The questions we get asked before you hire us.

Do you prepare and file tax returns?

Yes. We prepare and file business and personal returns, and every monthly plan includes the business return. Most firms meet your taxes in April. We watch them all year, because your books and your return come from the same desk. If you only need this year’s return filed, we do that too. See how we do taxes differently.

How much does it cost?

What you pay depends on your books: how many accounts and transactions you have, whether you carry inventory, and how far behind things are. We quote a flat monthly fee after the $497 Diagnostic Review, so the number comes from your actual books rather than a guess. Every level includes your business tax return; Growth and Partner include your personal return too. What changes between levels is how often you sit down with your CPA team.

What is the $497 Diagnostic Review?

It is the honest first step. We go inside your actual QuickBooks, tell you in writing exactly where your books stand, and record a walkthrough. If you come on board, the $497 credits toward your first month. It is also how we scope any cleanup before we quote a number.

What if my books are behind or a mess?

That is common, and it is fine. The Diagnostic Review tells us how far behind and how tangled things are, and we give you a flat quote to catch up. We would rather fix it right once than paper over it. Here is how a QuickBooks cleanup works, start to finish.

Who actually does my books?

Two licensed CPAs, Brooks and Caroline. We keep our client list small on purpose, so you always know who is working on your books and your questions get answered by the people who actually do them. No rotating junior staff, no ticket queue.

What kinds of businesses do you work with?

We specialize in Shopify and ecommerce, retail and boutique, and contractors and trades. We go deep in a few niches so we catch the things generalists miss, like Shopify payout splitting, inventory and cost of goods, or job costing on the trades side.

What accounting software do you use?

QuickBooks Online, plus A2X for Shopify and ecommerce sellers so payouts get split into sales, fees, and refunds correctly. If you are on something else, we will tell you honestly during the Diagnostic whether it is worth switching.

What is the Profit First cash system you keep mentioning?

Brooks is a Certified Profit First Professional. On top of clean books, we set up a simple cash system that tells you what is safe to spend, what to set aside for taxes, and what you can actually pay yourself. Your books tell you what happened, the cash system tells you what to do about it, and it is built into every plan.

Do you offer payroll and sales tax?

Yes. Both are available at every level and quoted on your fit call. Some clients need them and some do not, so we keep them separate instead of bundling a cost you may never use.

How do we get started?

Fill out the short form on our Get Started page. A real person reads it, and if we are a good fit for each other, one of us reaches back out, usually within a business day, with a real next step. If we are not the right firm for you, we will say so and point you somewhere better.

How often will I hear from you?

That depends on your level, from quarterly strategy meetings on Foundations to every two weeks on Partner. Either way you get monthly financials and a real person who answers when you have a question.

What if I am not local to Knoxville?

We are East Tennessee based and serve clients nationwide. Everything runs cleanly online, so where you are does not matter.