From the Kitchen Table, for Three Generations.

Since 1949, Thornton Tax & Financial Services has worked alongside business owners as a first-call resource and trusted advisor, not just a service provider.

Mary L. Stiefel

Mary L. Stiefel

A trailblazing EA and educator who helped shape the profession — and the family's purpose.

Harry Z. Stiefel

Harry Z. Stiefel

A pioneer in tax preparation and a steady guide for generations of clients.

Vicki Thornton

Vicki Thornton

The next generation, carrying forward the values of service, integrity, and hard work.

Brandon Thornton

Brandon Thornton

Licensed by the U.S. Treasury to represent clients before the IRS at every level.

It Started at a Kitchen Table

1949

It Started at a Kitchen Table

Brandon Thornton's grandfather, Harry Z. Stiefel, began the firm with a simple mission: provide honest, personal tax guidance to families and businesses.

1985

Built on family. Focused on clients.

From Harry to Mary to Vicki, our family has carried forward a commitment to integrity, learning, and community — meeting clients where they are and helping them move forward.

2026

Three generations later

The conference table has replaced the kitchen table, but the way we work hasn’t changed: careful, thorough, and always on our clients’ side.

What We Believe

Decades of doing this work have taught us a few things. These are the ones we keep coming back to.

The numbers should serve the decisions, not the other way around.

Books and returns are means, not ends. The point is knowing what to do next.

01

Most things are better handled before the deadline.

Strategy has more leverage than scrambling. We'd rather sit down with you in June than apologize in April.

02

Year after year, the actual product.

A single return can't tell you much. The work compounds when we're with you for the long run.

03

We're a resource first, a service provider second.

When you need a contractor, an attorney, or a wealth advisor, we still want to be your first call.

04

Sit at the table.

Across from the client, line by line, in plain language. That's how we've done this work from the beginning.

05
Explore Our Services

How We Work With DFW Business Owners

What that means for you:

We aren't a once-a-year service. We stay close to your numbers, your structure, and your decisions throughout the year, and we keep bookkeeping, tax preparation, and strategy connected so the picture holds together.

Most clients say the biggest shift is the calm of it. The numbers stop being something you brace yourself for, and start being something you can use.

When We're Not the Right Fit

We aren't built for every situation, and we'd rather say so than waste your time. We're not the right call if you:

Our work assumes you want bookkeeping, planning, and tax preparation coordinated across the year, with the same people every year.

What You Can Expect From Us

We try to leave as little to guesswork as possible. Above all, we act in your best interest first. Everything else flows from that.

You'll work with the same people year after year.

Your return is prepared by people who already know your business. You won't be reassigned to a different team next year, nor will you have to re-explain your structure every spring.

You'll hear back from us promptly.

Calls and emails are returned within 2 business days. During the busy season, we set expectations up front and stick to them.

Pricing is on a retainer.

Most engagements are billed monthly and cover bookkeeping, planning, and tax preparation together. Pricing scales with entity count and complexity. We quote a clear monthly figure during the Fit Assessment, before any work begins.

We reach out before you have to.

Mid-year planning conversations are scheduled by us, not requested by you. If something in your books or structure needs attention before year-end, you'll hear from us about it.

You'll know what's in scope and what isn't.

The engagement letter spells out exactly what we handle. If something falls outside the scope, we'll tell you before we start the work, not after.

Meet the Team Behind Thornton Financial

Enrolled agents licensed directly by the U.S. Treasury, with decades of combined experience serving business owners and high-income individuals. Every return is reviewed by a Licensed Professional to ensure all possible deductions are applied before submitting. Our EAs exceed the continuing-education requirements set by the IRS. 

Brandon Thornton, EA, Partner

Brandon Thornton

EA, Partner

Brandon returned to the family practice in 2015 after a career in oil and gas, drawn back when two close family friends, both clients, passed without continuity plans for their businesses. He leads tax strategy and the firm’s family-office work, and is licensed by the U.S. Treasury to represent clients before the IRS at every level.

Vicki Thornton
Vicki Thornton
Meagan Urbanek, Director of Operations
Meagan Urbanek
Director of Operations
Nick Springer, Tax Advisor
Nick Springer
Tax Advisor
Riley Wood, Tax Advisor
Riley Wood
Tax Advisor
Ellen Hancock
Administration

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If you’re looking for a more coordinated approach to your finances, the next step is finding out whether we’re the right fit.

Tax professional running numbers on a calculator