QualificationsEnrolled Agent
I specialize in taxes more than general bookkeeping. As such I obtained my designation as an Enrolled Agent. An Enrolled Agent (EA) per the IRS website is "Enrolled agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years" Reference. Bookkeeping
Some tax professionals shy away from bookkeeping, but I like it. Good books are the foundation to good data that makes a good tax return or business analysis. It is the first floor of anything to do with taxes and accounting. So, I like to do it when I can for clients, it really helps me get to know the client's business and build good systems. Xero Partner I had the good fortune of being certified as a Xero bookkeeping partner when they first entered the North American Market in about 2012. I had undergone a lot of changes and is a piece of software I use almost daily. I share a lot of tips and shortcuts with clients and through training that increases the speed at which the books can get done. Quickbooks Online I originally dismissed Quickbooks Online until they did a large overhaul somewhere around 2016. Its now an even competitor with Xero and even excels in some areas. Most add ons that you'll find with Xero also work with Quickbooks. I work with clients on either the Quickbooks or Xero platform. Industries Served The largest proportion of clients that I serve are Software as a Service providers, a close second are professional service providers that use the internet as their main platform for business, such as crypto investors, therapists, artists, trainers, marketers, advisors. Next are people that use the internet to sell physical products. The smallest group of clients is made up of Timber related business and businesses local to East Tennessee. |
Company History
Staff
I employ a massive staff of one which is myself. It is a setup that I believe allows for the best service and customer relationships. You get the best haircut from the salon owner, the best care from the Doctor that owns the clinic and the best auto repair from the shop owner. Here you get the best tax and bookkeeping from the owner himself. I am not "on my own" though. I have an excellent network of specialists for client issues that are beyond me. These specialists include lawyers, audit specialists and CPAs. I am, however, still looking for a good insurance and investment advisor to add to that network. Values
Company Headquarters I work out of a well equipped home office and meet with clients mainly through video conferencing services like Zoom. If clients are coming to me I like to make use of the board room space that is plentiful in the Sevierville and Gatlinburg to make that happen. I do also travel to client's locations and IRS audits as long as the cost and travel time are covered. Background I'm a Canadian and US citizen that got into tax after starting a career in Canadian Forestry. The logging industry has the highest rate of occupational injury and death out of any job in North America, and I'm a numbers guy so I got myself promoted out of the field and into the office. After serving in finance roles with various government, private and non profit entities in 3 countries I was assigned as a forestry department liaison to a state accounting department. The accountants there would ask me "Avery, are you sure you're not an accountant?". Were they right? Was I a tax guy trapped in a Forester's body? Was I pretending to like my 4x4 truck when I really just wanted a calculator? Those statements made an impression on me and I started to learn more formally about tax and accounting. I started a tax business on the side in about 2011/2012. That business took off so quickly and I enjoyed it so much it wasn't more than a year before I was able to quit my main job and do it full time. |
Community Support
No Fee Tax Services
1 Peter 4:10 "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."
I formerly donated my time to the the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. It is, in a simplified form, like a legal aid clinic for taxes. After a while, the amount of administration required to simply get to doing the taxes for clients convinced me to just prepare the taxes directly myself. If you know of someone that is in a situation where they cannot afford to pay for tax services, while simultaneously being told that they owe taxes please get in touch with me and I'll see if I can help.
I formerly donated my time to the the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. It is, in a simplified form, like a legal aid clinic for taxes. After a while, the amount of administration required to simply get to doing the taxes for clients convinced me to just prepare the taxes directly myself. If you know of someone that is in a situation where they cannot afford to pay for tax services, while simultaneously being told that they owe taxes please get in touch with me and I'll see if I can help.