Kodiak Public Accounting, Inc.
About us
Who we are and how we work
The relationship between an accountant and their client is one of trust, and involves a great deal of confidential information. We hope that our clients will be working with us for many years and want to be sure that we are a good match for their needs right from the start. With that in mind, here are some important things for you to know about us:
We work almost exclusively with small business people; many have structured their businesses as corporations and/or limited liability companies. We are focused on detailed knowledge of our customers and their long term goals, including asset acquisition and sale strategies, retirement and estate planning, business succession planning, and other long-term goals for themselves and their families.
We prefer to work with clients who value the tax planning opportunities that can arise from working closely with their accountant over many years. We expect our clients to contact us about significant business or personal transactions well in advance of a decision. We prefer not to accept a client that does not want a long-term relationship with us, but occasionally make exceptions for unusual projects.
We want to work with individuals who take their financial decisions, tax planning, and tax preparation work seriously and are well organized about both, whether they prepare the information personally or hire a bookkeeper. A client’s commitment to good organization and communication has a direct bearing on our ability to perform their work accurately and efficiently, and to provide timely, high-quality advice. Accountants are known for working long hours, and we are no exception. However, retaining skilled personnel and providing creative, quality solutions to problems is adversely affected by excessive work hours and we want to work with clients who help us to be more efficient and effective when working with them.
We believe in a comprehensive approach to the services we perform. We obtain an IRS power of attorney for all of our clients so that we are automatically copied on all notices issued by federal taxing authorities. This allows us to respond to Internal Revenue Service inquiries even if we are unable to contact our clients. We automatically file tax return extensions on all of our clients, even if we have not heard from them since preparing their last tax return.
We are not a “quick turnaround” tax preparation firm. We are more concerned with the accuracy of the tax returns we prepare than with arbitrary due dates that were determined over fifty years ago. We prepare tax return extensions early, and often. We focus our attention during the early months of the year toward accurate estimation of any tax liabilities our clients may owe so that they make their tax payments in a timely manner. Tax returns are completed when all information is available and all opportunities have been considered, with priority given toward clients with lending needs. We find that the majority of tax returns that contain errors are those that are rushed to meet a filing deadline. Many tax reduction opportunities can be obtained by filing an extension, and we prefer to keep “all options on the table” as long as reasonably possible.
All tax returns, financial statements, or other substantive work that we prepare are reviewed by two separate Certified Public Accountants. The business of accounting and tax preparation is prone to error, and we have learned that a thorough review process prevents a great deal of errors. Additionally, the complexity of the tax law gives new meaning to the expression “two heads are better than one”. We have seen many tax dollars saved in the final review of a tax return.
All of our staff members receive at least forty hours of continuing education and training every year, our senior accountants receive much more. The tax laws and accounting rules change frequently and this requires nearly constant education and training. We maintain extensive electronic libraries of tax and accounting publications that are continually updated. We strive to have the best tools and systems available to our profession.
We generally bill our work on a fixed-price basis; we prefer to avoid the surprises that can come from an hourly approach to billing. With that said, there are many times that an hourly approach cannot be avoided, and we will estimate the final cost of the work prior to beginning. We have a “100% satisfaction” guarantee, and we will never argue with a client over the cost of our work. Billing disputes will always be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer. At the same time, just like anyone, we expect to be timely paid for the work that we do and will terminate a relationship when we are not being fairly treated.
We require all new clients to submit copies of their tax returns for the last three years as part of their initial file setup. These returns are reviewed by our professional staff as part of gaining an understanding of the new customer and to review the returns for errors. The cost of setting up a new client is billed separately from any other work we may perform. The set-up cost varies, but generally falls within a range of $450 - $2,500, depending upon the complexity of the tax returns. Many times we find errors or poor tax planning decisions on prior year tax returns that may be cost effective to correct.
Members of our staff who are Certified Public Accountants:
George R. Rieth, CPAKodiak resident since 1983. Graduated from the University of South Florida in 1980 with degrees in Accounting and Finance. Certified in Florida in 1983. Certified in Alaska in 1996. Experience includes both public and private sector work.
Cheryl McNeil, CPAKodiak resident since 1966. Graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1982 with a degree in Accounting. Certified in Alaska in 1986. Experience includes both public and private sector work. Other members of our staff: Cheryl Lowery * Michaela Alonzo * Ursula Trosvig * Norhaina Canete
We work almost exclusively with small business people; many have structured their businesses as corporations and/or limited liability companies. We are focused on detailed knowledge of our customers and their long term goals, including asset acquisition and sale strategies, retirement and estate planning, business succession planning, and other long-term goals for themselves and their families.
We prefer to work with clients who value the tax planning opportunities that can arise from working closely with their accountant over many years. We expect our clients to contact us about significant business or personal transactions well in advance of a decision. We prefer not to accept a client that does not want a long-term relationship with us, but occasionally make exceptions for unusual projects.
We want to work with individuals who take their financial decisions, tax planning, and tax preparation work seriously and are well organized about both, whether they prepare the information personally or hire a bookkeeper. A client’s commitment to good organization and communication has a direct bearing on our ability to perform their work accurately and efficiently, and to provide timely, high-quality advice. Accountants are known for working long hours, and we are no exception. However, retaining skilled personnel and providing creative, quality solutions to problems is adversely affected by excessive work hours and we want to work with clients who help us to be more efficient and effective when working with them.
We believe in a comprehensive approach to the services we perform. We obtain an IRS power of attorney for all of our clients so that we are automatically copied on all notices issued by federal taxing authorities. This allows us to respond to Internal Revenue Service inquiries even if we are unable to contact our clients. We automatically file tax return extensions on all of our clients, even if we have not heard from them since preparing their last tax return.
We are not a “quick turnaround” tax preparation firm. We are more concerned with the accuracy of the tax returns we prepare than with arbitrary due dates that were determined over fifty years ago. We prepare tax return extensions early, and often. We focus our attention during the early months of the year toward accurate estimation of any tax liabilities our clients may owe so that they make their tax payments in a timely manner. Tax returns are completed when all information is available and all opportunities have been considered, with priority given toward clients with lending needs. We find that the majority of tax returns that contain errors are those that are rushed to meet a filing deadline. Many tax reduction opportunities can be obtained by filing an extension, and we prefer to keep “all options on the table” as long as reasonably possible.
All tax returns, financial statements, or other substantive work that we prepare are reviewed by two separate Certified Public Accountants. The business of accounting and tax preparation is prone to error, and we have learned that a thorough review process prevents a great deal of errors. Additionally, the complexity of the tax law gives new meaning to the expression “two heads are better than one”. We have seen many tax dollars saved in the final review of a tax return.
All of our staff members receive at least forty hours of continuing education and training every year, our senior accountants receive much more. The tax laws and accounting rules change frequently and this requires nearly constant education and training. We maintain extensive electronic libraries of tax and accounting publications that are continually updated. We strive to have the best tools and systems available to our profession.
We generally bill our work on a fixed-price basis; we prefer to avoid the surprises that can come from an hourly approach to billing. With that said, there are many times that an hourly approach cannot be avoided, and we will estimate the final cost of the work prior to beginning. We have a “100% satisfaction” guarantee, and we will never argue with a client over the cost of our work. Billing disputes will always be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer. At the same time, just like anyone, we expect to be timely paid for the work that we do and will terminate a relationship when we are not being fairly treated.
We require all new clients to submit copies of their tax returns for the last three years as part of their initial file setup. These returns are reviewed by our professional staff as part of gaining an understanding of the new customer and to review the returns for errors. The cost of setting up a new client is billed separately from any other work we may perform. The set-up cost varies, but generally falls within a range of $450 - $2,500, depending upon the complexity of the tax returns. Many times we find errors or poor tax planning decisions on prior year tax returns that may be cost effective to correct.
Members of our staff who are Certified Public Accountants:
George R. Rieth, CPAKodiak resident since 1983. Graduated from the University of South Florida in 1980 with degrees in Accounting and Finance. Certified in Florida in 1983. Certified in Alaska in 1996. Experience includes both public and private sector work.
Cheryl McNeil, CPAKodiak resident since 1966. Graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1982 with a degree in Accounting. Certified in Alaska in 1986. Experience includes both public and private sector work. Other members of our staff: Cheryl Lowery * Michaela Alonzo * Ursula Trosvig * Norhaina Canete