About Breedlove & Associates
How We Got Started
Breedlove & Associates was formed in 1992. The founders, Stephanie and Bill Breedlove, had hired a nanny to help care for their two young boys. After several frustrating quarters of trying to handle the nanny tax compliance process by themselves, they sought professional help. Despite countless hours of research, they were unable to find anyone who could handle the entire process of nanny payroll services – payroll, tax preparation and employment law guidance – with any level of expertise or efficiency. Not only did the base services cost a fortune, there were numerous mistakes and oversights that ended up costing them even more. To rub salt in the wound, every time they had a question about overtime or workers’ compensation or disability insurance or unemployment insurance or local income tax or anything else that household employers commonly face, they got a bill for consulting time. And half the time, the answer was in direct conflict with what they found on their own by reading Publication 926 and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Finally, they decided to quit their jobs at Andersen Consulting and Ernst & Young with a mission to expertly and efficiently handle the entire complex and time-consuming employee taxes process for busy families across the country – freeing them from tedious paperwork as well as financial and legal risk.
Since that day in 1992, Breedlove & Associates has served more than 15,000 families in all 50 states, processed more than $1.25 billion in household payroll, and become the go-to experts in this highly-specialized, exceedingly-nuanced segment of tax and labor law. As a result, hundreds of CPAs, financial planners, and household employment agencies confidently refer clients to us and regularly come to us for answers, advice and nanny payroll services.
Our Approach To Customer Service
In addition to having a deep and broad understanding of the tax code and labor law, we also pride ourselves on having an old-fashioned attitude toward customer service. We staff our firm with knowledgeable professionals who can instantly provide answers and advice so clients get what they need quickly and painlessly. Finally, we stand behind our work with guaranteed accuracy and timeliness.
When you hire Breedlove & Associates, you can rest assured that you'll be 100% compliant, your tax breaks will be maximized, and your paperwork will be eliminated.
About Our Team
We hire only college-educated professionals, typically with degrees in accounting or finance. In addition to intelligence, we look for professionals who are also conscientious and helpful. Those who make the cut go through a rigorous, month-long education program in which they become experts in all aspects of household employment tax law (federally and for each state) and labor law (federally and for each state).
Bottom Line: we know our clients are busy professionals with better things to do – so we want them to be able to pick up the phone when they have a question or problem and get prompt, professional resolution every single time.
We're very proud of our team. Every year we get several hundred notes from clients thanking us for extraordinary service which saved them thousands of dollars, helped them avoid a lawsuit or simply made their life easier. We love those notes. And each one reminds us how important it is to have a team of smart, friendly professionals.
Meet the Breedlove & Associates team:
Carolyn Casstevens 
Client Service
Team Member Since 2007
Carolyn is a senior member of our Client Service team. With her rare combination of expertise and friendliness, Carolyn seems to always find a way to exceed client expectations. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in Economics and Finance, Carolyn spends her free time enjoying the great outdoors.
Darin Mills 
Client Service
Team Member Since 2006
Darin is a senior member of our Client Service team. An experienced expert with outstanding attention to detail, Darin continually finds ways to make life easier for our clients. An Economics major from the University of Texas, Darin and his fiancé, Meleah, enjoy spending time on the lake or the golf course.
Desiree Widhalm 
Client Service
Team Member Since 2006
Desiree is a senior member of our Client Service team, supporting and advising families on all aspects of household employment tax and labor law. Her sunny disposition and deep knowledge of the law consistently draw rave reviews from clients. Desiree graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Economics. She and her fiancé, Seth, enjoy reading, exercising and wedding planning.
Eva Smith 
Client Service Director
Team Member Since 2003
Eva leads our Client Service team, the group of tax and labor law experts who are always available to support and advise clients on all matters related to household employment. The daughter of a Navy Seal commander, Eva is an outstanding problem-solver and communicator -- in English and Spanish -- and a zealot about customer service. She earned an International Business degree from the University of Texas. On weekends, Eva enjoys the great outdoors by day and live music by night.
Kerri Stahelin 
Operations Director
Team Member Since 2004
Kerri leads our Operations team, the behind-the-scenes specialists who handle all aspects of Payroll, Tax Preparation & Filing, Account Setups, Tax IDs, State Notices, Billing and Compliance on behalf of our clients. A famously hard-working, resourceful and organized high school salutatorian, Kerri gets things done quickly, efficiently and accurately. Not surprisingly, she graduated with honors from Stephen F. Austin State University with a business degree. When away from work, Kerri can usually be found on the lake or relaxing at area music and food festivals.
Kylie Neighbors 
Office Manager
Team Member Since 2009
Kylie is our Office Manager. Meticulous yet fun-loving, Kylie keeps our office running smoothly and happily. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in English. In her free time, Kylie can be found playing competitive volleyball or lounging by a large body of water.
Marisela Tamez 
Client Service
Team Member Since 2008
Mari (pronounced MAW-dee) is a key member of our Client Service team. A tax and labor law expert with an energetic, no-nonsense style, Mari excels in her role of supporting and advising clients. She earned a Marketing degree from the University of Texas. An avid runner, Mari knows every inch of the Lake Austin hike & bike trail.
Matt Swope 
New Employer Specialist
Team Member Since 2006
Matt leads the effort to provide education and counseling on this complex topic. Working tirelessly to assist families, employees, placement agencies and accountants, Matt has earned a reputation as a "truly helpful and highly-responsive expert." An avid cook with a warm, never-met-a-stranger personality, Matt graduated with a BBA in Management from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Melissa Perry 
Client Service
Team Member Since 2008
Melissa is a key member of our Client Service team. Meticulous and infectiously cheerful, Melissa graciously lends her expertise and support to families and their employees. Originally from Northern California, Melissa fell in love with Austin while earning a Marketing degree from the University of Texas. She enjoys scuba diving, running and playing with her boxer, Ajax.
Noah Webster 
IT Director
Team Member Since 2009
Noah heads up our IT department, making sure our business systems and our web-based client service portal are functioning flawlessly 24/7/365. An innovative problem-solver with a client service mindset, Noah leverages his vast understanding of technology as a tool to make life easier for our clients. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University with an undergraduate degree in Management and a masters degree in Management of Information Systems. When he has free time, Noah enjoys building water features.
Rachel Evans 
Payroll & Account Changes
Team Member Since 2007
Rachel manages all payroll and account changes on behalf of our clients and their household employees. A perfectionist with a relaxed, unassuming disposition, Rachel takes care of all the little details so our busy clients don't have to. A business graduate of the University of Texas, Rachel spends her weekends at the park with her maltese pup, Lillie.
T.J. Caballero 
Tax Returns
Team Member Since 2007
T.J. manages the preparation and filing of all federal, state and local tax returns. Exceptionally knowledgeable and efficient, T.J. ensures that all our clients can rest easy with guaranteed accuracy and timeliness of all their household employment tax filings. He earned an Economics degree from the University of Texas while marching in the Longhorn band. T.J. enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife and young daughter.
Valerie Vance 
Account Setups
Team Member Since 2009
Valerie runs our account setup function. A hard-working detail hawk, Valerie ensures that every new client gets up and running smoothly, efficiently and accurately -- transitioning all the work and worry of compliance from client to Breedlove & Associates while preempting potential problems down the road. After earning a business degree from the University of Texas, Valerie began her career in the investment world. When she's not working, she enjoys exercising, critiquing movies and jumping out of airplanes.
Stephanie Breedlove 
Co-Founder
Team Member Since 1992
Stephanie oversees the Operations and Client Service areas of Breedlove & Associates. Thorough, organized and insightful, Stephanie has remarkable business "vision" and the ability to clearly communicate it to others. After receiving a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas and an MBA with concentrations in tax and marketing from the University of Houston, she began her career as a financial analyst and consultant from Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). While in the middle of a thriving career, she employed a nanny for her young boys. The compliance experience illuminated a glaring need for families and ignited her entrepreneurial instincts. Working nights and weekends, she launched the company and became one of the country's foremost experts on tax and labor law for the household employment industry. When away from the office, Stephanie can usually be found at the ballpark or the high school supporting her two boys.
Bill Breedlove 
Co-Founder
Team Member Since 1992
Bill oversees the financial and systems aspects of the company. An affable, easy going guy with an amazing ability to solve ridiculously complex problems, Bill spent almost a decade as a financial analyst with Ernst & Young and Coors Brewing Company. In 1992, after hiring a nanny to care for his two young sons, Bill and his wife, Stephanie, formed Breedlove & Associates to help families comply with the myriad tax and labor laws -- without all the work, worry and expense they had encountered. He holds a masters degree in Finance from the University of Texas. Bill rarely leaves the office, but when he does, it means he needs to eat, sleep or watch one of his teenage boys play baseball.
Tom Breedlove 
Team Member Since 2005
Tom oversees the marketing and strategic partnership areas of the company. After a 20-year career in the marketing/strategic planning field, Tom joined the company to further our commitment to education and outreach. A keen listener and communicator, Tom focuses on understanding and addressing the wants/needs of families, employees, placement agencies and accountants -- passionately endorsing the view that delivering a consistently outstanding client experience is the root of successful marketing. Tom graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Finance and a minor in Accounting. After hours, Tom enjoys sports, playing guitar and raising three teenagers with his wife, Marilyn.
© 2007-2009 Breedlove & Associates, LLC
For comprehensive help with domestic employee payroll taxes (also called "Nanny Taxes") or assistance with our Nanny Payroll Calculator, call the experts in Nanny Payroll Services: Breedlove & Associates at 888-BREEDLOVE (273-3356).
