Services

Businesses of all shapes and sizes depend on accurate, insightful financial information to manage their day-to-day operations, capitalize on opportunities, and sustain profitability. We lend our expert support to meet your accounting needs so that you can focus your time and energy on building a strong business.

Bookkeeping

We’ll create and maintain a chart of accounts to capture all of your financial transactions, provide the right information to manage your business, and prepare federal, state, and local tax returns. Through periodic internal audits, we’ll identify and resolve discrepancies (e.g., double billings, unrecorded payments) to ensure that you have a complete and accurate picture of your financial position.

Bank Reconciliation

While a clean set of “books” is a key objective for every accountant, it’s also important to match the accounting records with the monthly bank statements. Our bank reconciliation services ensure that every deposit and withdrawal aligns with entries into your accounting records. This assessment enables us to identify lost deposits, lost checks, unauthorized transactions, and inappropriate bank fees. It triggers investigation into any fraudulent activity (identity theft, forgery, embezzlement, etc.), and expedites restitution. And it gives you a clearer picture of your cash position for addressing planned outlays and investments.

Financial Statement Preparation

We can prepare a complete set of financial statements to help you assess the health of your business. This package includes:

A Balance Sheet that gives you a snapshot of your overall financial condition at month, quarter, and/or year end
An Income Statement (a.k.a. Profit and Loss Statement) that summarizes revenues, expenses, and net profits so you can assess the operating performance of your business
A Comparison of Actual Performance to Budget so you can identify trouble spots in your revenue stream or spending patterns
A Cash Flow Statement that shows how changes in your Balance Sheet and Income Statement affect your available cash
Estimated tax liabilities

Our analysis of your financial statements helps you frame strategic initiatives (e.g., business expansion, acquisition) as well as tactical plans (e.g., accounts receivable and accounts payable management). Professionally prepared financial statements are also an essential resource when dealing with creditors (e.g., vendors, banks) and investors.

Individual Consultation

When you use our professional accounting services, you get more than a collection of records and reports. You get the benefit of our skills, experience, and expertise. We’re happy to invest the time to make sure that you understand and utilize all of the information we provide. Call us whenever you have a question or concern.

Tax law is a complicated affair that changes with each season. Through rigorous professional training and routine participation in industry briefings, we sustain mastery of the current tax law, complex tax code, and new tax regulations. This discipline enables us to offer a full range of tax planning, preparation, and support services.

Tax Preparation

Are you anxious about filing your on tax returns? Even a simple return may require multiple forms. The instructions often evoke more questions than answers. While a computer software program may help, there’s no substitute for the quality of service and advice you’ll receive from an experienced tax professional.

Here are a few of the benefits you’ll reap when using our service:

We’ll prepare all of the appropriate forms and record all figures and calculations accurately.
We’ll make sure that you receive all of the deductions and credits to which you are entitled.
We’ll file your return electronically to speed delivery of refunds.
We’ll work with you to adjust your payroll withholding to make sure you send the right amount to each tax authority – no more, no less.
We’ll show you how to adjust your finances to take advantage of tax benefits on future returns.

Are you a sole proprietor? Have you been so focused on your business that you haven’t paid close attention to your books? No worries! We'll tidy things up and prepare your Schedule C as part of your personal income tax return. Then we'll help you set up an easy system to keep your books current going forward.

Tax Planning

Proactive planning is the key to minimizing your tax liability. We work with businesses and individuals to pay the least amount of tax required by law. A few of the strategies that we consider include:

Splitting income among several family members or legal entities to take advantage of lower income tax brackets
Shifting income or expenses from one year to another when it can yield a lower tax rate
Deferring or eliminating tax liability through use of tax-advantaged investment vehicles
Tracking all expenses eligible for itemized deduction
Taking advantage of tax credits

Your unique circumstances will determine the strategies that we can employ to maximize the money you keep in your pocket.

IRS Audit Representation

If you have been selected for an IRS audit, professional representation can set your mind at ease. We’ll take the lead in dealing with the tax authorities based on our familiarity with their procedures and our intimate knowledge of the tax code. We’ll make sure that you don’t get an unpleasant and unwarranted surprise at the end of the process.

Tax Problems

Even if you have not been targeted for an IRS Audit, you may be aware of problems that will catch up with you eventually. Common examples include:

Missed tax filings for one or more years
Insufficient funds to pay the tax liability when due
Failure to remit payroll taxes

We’ll work with you to review your prior tax years and make sure that all of your tax filings have been submitted accurately. If you don’t know what’s included in your tax record, we’ll help you get copies from the tax authorities without raising any “red flags.” We’ll assess your tax liability and the associated interest and penalties. Then, we’ll work with you on an approach to negotiation. For example:

You may be able to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount owed if the tax authority deems your offer to be the most they might collect within a reasonable time period. This arrangement is referred to as an Offer In Compromise.
We could work with the tax authority on a Payment Plan to resolve your debt. This approach protects you from asset seizure to settle your obligations. It may be possible to secure relief on penalties and/or compound interest.
The IRS provides Innocent Spouse Relief when for an aggrieved party when his or her spouse or former spouse failed to report income, reported income improperly, or claimed improper deductions or credit.
If your circumstances do not lend themselves to a negotiated settlement, then it may be necessary to seek protection through a Bankruptcy filing.

It is far better to face your problems than to wait for them to land on your doorstep. We’re here to help in any way we can.

We offer value added services that help you structure and manage your business to its best advantage. We help new businesses get off the ground and provide objective assessments of existing ones. We help you establish policies and procedures to protect vital assets and perform audits to ensure the integrity of your records. You reap the benefit of increased efficiency, control, and insight.

New Business Formation

Are you thinking of joining the ranks of small business owners? Along with a great idea and strong sense of the market you’ll serve, you’ll need a business and financial advisor who can help your dream take flight while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.

We can help you:

Develop or refine your business plan with the associated pro forma financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow) and budget
Select a business structure that suits your needs by considering tax advantages, legal exposure, ease of operation, and portability
Develop partnership agreements, as needed, to avoid financial and/or emotional trauma downstream
Prepare and file all required state and local licenses and permits.
Make application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.
Identify start-up capital needs and available resources to address them
Examine your borrowing power and provide coaching on how to cultivate a mutually beneficial banking relationship
Identify your business insurance needs
Select the right accounting software and establish the appropriate chart of accounts
Establish billing and collection procedures to maximize your cash flow
Establish procedures to monitor and control costs
Provide payroll and payroll tax filing when and if you hire employees

We’re eager to get your business off to a good start.

Compilations

A compilation presents client-supplied data in financial statement format. No assurance is provided by the accountant as no testing, inquiry, or analytical procedures are performed. This service typically serves an internal audience.

It’s easy to get caught up in all of the activities and responsibilities of our day-to-day lives. And yet we need to think about the future, especially with respect to our financial well-being. For a modest investment of your time to help us get to know you and the life you want to create, we’ll help you craft a financial roadmap to meet your obligations, manage risk, and build wealth.

Retirement Planning

Most of us look forward to the day when we have the means to bid farewell to our current occupations and explore new horizons. We can help you create a plan to attain financial independence and enjoy a comfortable retirement. This plan will consider your financial needs, your projected assets and income sources, tax treatments, and strategies to address projected shortfalls.

College Planning

Whether higher education is right around the corner or years away, we’ll work with you to estimate the required resources, explore available options for funding, and develop a suitable savings plan.

Estate Planning

A well-conceived estate plan provides security for loved ones and an orderly succession of ownership for business interests. We’ll help you think through the disposition of your assets to address your preferences and concerns while steering clear of needless complication and tax liability.

Small Business Accounting