Expert Tax and Accounting Advice, and Expert Witness

I am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Wisconsin and Virginia. I have over 20 years of experience covering a broad range of finance, accounting, and tax topics. In the last fourteen years, I have focused on providing expert accounting testimony in utility rate cases including on tax matters. Whether supporting other accounting witnesses or appearing as an expert accounting witness myself, I have demonstrated an ability to explain complex accounting matters to commissions as well as prevail on the facts. That is equally relevant to defending you and your tax positions as well as explaining complex tax rules in an easy to digest manner. I am particularly proud that I was awarded the Elijah Watt Sells Award by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) when I passed the CPA Exam with exceptionally high scores. Out of 67,000 test takers that year, I was one of only 50 award recipients. I also hold a Master of Accountancy from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Pricing is dependent on the work performed as well as the complexity. I need to understand what services you are looking for, first. I generally will then prepare an engagement letter that includes either an estimated price or a fixed price for the service. Tax Planning or Advisory services can be provided on a retainer basis. Representing you in an audit by the IRS or the state tax authority is a separate service and billed on a retainer basis.

If you are requesting tax return preparation service, you will need your prior year return so you know filing status and the schedules that were filed. You will need to be prepared to answer questions on any sources of income you had during the year (wages, interest & dividend income, investment sales, property sales, business income, hobby income, gambling winnings, etc.). You will also need to answer basic questions on expenses that might qualify for itemizing deductions or tax credits. If you are requesting tax advice, then I generally need to know whether this relates to a transaction (including what the transaction is) or if it is more general planning for tax year 2026.

Yes, I am a licensed CPA, and I can represent taxpayers before the IRS. As a CPA, I am required to have and maintain a great breadth and depth of accounting and tax knowledge. This makes me an excellent representative to defend you before the IRS. That is a separate service that I bill on retainer. If you are interested in this service, please be sure to bring it up at our initial meeting.

I am licensed in Wisconsin and Virginia. As both states meet substantial equivalency requirements, I can practice as a CPA in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. My home office is in Wisconsin.