Practice Area Title
Practice description.
What you get Deliverables summary. Who it is for Ideal For Description
Tax, bookkeeping, and straight answers for owner-run businesses.
A two-partner firm in Des Moines. Most of our clients came to us by referral and have stayed a decade or more. You talk to the partner doing your work, never a call center.
Most of the work is unglamorous and that is the point: returns filed on time, ledgers that reconcile, and a partner who can tell you in one sentence what a purchase or a hire will cost you in tax. When a question is outside what we do well, we say so and point you at someone who does it better.
- Credential
- Partner on Every Engagement
- Fixed Fees Agreed in Writing
- A Direct Line to Your Accountant
- Answers Within One Business Day
What we do
Every engagement starts with a short call to confirm we're the right firm for it.
Small-Business Tax & Planning
Annual entity returns, quarterly estimated filings, payroll tax compliance, and entity structure reviews explained in plain English before anything is submitted.
What you get Form 1120-S / 1065 prep, multi-state allocation schedules, quarterly tax projections Who it is for Owner-managed companies with $500k to $15M in gross annual revenue.
Full-Charge Bookkeeping & Close
Monthly closes you can actually read. Bank and merchant reconciliations, vendor ledger cleanups, and clean financial statements delivered by the 10th of every month.
What you get Monthly balance sheet, P&L by department, cash-flow summary, 1099 annual filings Who it is for Businesses needing reliable accounting without full-time internal controller overhead.
Advisory, Valuation & Succession
Purchasing commercial real estate, restructuring equity, bringing in a minority partner, or preparing for an owner buyout. We model the real cash and tax impact before you commit.
What you get Scenario cash-flow models, buyout structure blueprints, basis calculations Who it is for Founders planning an exit, recapitalization, or major capital expansion within 1–3 years.
IRS & State Audit Defense
Direct partner representation before state revenue departments and the IRS. We review historical returns, handle all formal audit correspondence, and resolve penalty notices.
What you get Power of attorney filings, documentation bundles, formal response briefs Who it is for Companies facing state sales-tax audits, nexus disputes, or federal audit letters.
One set of files, start to finish.
Files do not move between departments, work does not get handed down to whoever is free, and the person who signs your return is the person who prepared the plan behind it.
Meet the partners
How an engagement goes
Fixed monthly and annual retainers, agreed in writing before anything starts.
Initial 20-Minute Partner Call
We review your current setup and tell you directly if we are not the right fit.
Initial 20-Minute Partner Call
We review your current accounting setup, prior year tax returns, and current pain points. If we aren't the right fit, we tell you directly.
Fixed-Fee Scope & Agreement
No surprise billing hours. We provide a clear engagement letter outlining all monthly deliverables, tax prep dates, and fixed quarterly fees.
Onboarding & Ledger Reconciliation
We agree how you will send us documents, reconcile historical discrepancies, and align your chart of accounts with clean tax categorization.
Ongoing Advisory & Regular Reviews
Monthly closes delivered by the 10th. Quarterly planning meetings in August and November to ensure no surprises come tax filing season.
Who you will be talking to
Every engagement is overseen by a partner. The number at the top of the page reaches one of them.
Partner Name
Managing Partner Licence and where they trainedBackground and specializations.
Focus Corporate compliance
Sarah Alder
Managing Partner & Tax Lead Add their licence and where they trainedSpecializes in pass-through entity tax strategy, multi-state apportionment, and capital gains planning for owner-operated logistics, agriculture, and construction firms.
Focus Corporate tax compliance, entity elections, state nexus analysis
David Quinn
Partner & Advisory Director Add their licence and where they trainedLeads client accounting operations, monthly controllership, and business valuation modeling.
Focus Financial reporting, cash flow modeling, owner succession planning
Rachel Vance
Senior Accountant & Payroll Lead Add their certificationsManages monthly ledger closes, quarterly payroll filings, and client software integrations.
Focus Monthly bookkeeping closes, sales tax filings, payroll audits
Who does your work, and who backs them up.
All partners and advisorsQuestions we get a lot
How do you charge for your services?
We work on fixed monthly or annual retainers agreed in writing.
How do you charge for your services?
We work primarily on transparent, fixed monthly or annual engagement retainers. You know exactly what your tax and accounting costs are with no surprise hourly bills for asking a quick question.
Will I work directly with a partner?
Yes. Our staff accountants assist with monthly ledger reconciliation, and a partner reviews every return and joins every quarterly planning call.
How do we transfer records from our previous accountant?
We agree with you how documents reach us, and we handle the retrieval. Most client onboarding takes under two weeks with zero disruption to your daily operations.
Do you handle multi-state taxes?
Yes. Many of our clients operate across Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska. We handle multi-state apportionment and payroll nexus compliance.
Talk to a partner this week.
A short call, no charge. We'll tell you honestly whether you need a firm like ours and, if you don't, what to do instead.