Scale CPA

Serves Providence, RI

35244

Hired 2 times

15 employees

5 years in business

$75/hour

5.0

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Credentials

License

License Holder: Howard Telson
License Type: CPA - Certified Public Accountant (NJ)
License number: #20CC04023200
License verified on 1/1/2024
Valid through 12/31/2026
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Background Check

Howard Telson
Completed on 11/5/2023

Introduction

At Scale CPA, we provide tax planning, tax compliance, bookkeeping, and CFO services to small businesses. We pride ourselves on providing a service level that most traditional accounting firms simply do not. This includes providing a detailed, formal tax plan with over twenty strategies to slash your effective tax rate, and ongoing industry-specific KPI analysis and benchmarking for your business. Most accountants just focus on checking boxes and putting numbers on forms. They are only compliance focused. At Scale CPA, our goal is to move beyond the compliance, and to ensure we are your strategic partner – providing key tax strategies to reduce your taxes, and offering detailed financial analysis to help you make better decisions for your business. For any prospective clients that may be a good fit for our services, we are happy to offer a complimentary “gap analysis” prior to officially beginning an engagement. In this gap analysis, you can receive a tangible preview of what working with Scale CPA is like. We will review your historical financials and tax filings, and outline any gaps in the process and specific areas for tax savings. Often, in this exercise, we are able to identify significant tax saving opportunities or risk mitigation strategies.

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

We price our engagements on a fixed fee based on an agreed upon scope. If the scope changes over time, we can always re-evaluate, but we have found that business owners prefer to know exactly what their services will cost and to budget appropriately for them. We take a holistic approach to all of our engagements and believe it is pivotal for your accountant to really understand and help optimize your business from a financial perspective. Along these lines, we have structured all of our engagements to provide value beyond just the mandatory tax filings and bookkeeping, including providing KPI analysis and strategy sessions with a CPA who is an expert in your industry. We are always happy to have a short call with any prospective clients to talk through their facts and provide a fee quote based on the scope of work at hand.

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

First, we begin every engagement with a thorough review of your historical tax returns, bookkeeping, and financial processes to identify cash savings opportunities and areas of potential risk. Then, we create and implement a formal tax plan, and integrate KPI reporting, trend analysis, industry benchmarking, and projections so you have clear picture of where your business is at today, where it's been, and how it can optimize its tax and accounting functions going forward. Finally, once a plan is in place, we have a dedicated team of CPAs and financial experts at your disposal to support you and answer any questions as they arise.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

Certified Public Accountant and Masters of Taxation

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I have been in the tax and accounting space for over nine years -- beginning my career at KPMG (Big Four accounting firm) and then discovering my passion for bringing Big Four level accounting service to the small business industry.

What types of customers have you worked with?

We focus on serving small business customers -- and particularly work best with businesses with revenue ranging from $500k - $15 million. We have expertise in the digital economy, including e-commerce sellers (Amazon, Shopify, multi-channel, etc.), technology companies, and Web3 companies. In addition, we have significant experience with inventory-intensive businesses (including e-commerce, and traditional brick and mortar retail).

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

We started working with a $10m multi-channel ecommerce company roughly one year ago. Within that one year, the business has slashed their effective tax rate more than ten percentage points (from over 40% to under 30%), we have produced timely, accurate monthly books and key performance indicator / cash flow analysis which has enabled the business to make strategic decisions and optimize cash flow, resulting in 10% year-over-year growth in top and bottom line.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Keep in mind that an accountant can and should be so much more than just preparing a tax return. A good accountant shouldn't just be checking boxes on a tax return, but rather should be strategizing, providing tax savings opportunities, and helping the business grow. While a strategy-focused accountant may cost a bit more than a traditional one, the tax savings alone should more than outweigh that cost differential and provide a significant ROI.

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

Customers should consider how they would like to work with their accountant, how the accountant communicates, and what their experience is with tax planning and financial analysis (beyond just the basic tax return filings).