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Department Spotlight: Tax

Department Spotlight:  Tax

As we approach the end of another year and look into what January brings, taxes are inevitably on our accounting-focused minds.  As a business owner, the looming threat of another round of taxes can be stressful, but we have you covered. 

It takes a very special team to love taking on those deadlines and extensions and navigate the wild world of small business taxes for clients. In fact, they love it so much, they work on them all year.  Our unique, proactive approach to managing taxes means less surprises and more efficient planning, making tax time no longer a dreaded time. This unique and talented trio make Accountfully your one-stop-shop for all your outsourced accounting needs. Enough build up (we may be slightly biased), It’s time to meet the team behind the department that excels in the activity many dread the most–taxes. 

Department Mission 

To provide expertise and knowledge related to income tax compliance and planning to Accountfully's clients and to the recurring accounting teams within the company. The tax team strives to be a proactive business partner to optimize our client's tax positions and proactively help them plan for the future. 

Department Responsibilities

▶︎ Tax Compliance: We prepare annual Income Tax returns for corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and their related owners.

︎▶︎ Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculations: We work proactively with our clients to help them manage their tax obligations throughout the year to avoid unexpected surprises.

▶︎ Entity Structure: We work with our clients to review the pros and cons of various entity structures and work with them to make an educated decision. We also support our clients through the tax considerations of changing their entity structure.

▶︎ Ad-hoc planning and advisory services: Our team has the background and resources to advise our clients on the tax consequences of a variety of business and personal scenarios, including:

  • The sale of their business
  • Changes in ownership
  • Methods of accounting
  • Qualified business income deduction planning
  • Research and Development tax credit
  • State tax nexus reviews
  • Sales tax support
  • Retirement planning

Systems, Tools and Methods Used

As you can see from the large list above, we are very hands on, which means we rely on a few key tools and systems to make our work more efficient:

▶︎ Tax Prep Software: UltraTax CS

▶ Tax Research: Check Point

▶︎ Workpaper Documentation and Client Portal: Onvio

▶︎ Electronic delivery of client tax returns: SafeSend Returns

▶︎ Project Tracking: Asana

Department Team Member Overview

Andrew Schmidt is the Director of Tax Services at Accountfully, master subject matter expert, and the department lead.  His wealth of tax knowledge and intimate experience working with small to midsize businesses over the past 10 years allows Andrew to offer an expansive perspective to all of Accountfully’s clients. 

Kylie Malcombe is one of our two Senior Tax Accountants. Hailing from Louisiana, Kylie received her Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance and has spent the last seven years developing her skills in Accounting.  She found her focus in Tax at a local CPA firm in Louisiana prior to joining Accountfully.  

Maria Petsch rounds out the team as our second Senior Tax Accountant. Maria and Kylie work hand in hand on the preparation of our clients tax returns; working on tax projections, and performing tax research, in addition to performing the tax review process. Maria joins Accountfully as a CPA candidate with six years of tax and accounting experience.  She works remotely from Arizona.  

Team Member Bios

Each member of the team brings unique and diverse experience to the table; both professionally and personally.  Here are the highlights of each Tax Department member's background.

Andrew works remotely from Warrenville, IL

Andrew Schmidt

Andrew Schmidt is a CPA who graduated with his Bachelors in Accounting from Northern Illinois University. He also holds his Masters in Accounting and Masters in Taxation from NIU. Andrew spent the first 10 years of his career at a mid-sized local CPA firm based out of the suburbs of Chicago where he worked with small to mid-sized businesses and their owners assisting them with their tax compliance and planning needs.

Andrew utilizes his depth of experience and knowledge working with small and mid-sized businesses to bring a tailored approach to the clients of Accountfully to maximize their tax positions and bring peace of mind.

Outside of work, Andrew enjoys running (he recently completed his 2nd half-marathon), keeping up with Chicago sports teams, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and dog. Andrew is also passionate about animal rights and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hinsdale Humane Society in the suburbs of Chicago.

Kylie works remotely from Lafayette, LA

Kylie Malcombe 

Kylie earned her degree in Accounting from University of Louisiana at Lafayette and immediately started her accounting career working in both private and public accounting with the majority of her focus being in payroll tax, income tax and auditing for both nonprofit and for-profit businesses. Upon starting at Accountfully, Kylie solely focuses on preparing and reviewing all of our clients tax returns and applies her knack for process improvement and organization to build on the client experience here at Accountfully for our tax clients. 

When asked what her favorite thing was about working at Accountfully, Kylie said,

“Accountfully is such a genuinely happy and encouraging place to work. You can always count on Accountfully to make you feel appreciated and valued.”

Kylie likes to unwind after a taxing day (see what we did there) by enjoying dinner with her husband, enjoying a glass of wine and watching TV with her Australian Doodle, Whiskey. In her free time, she teaches dance twice a week to elementary and high school students and also dabbles in a little graphic design work for family and friends. Get to know Kylie a bit more in her Employee Spotlight feature.

Maria works remotely from Scottsdale, AZ

Maria Petsch

Maria brings a perfect combination of accounting and business analytical skills. Maria stepped into a different role at Accountfully when she joined the tax team at Accountfully in early 2022. Her previous experience in business and financial analytics certainly proves to be helpful in looking at projections and forecasting for our clients. 

Maria grew up in Washington and holds a BS in International Business Management and her MBA from Eastern Washington University. She is currently a CPA candidate. 

“I would say I love working with everyone at Accountfully, despite working remotely and having different roles, we have awesome communication. I don’t think I could have asked for better teammates on the tax team. Having the ability to work from home is also great. I knew Accountfully was a company that I wanted to work for and tax was a skill I wanted to specify in, so it’s really been the best overall fit for me.”

When she isn't crushing looming tax deadlines, Maria can most likely be found doing something outdoors, whether it's playing rugby, football, softball, snowboarding, hiking or going on runs with her beloved dog, Lola.  She also enjoys some indoor activities like making her own beer, cooking and reading. Maria currently resides in Scottsdale, AZ. 

The Tax Team Is Growing. Know Anyone Who May Want to Join as a Staff Tax Accountant?

The tax team focuses on balancing client workload through the year to limit long hours and weekends during the peak filing seasons seen at most public accounting firms. If you are an accountant with one to two years of accounting and tax experience with a public firm, let's talk! We believe in a healthy work-life balance while serving a talented community of entrepreneurs and creatives. To get started, tell us about yourself and your interest in Accountfully, or learn more on our careers page.

Interested applicants can apply and learn on our careers page

• • •

If you are interested in talking to our Tax Team about your business needs, let’s connect.  We would love to get taxes off your plate.  Tell us a bit about your business and we will discuss a plan that will work for you!

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