About the Owner 253-638-3063
I have been a licensed Certified Public Accountant for 20 years and a Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor. Throughout my 20 year career I have helped thousands of businesses and individuals save money. My accounting, tax and audit background is very diverse which allows me to look at accounting through many different angles.
Ø I’ve worked from the bottom up. I gained real working knowledge of payroll, AP, AR, billing, financial statements, monthly bank reconciliations and financial statements as accounting supervisor and assistant controller.
Ø As a small business owner, I know the day-to-day challenges a small business faces.
Ø My auditing background helps me identify potential areas of concern and prepare accurate financial statements with note disclosures.
Ø Most importantly, because of my extensive tax background and over 800 hours of continuing education, I know what issues apply to certain clients and know when to research various areas. We are not expected to know every single law, state and federal, but we are expected to know that an issue exists and know where and how to research and interpret the law – and that is the value a CPA brings to you.
My personal philosophy is to provide high quality workmanship and great customer service; and if there are certain areas that should have been done differently, then I will advise you to that fact and help to resolve the issue.
For my specific background, follow this link: Background.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What is a C.P.A.? A licensed C.P.A. is required to be reliable and trustworthy; required to maintain high ethical standards and we have oversight boards on both the federal and state levels. We are required to use due diligence, be independent, use prudent judgment, be objective, be completely confidential, and required to be competent. In short, you can trust a CPA with your financial information.
Competence is obtained through an extensive 2 day rigorous examination that few people pass the first time. Continuing education requirements are 120 hours every three years including an ethics course every three years. Over my 20 years I have taken well over 800 hours of continuing education.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is a Quickbooks Pro Advisor? QuickBooks experts—they’ve completed a comprehensive QuickBooks training course and exam in order to become certified. They can get you started on the right foot, aiding in set-up, training and troubleshooting. A Quickbooks ProAdvisor understands many different options that can be used to capture the data you need to understand that makes your business profitable, and when they should be used. The advisor knows how to correct situations that can easily occur by both nonaccountants and accountants alike.
It is much less costly to have things set up the right way in the beginning before the numbers get too out of control. Once out of control, you don’t know where you stand; you can’t make informed business decisions.
There are easy solutions that can make your business change from merely keeping your head above water & not knowing where you stand – to taking charge over your goals and exceeding them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Want to get more money back?
I offer a FREE review of prior returns that typically result in huge savings - not only to amend - but to keep your tax savings high in the future by preparing your taxes (income taxes and business taxes) the right way the first time.
Note: I use the term tax preparer - a tax preparer could be a CPA, accountant or bookkeeper.
Bookkeepers and Tax Preparers are not required to have ANY minimim education standards (except CPAs and degreed accountants). The only thing required of bookkeepers and tax preparers is a shingle outside their door. There is no accountability; no oversight. As discussed above, a licensed CPA is held accountable in all things done.
Tax Preparers with significant errors may signal to the IRS that they should audit ALL of that tax preparer's clients.
Why is better to have one person prepare both bookkeeping and taxes?
1. When a client hands the tax preparer a summary sheet, such as a P&L, that is what the tax preparer goes by. It may not be correct and the preparer would never know otherwise. There are many different ways to enter things into your P&L and many times there are questions that are never resolved prior to giving the summary to the tax preparer. Knowledge only the bookkeeper has won't be missed by the tax preparer.
2. If the bookkeepr is a tax preparer, they can watch and code things things during the year - possibly taking different approaches to recording transactions if they really know their tax info.
3. Ongoing tax consultation and advise can occur before year-end. In 99% of most cases it is often too late to do anything by the time you come to your tax preparer and your tax preparer can only do damage control.
What is my background and experience so important?
1. Every business and every family have their own little differences. Every situation is unique and changes year to year. It is the tax preparers job to know what potential issues exist and research & resolve them in the most cost effective tax savings producing manner possible. Not only do I have over 800 hours of continuing education and 20 years of experience in researching & providing solutions but through experience I have learned from my own mistakes and mistakes of others & I have learned from others - seeing what solutions were applied to various situtions. The federal laws, state laws and local laws are vast and interpretation of them is key. No one can be expected to know everything, but if you have enough experience and education you know when a potential problem might occur and take steps to proactively correct the situation. Likewise you can more readily identify situations where tax saving solutions can be utilized.
2. There are many ways to prepare a tax return. According to the IRS, everything is income unless specifically allowed as a deduction. That is why the law is so complex. You can prepare a return and not take as many deductions as would otherwise be taken - and it would not be wrong. Or, you can structure things to provide for current savings and future savings. Wouldn't you rather be in the hands of someone with that experience and knowledge?
3. You may think everything is fine because you haven't gotten any penalties and used the same bookkeeper for years. But laws constantly change and not every bookkeeper takes continuing education, nor in all things. There could be changes in payroll tax law that go unnoticed for years. Such was the case when I recently went to an Employment Security Seminar. I found a rule change that not one CPA or bookkeeper knew about; one that could have a substantial affect on tax savings. It is not wrong to pay more to the government than you have to, but who wants to do that!
4. I am a small business such as yourself. I know what laws affect you and all the other varied and asundry items that small businesses face on a day to day basis. I have been to small business seminars and know the value of a good business plan.
REASONS WHY A CPA MIGHT NOT GET YOU THE MOST TAX SAVINGS:
1. Experience. If you don't have that experience you are not going to see the potential tax savings nor apply it. Or perhaps they have always been working in a large CPA firm without any "real hands on" experience. It is difficult to know the potential issues if you have never walked in the client's shoes.
2. CPAs get too busy or clients never return answers so oftentimes they make assumptions; either assuming nothing has changed or they change numbers slightly for possible changes or they just don't take the deduction at all. It is much easier to assume nothing has changed rather than asked the client. The CPAs' rationale is that if an audit should occur then the area that they underdeducted will help offset things the IRS finds objectionable.
3. A CPA is not a mindreader. The output is only going to be as good as the input they receive. Incomplete data in is usually not going to result in taking all deductions that could have been taken. They will only go by what you provide them. If they don't ask the right questions & you submit merely summary information, or merely drop off your paperwork, then you typically will get assumptions made or deductions not taken.
4. Your accountant, bookkeeper or CPA is only as good as their own knowledge and experience of all the billions of tax laws affecting each business differently. That takes experience to know there is an issue and the fortitude to actually look up the laws pertaining a particular business industry.
5. Many bookkeepers become professional bookkeepers after working for one company and think they know everything there is to know about every law that affects companies differently. I am truly amazed at the amount of incompetence I have seen from bookkeepers since I have started this business and while I was working for others.
CPAs are licensed by the State of Washington who has an oversight board. As part of the requirements of becoming and remaining a CPA, a rigorous 2 day examination including Tax, Auditing, Business Law and Accounting must be passed. When I took the exam only 10% of those who took it passed it the first time. Mandatory continuing education requires 120 hours every 3 years including ethics courses. With 20 years in the field I have taken over 800 hours of continuing education.
2.
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY:
1) I believe so strongly in knowledge of the client’s activities, that I offer my bookkeeping services at rates competitive with other bookkeepers. In doing so, I not only know everything that is going on in your business but I can advise throughout the year instead of having to deal with things during tax season when it is often too late to remedy certain situations.
2) If you are a business I find out all the applicable laws regarding YOUR particular business (state and federal). The tax code is huge, and client specific; there is not one person on earth that knows and remembers every single law. My job is to know when there may be a potential issue and make sure it does or does not apply as well as interpret the code – because one little word can make a huge difference.
3) I will review your prior income tax (personal and business) and other tax returns if you are a business (employment and excise) to not only make sure you are in compliance but to see if I can save you money by amending previous returns (I would only suggest that if the savings far exceed my cost to do so) and make sure the most advantageous tax savings are utilitzed in the future.
4)
Aren't CPAs expensive? You are paying for the CPA's knowledge, ability to research & ability to resolve those issues, as well as their experience in all matters. There are costs for continuing education, reference materials and software. And in order not to have enough time for clients during tax season, they cannot have too many regular clients the rest of the year so the price must cover the slow periods as well. In essence, you are paying the CPA to not book their time up the rest of the year so they have time for you. CPAs tend to prepare the most complex taxes so their software programs need to be able to handle much of the load.
Why should I hire a CPA? You get what you pay for. If you want to pay someone that has no oversight, no minimum educational requirements then you will probably not be getting the best tax savings and protection that you could be. Knowing you are protected against penalties, knowing your taxes are done right is worth the few extra dollars it takes to have a CPA do your taxes than a tax preparer. CPAs do other things besides taxes: audits, compiled financial statements, business consulting, helping you with your business plan, doing what-if scenarios to see whether you should go ahead with a certain financial transaction... Or if you know you want to, and if the timing could be different - your CPA can help you decide on that as well. CPAs are also good to refer you to other business consultants that specialize in a certain area that you may need.
Will amending returns result in a higher liklihood of an audit? It depends on whether the amendment is legitimate. If it is legitimate, then you are entitled to a refund of taxes that you never should have paid in the first place. If an audit does occur, there should be nothing to worry about.
Are you available all year round? Do you help if there is an audit? Yes, I am available all year and I will help resolve an IRS issues whether it be a notice, inquiry or an audit.
How long does it take to get my refund? Don't I get it faster by going to H&R Block? If you Efile your return (I e-file all my returns) - you will get your refund in 1 week. There is no need to pay 130% interest just to get your refund a week early. If you don't want the government to withhold so much during the year, I can help you change your W4 so you can keep more money in your pocket all year long.... With EFTPS, if you owe, you can set up the last possible moment to pay - months after you file.
Why is keeping minutes and updating my corporate record book so important? Merely because you are a corporation in name does not mean you will have the protection of a corporation. If you are a coporation you must act like a seperate entity with seperate records and bank accounts, etc. You must have shares issued and bylaws and articles of incorporation and annual minutes with important decisions in them. If you do not act like a corporation, then if there is a liability issue the person suing you could "pierce the corporate veil" and say you are a corporation in name only and not in substance and you could be held personally responsible. I am not an attorney, but we do study business law. Although there is no replacement for using an attorney, if you don't have the money there are some packaged templates that you can purchase.
Why does it take so long to get a tax return done? My return is pretty simple...... A little known fact that many people don't realize is that Corporate tax returns are due March 15th. So from the end of February through March 15th, tax preparers are focusing on those returns and the others pile up, and then it takes a while after 3/15 to get those others out the door in the order that came in. So even though you brought in a simple return about March 10th, it does not mean it can be worked on right away. It would not be fair to the people who brought their's in earlier.