Tax
- When should I switch from sole prop to S-corp?
- Do you handle multi-state returns?
- What’s included in a mid-year projection?
- How do extensions work with your team?
Services
Clear scopes. Practical outcomes.
Pick where you need help most. Below is the detail our phone agent uses when prospects ask what we actually do, how long it takes, and what we need from you.
01 · Tax
Tax planning & preparation
We plan before April, not during it. Entity choice, estimated payments, credits, multi-state filings, and year-round check-ins — with an advisor who explains the tradeoffs in plain English.
What’s included
- Individual federal and state return preparation
- Business returns (C-corp, S-corp, partnership, LLC)
- Multi-entity and multi-state compliance
- Quarterly estimated tax calculations and calendar
- Tax projection meetings (typically mid-year and year-end)
- IRS and state notice response support
- R&D credit, cost segregation, and other planning referrals when appropriate
- Extension filing and organized document checklists
Typical timeline & what we need
- New client tax intake: 45–60 minute discovery, then a document list within 2 business days
- Documents: prior-year returns, K-1s, 1099s, W-2s, brokerage statements, entity docs
- Business clients: trial balance or bookkeeping export, fixed-asset list, payroll summaries
- Draft review: usually 5–10 business days after a complete package (peak season may run longer)
- Filing: e-file with your approval; paper filing only when required
Best for: owners who want fewer surprises and a documented annual plan.
02 · Accounting
Accounting & bookkeeping
Clean books, on time. We close the month, reconcile accounts, and deliver statements you can run the business from — not just archive for tax time.
What’s included
- Monthly (or weekly) transaction coding and review
- Bank, credit card, and loan reconciliations
- Accounts payable / receivable support as scoped
- Payroll coordination with your payroll provider
- Monthly financial package: P&L, balance sheet, cash summary
- 1099 contractor tracking and year-end filings
- Cloud setup and cleanup (QuickBooks Online, Xero)
- Controller-level review for growing teams
How engagements usually work
- Close target: books closed by the 15th business day after month-end (custom schedules available)
- Access: read/write on your cloud file, or we host a firm file with shared access
- Communication: shared Slack/email channel + monthly 30-minute review call
- Catch-up projects: quoted separately when books are 3+ months behind
- Software: we prefer QBO or Xero; migrations can be scoped as a project
Best for: teams that outgrew DIY books or a part-time bookkeeper.
03 · Audit
Audit, review & assurance
When a bank, bonding company, board, or buyer needs independent financials, we deliver audits, reviews, and compilations without turning your office upside down.
What’s included
- Financial statement audits (GAAP)
- Reviews and compilations
- Agreed-upon procedures (AUPs)
- Lender and bonding package support
- Employee benefit plan audit coordination (select clients)
- Nonprofit financial statement support when in scope
- Management letter comments with practical fixes
What prospects usually ask
- How long? First-year audits often 6–10 weeks from kickoff; recurring years shorter if books are clean
- Who’s involved? A partner, manager, and staff — you’ll get one main point of contact
- Fieldwork: mostly remote; on-site only when inventory or controls require it
- Prepared-by-client list: shared in week one so your team can gather docs in parallel
- Independence: we do not audit books we also prepare without appropriate safeguards — we’ll tell you up front
Best for: contractors, real estate entities, and firms with financing or board requirements.
04 · Advisory
Business advisory
Strategy days, cash forecasts, succession, and deal support. We sit on your side of the table when the decision is bigger than a tax form.
What’s included
- Fractional / outsourced CFO support
- 13-week and 12-month cash flow forecasts
- KPI dashboards and margin reviews
- Pricing and job-costing reviews (especially construction)
- Succession and exit planning conversations
- Buy-side / sell-side financial diligence support
- Bank meeting prep and covenant monitoring
- Quarterly strategy sessions with owners
Engagement shapes
- Monthly advisory retainer: ongoing CFO-style support (hours band agreed up front)
- Project: fixed fee for a forecast, diligence, or succession roadmap
- Hybrid: accounting package + quarterly advisory day
- Kickoff: 90-minute working session to map goals, data sources, and decision calendar
Best for: family businesses and growth-stage owners making capital decisions.
05 · Controller
Outsourced controller & close support
When you’ve outgrown bookkeeping but don’t need a full-time controller on payroll, we own the monthly close, audit readiness, and multi-entity reporting — so your owners see numbers they can trust.
What’s included
- Month-end close checklist ownership and review
- Accruals, deferrals, and prepaid schedules
- Multi-entity / consolidating worksheets
- Fixed-asset and depreciation roll-forwards
- Audit / review PBC list coordination
- Board or lender package formatting
- Internal control notes (practical, not textbook)
- Hand-off to tax or advisory without re-explaining the file
Fit signals
- Revenue roughly $2M–$40M with growing complexity
- Multiple entities, jobs, or properties to track
- Bank or bonding asking for cleaner packages
- Bookkeeper is strong on entry but weak on close
- You’re hiring a CFO later — we bridge the gap now
Often paired with monthly accounting or a light advisory retainer.
06 · Payroll & sales tax
Coordination — not a payroll company
We don’t replace Gusto, ADP, or Paychex. We make sure payroll, contractor 1099s, and sales/use tax tie into the books and the tax return so April isn’t a scavenger hunt.
What we help with
- Payroll provider setup reviews and coding maps
- Owner draw vs. payroll / reasonable compensation conversations (with your attorney when needed)
- 1099-NEC / 1099-MISC tracking and filing support
- Sales tax nexus questions flagged early (we coordinate filings or refer a specialist)
- Workers’ comp and certified payroll package support for contractors
- Year-end W-2 / 1099 reconciliation to the general ledger
What we don’t claim
- We are not your registered agent or payroll processor
- We don’t guarantee multi-state sales tax outcomes without a scoped review
- HR policy and employment law stay with your counsel / HR advisor
Ask the agent: “Do you do payroll?” → We coordinate; we don’t run your payroll system.
Service FAQs
Questions the phone agent should nail
Accounting / audit
- How fast can you catch up three months of books?
- Do you work inside our QBO or host a firm file?
- What’s the difference between a review and an audit?
- Will fieldwork disrupt our job sites?
Advisory
- Can you build a 13-week cash forecast?
- Do you join bank meetings?
- How does fractional CFO billing work?
- Can you help before we sell the company?
Full FAQ answers live on the Contact page; these prompts are the service-side map for denser agent answers.
How we work
From first call to steady state
- Discovery call (15–30 min) We learn your entity structure, pain points, and timeline. The phone agent can schedule this or answer prep questions anytime.
- Fit & proposal Within 3 business days we send a scoped proposal: services, fee band, start date, and what we need from you.
- Engagement letter Clear scope, confidentiality, and billing terms. Work starts after signature and retainer (if applicable).
- Onboarding (1–3 weeks) Systems access, document checklist, intro to your advisor team, and a shared communication channel.
- Steady cadence Monthly close or tax calendar, scheduled reviews, and a named backup so you’re never stuck waiting on one person.
Fees (demo bands)
Transparent ranges — exact quotes after scope
These are illustrative bands for the demo agent to cite. Real engagements are quoted after discovery.
Tax
$1.2k–$8k+ / return package
Simple individual returns at the low end; multi-entity / multi-state business packages higher. Planning retainers quoted separately.
Monthly accounting
$800–$4.5k / month
Based on transaction volume, entities, and reporting depth. Catch-up cleanups are project-priced.
Audit / advisory
Custom quote
Audits often mid-five figures depending on complexity. Advisory retainers commonly $1.5k–$6k / month for fractional CFO support.
We bill monthly for retainers and on completion (or milestone) for projects. No surprise invoices — change orders are written before extra work starts.
Not sure which service fits?
Call the phone agent or send a note — we’ll map your situation to a clear next step.