxation). This degree adds another year of specialized tax law expertise on top of the prestigious Georgetown Law Center’s Juris Doctorate (JD) degree. Georgetown’s Tax Law program was ranked among the nation's very best during his time at Georgetown, including #3 nationally in 1996 and #2 nationally in 1998 by U.S. News & World Report.
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE
▶︎
Tax ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP
▶︎
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE ▶︎ Tax ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP ▶︎
Mr. Darden specialized in high-net-worth individuals and international tax law.
At PricewaterhouseCoopers
At Arthur Andersen, LLP
One of the Big Six accounting firms at the time, Mr. Darden applied his tax law expertise to consolidated corporate tax returns, multi-tiered partnerships, and LLC structures. He also spent significant time on international tax law issues and international income tax treaties with numerous countries around the world.
Mr. Darden focused on tax planning for mega corporations, including tax products and systems that saved conglomerates millions of tax dollars.
At WTAS
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE
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ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP
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DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE ▶︎ ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP ▶︎
Following his work with Arthur Andersen, then one of the world’s leading public accounting firms, Mr. Darden established his own tax law practice, The Darden Law Group, LLC. During the firm’s early development, he also taught golf in the Washington, D.C. area—an unexpected setting that proved particularly effective for building professional relationships and attracting some of the firm’s first tax and legal clients.
ZKD, Inc.
Not long after establishing Darden Law Group, Mr. Darden expanded his experience beyond professional advisory services and into business ownership, executive management, and corporate finance. One of the firm’s tax and legal clients, ZKD, Inc., presented an opportunity that Mr. Darden believed had substantial growth potential. In 2022, he accepted an invitation to join the company as an owner, Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer.
Applying his background in tax law, accounting, finance, business planning, and legal advisory services, Mr. Darden became part of the leadership of a rapidly expanding enterprise. During this period, ZKD, Inc. grew from approximately $70,000 in annual gross revenue to approximately $24 million in annual gross revenue within two years.
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As ZKD, Inc. expanded, Mr. Darden assumed broad responsibility for the company’s financial, accounting, tax, legal, and strategic operations. He evaluated the company’s operations, policies, procedures, and financial systems to identify weaknesses and opportunities for improvement, and then recommended and implemented accounting procedures and internal controls designed to improve efficiency, financial accountability, and the overall value of the business.
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As a Chief Financial Officer of ZKD,Inc, Mr. Darden oversaw the company’s internal and external financial reporting and tax compliance, while supervising key accounting functions including the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, purchasing, and capital budgeting. He also directed the selection, implementation, maintenance, and modernization of accounting systems as the company's financial and operational requirements became increasingly sophisticated.
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Mr. Darden managed the company’s accounting and financial personnel, including its controller, accounting manager, accounts payable personnel, and other accounting staff. His responsibilities required more than technical accounting knowledge. They called for organization, communication, problem-solving, and the ability to translate financial information into practical business decisions—skills that remain central to his approach when advising tax and business clients today.
4
In addition to his responsibilities as CFO, Mr. Darden participated in strategic financial planning and the development and implementation of the company's broader business strategy. Drawing upon his legal background, he also served as general counsel and legal advisor during ZKD, Inc.’s start-up and growth period, allowing him to address business decisions from the combined perspectives of law, taxation, accounting, finance, and corporate management.
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Mr. Darden’s involvement ultimately extended through the company's successful exit. On September 30, 2005, he helped execute the sale of ZKD, Inc., completing a professional experience that encompassed the progression of business from an emerging enterprise through rapid growth, increasingly sophisticated financial operations, and ultimately a completed sale.
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That experience continues to shape Mr. Darden’s approach to tax representation, planning, and consulting. He understands that behind a tax return is often a much larger financial picture. By combining tax law, accounting, finance, legal analysis, and firsthand executive experience, Mr. Darden is able to help clients evaluate tax issues not merely as isolated compliance matters, but as part of their broader business and financial objectives.
Tax Attorney Edgar A. Darden
Saved a Corporate Client From Bankruptcy.
Negotiated settlement agreement with IRS Revenue Officer regarding past due employment taxes in excess of $2,000,000.
California
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE
▶︎
ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP
▶︎
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE ▶︎ ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP ▶︎
As Mr. Darden continued to expand his legal and tax practice, he relocated to California, where his experience increasingly involved complex matters at the intersection of taxation, law, finance, business operations, and corporate restructuring. Among these engagements, he agreed to represent a distressed association that owned and operated a hotel and whose Board of Directors had elected to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
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Initially serving the association through Darden Law Group as a general legal and tax client, Mr. Darden developed a detailed understanding of the organization, its financial condition, and the challenges confronting the property. The association subsequently recruited him to join its Board of Directors, and he was elected as a director. His responsibilities ultimately expanded considerably, and at various stages he served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President, Chief Restructuring Officer, head of the association’s legal department, and member of the Board of Directors.
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In these roles, Mr. Darden gained substantial firsthand experience managing a financially distressed organization with millions of dollars in assets and liabilities. He participated in high-level financial, legal, tax, and operational decision-making while helping guide the association through its Chapter 11 restructuring and the court-supervised auction and sale of its hotel property under the Bankruptcy Code. The engagement required the coordinated consideration of creditor claims, corporate obligations, financial resources, legal requirements, and the competing interests inherent in a complex restructuring.
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Following the disposition of the hotel and resolution of creditor matters, Mr. Darden helped bring the organization’s affairs to an orderly conclusion. He prepared the association’s Articles of Dissolution and participated in winding up its remaining affairs in preparation for final state termination and dissolution. Throughout this demanding engagement, Mr. Darden simultaneously continued representing other Darden Law Group clients in tax and related legal matters.
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE
▶︎
ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP
▶︎
DO NOT FACE THE IRS ALONE ▶︎ ATTORNEY EDGAR A. DARDEN IS HERE TO HELP ▶︎
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Over the years, Mr. Darden’s practice has also allowed him to work closely with entrepreneurs and growing businesses as their tax, financial, and organizational needs became increasingly complex. He has advised clients through periods of expansion, including the formation and acquisition of additional business entities and the development of increasingly sophisticated corporate structures.
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One Darden Law Group client, for example, progressed from start-up losses to more than $20 million in annual revenue, ultimately developing a business organization encompassing more than 20 affiliated companies. The resulting multi-tiered structure includes holding companies and business operations across multiple states. Advising businesses through this type of growth provides practical insight into the tax and financial issues that can arise as a relatively small enterprise develops into a complex, multi-entity organization.
This experience gave Mr. Darden something particularly valuable when advising business clients: the perspective of both a professional advisor and a business owner and executive. He understands that tax decisions do not occur in isolation. They are often inseparable from a company's operations, financing, growth strategy, legal obligations, cash flow, and long-term objectives.
Today,
That combination of tax, legal, accounting, financial, and real-world business experience informs the practical, multidisciplinary approach Mr. Darden brings to clients of :
ES-Tax Solutions.
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These experiences contribute directly to the perspective Mr. Darden brings to tax clients today. Whether a client is starting a business, expanding into new entities or states, restructuring existing operations, confronting financial distress, or planning for the next stage of growth, Mr. Darden approaches tax issues within the context of the client's broader financial and business objectives. His background enables him to see beyond an individual tax return or transaction and consider how tax law, accounting, finance, legal structure, and business strategy interact in the real world.
Attorney Edgar A. Darden
Helped a Client Secure Refinancing and Reduce his Tax Lability by $600,000.
Negotiated and prepared IRS subordination agreement (IRS Publication 1153)
Education & Professional Licenses
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Education & Professional Licenses -
Georgetown University Law Center,Washington, DC.
Juris Doctorate, JD, May 1994.
A Juris Doctor (JD) is the main professional law degree in the United States. It is the degree people typically earn before becoming lawyers or attorneys and after They have earned Bachelor Degree. ⚖️
LL.M. -Taxation, Masters of Laws in Taxation, May 1996 .
This is an advanced postgraduate law degree specializing in tax law. In the United States, it is generally pursued after earning a J.D. and is particularly valuable for attorneys whose practices substantially involve federal taxation.
The emphasis is on legal analysis of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, judicial decisions, IRS administrative guidance, and transactional tax planning, rather than simply learning how to prepare tax returns.
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Double Major:
Bachelor of Science, BS, – Accounting 1990.
Included subjects such as financial accounting, intermediate accounting, auditing, taxation, cost/managerial accounting, accounting information systems, and advanced accounting.
Bachelor of Science, BS,– Finance 1991.
The Finance degree included corporate finance, investments, financial markets, portfolio management, financial analysis, risk management, derivatives and international finance.
Both degrees also included economics, statistics, business law, management, information systems, etc., among other subjects.
Maryland State Bar
Admitted to the Maryland Bar Authority to practice law under Maryland licensure.
United States Tax Court
Admitted to Practice, United States Tax Court.
Member, Bar of the United States Tax Court
Authority to practice before the United States Tax Court
The United States Tax Court is a federal court specializing primarily in disputes between taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service.
IRS Certified Enrolled Agent
Being an Enrolled Agent (EA) means that Attorney Edgar A. Darden is a certified tax professional who has been federally authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury/IRS to practice before the IRS.
The EA status is substantially different from merely being a paid tax return preparer. An EA generally obtains enrollment by passing the IRS Special Enrollment Examination covering individual taxation, business taxation, and representation/practice/procedure, or through qualifying former IRS experience. Once enrolled and in good standing, an EA generally has unlimited practice rights before the IRS, meaning the EA can represent taxpayers concerning matters such as examinations, collections, and appeals, subject to the rules governing practice before the IRS. The EA practice is governed principally by Treasury Department Circular No. 230
California Certificate of Tax Education Consultant (CTEC)
Attorney Edgar A. Darden is a CTEC Registered Tax Preparer (CRTP), The (CTEC) is the State of California’s required credential to prepare federal and California income tax returns in California.
Professional Experience
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Professional Experience -
1
ES-Tax Solutions, Corp, Tax Attorney, Owner, 06/2024 -Present Maryland, California, Remote (Nation Wide).
2
Darden Law Group, LLC, Tax Attorney, Owner 10/2005-Present. Washington DC and Maryland, Remote (Nation Wide)
- Prepare simple to complex tax returns for individuals and small businesses.
- Represent clients undergoing IRS tax audits.
- Represent clients at Collection Due Process (CDP) Hearings
- Draft Revenue Ruling Requests and Collection Action Appeals (CAPs).
- Negotiate settlements between IRS and clients.
- Prepare international and non-resident tax returns.
- Perform corporate, partnership, LLC, and individual tax planning, research, and compliance.
- Advise and counsel start-up and small businesses.
3
Price water houseCoopers, LLP, Tax Manager Consultant 01/2008 – 04/2008. ( Tyson’s Corner, VA).
- Prepared tax returns for high net worth individuals
- Drafted legal memos regarding mergers and acquisitions, including excess loss accounts, phantom income and disregarded entities
- Performed tax law research and writing using BNA, Checkpoint, Lexus and CCH research software
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WTAS, Inc., Tax Manager Consultant 08/2007 – 12/2007 (Tyson’s Corner, VA )
- Drafted tax law memos regarding:
- Mergers and acquisitions including IRC Sections 368, 361, and FAS 109,
- Debt/equity classification and ratios,
- International tax issues defining “Permanent Establishment”, and
- IRC section 163(j) interest issues
- Researched international tax law treaties and applied treaty provisions to client issues.
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ZKD, Inc., Vice President and Chief Financial officer (CFO) 10/2002 – 10/2005 (Arlington, VA)
- Owned ZKD, Inc., which grew from $70,000 in revenue to $24 million in revenue in three years, Created accounting department and company infrastructure at start-up.
- Identified, recommended and implemented accounting and internal control improvements to executive management based on analysis of company operations, policies and procedures.
- Applied solid organization, communication and problem-solving skills to increase the efficiency of the company and its overall value.
- Managed internal and external financial statements, and tax returns. Supervised general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, purchasing, capital budgeting, and accounting software selection, maintenance, and modernization.
- Managed accounting staff, including controller, accounting manager, accounts payable clerk, and. various accounting clerks.
- Led strategic planning regarding financial strategy and implementation Performed duties of general counsel and legal advisor throughout ZKD, Inc.’s start-up period.
- Executed sale of ZKD, Inc. on September 30, 2005