OZAUKEE COUNTY · GRAFTON, WISCONSIN
CPA in Grafton, WI — Tax, Accounting & Advisory for Contractors, Manufacturers & Small Business
Grafton businesses receive direct CPA access, year-round tax planning, and accounting built for manufacturing operations, contractor workflows, and equipment-heavy trades. No seasonal availability. No rotating staff.
WHY JTA-CPA
Why Grafton Business Owners Choose JTA‑CPA
Grafton’s contractors and manufacturers deserve a CPA who understands job costing, equipment depreciation, and project-based revenue. At JTA-CPA, you work with a CPA from the first conversation to the final return — every year.
Senior CPA on Every Engagement
You work with Steven directly — not a staff accountant who pulls your file in March. One experienced CPA handles your business return, your personal return, and your planning questions throughout the year.
Year-Round Availability
Equipment purchases, project completions, and estimated tax payments don’t follow a calendar. Quarterly reviews and mid-year planning happen on schedule so your tax position is always current.
Fixed Scope, No Billable Hours
Every engagement is quoted upfront with a clear scope. No surprise invoices when you ask a question in October. No billing anxiety. You know the cost before we start.
WORKING WITH GRAFTON BUSINESSES
Working with Grafton Contractors & Manufacturers
Grafton’s business base runs on manufacturing, construction, and the trades that support Ozaukee County’s commercial corridor along I-43. Machine shops, electrical contractors, HVAC operations, general contractors, and light manufacturing firms form the backbone of this community — and they share a set of accounting challenges that most generalist CPAs don’t handle well.
Contractors working across multiple job sites need accurate job costing to understand which projects are actually profitable. Manufacturers carrying equipment on their books need depreciation strategies — Section 179, bonus depreciation, and proper asset classification — that maximize deductions without creating future recapture problems. Wisconsin adds its own layer: the state’s depreciation rules diverge from federal provisions in ways that catch business owners off guard.
Sales and use tax compliance for materials, subcontractor arrangements, and multi-county operations creates ongoing filing obligations. Many Grafton business owners also manage estimated quarterly payments on uneven income — a $200,000 project closes in Q3, but Q1 was slow. Without proactive planning, that turns into an unexpected tax bill. JTA-CPA builds financial plans around how contractor and manufacturing revenue actually arrives.
GRAFTON SPECIALTY SERVICES
What We Do for Grafton Clients
- Job costing & project-margin tracking
- Section 179 & bonus depreciation planning
- Contractor tax planning & estimated payments
- S-Corp reasonable compensation review
- Wisconsin sales & use tax compliance
- QuickBooks setup for job costing
- Multi-entity coordination
- IRS and Wisconsin DOR representation
WHAT WE OFFER GRAFTON CLIENTS
Core Services for Grafton Businesses & Individuals
Business and individual returns, S-Corp planning, quarterly estimated tax strategy, and year-round planning built around project-based revenue cycles for Grafton contractors and manufacturers.
Monthly accounting, reconciliations, job cost reporting, financial statements, and clean books that show real profitability by project.
Setup, cleanup, job costing configuration, and ongoing ProAdvisor support — tailored to how Grafton’s contractors and manufacturers actually operate.
Reviews, compilations, and agreed-upon procedures for bonding requirements, lender relationships, and contract qualifications.
SERVING GRAFTON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA
Grafton, Ozaukee County & Beyond
JTA-CPA serves contractors, manufacturers, and small business owners throughout Grafton, Cedarburg, Mequon, Port Washington, Saukville, and greater southeastern Wisconsin including Brookfield and Milwaukee. Most work is handled remotely using secure file sharing, with in-person meetings available at our Racine office.
If you’ve been working with a large firm that doesn’t understand contractor cash flow, or a preparer who only surfaces at tax time, you already know what that costs you. Year-round access to a CPA who understands job costing and equipment depreciation is a different kind of service. Visit our FAQ for more.
CPACIACISA
YOUR GRAFTON CPA
Steven Towne, CPA, CIA, CISA
Steven is the founder of Jackson Titus & Associates, with more than 15 years of experience in tax strategy, financial reporting, internal audit, and accounting operations — with particular depth in contractor and manufacturing operations. He works directly with every client — no junior staff, no handoffs. Based in Racine and serving clients throughout southeastern Wisconsin, including Grafton and the Ozaukee County corridor.
His credentials go beyond the standard CPA license. The CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) reflects deep experience in risk assessment and internal controls. The CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) means he understands how your accounting platforms and integrations work. He is also a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor with hands-on experience configuring QuickBooks for job costing, project tracking, and contractor operations.
“Complex financial information doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. My focus is turning that complexity into clear insights that support better decisions and long-term stability.”
REAL RESULTS
From Unexpected Tax Bills to Predictable Quarterly Planning — A Grafton Contractor
A residential contractor in Grafton had faced consecutive years of unexpected tax bills — including one April where the balance due exceeded $14,000. The contractor was filing annually, had no quarterly estimate structure in place, and was expensing equipment inconsistently across returns. We reviewed two years of returns and identified missed depreciation opportunities on vehicles and equipment. We restructured the depreciation schedule, applied Section 179 elections where they created the most value, and established a quarterly estimate process tied to actual project completions.
Within the first year, the contractor moved from a $14,000 surprise to a predictable quarterly payment structure with a small refund at filing. The following year, we completed an S-Corp election that reduced self-employment tax by an additional $8,200. The contractor now knows what to expect before April — and makes equipment purchase decisions with full tax impact visibility built in.
Proper depreciation timing and an S-Corp election turned $14,000 surprises into predictable quarterly payments.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions from Grafton Business Owners
How is JTA-CPA different from other CPA firms near Grafton?
The primary difference is who does the work. At larger firms, partners bring in clients and staff accountants handle the day-to-day. At JTA-CPA, you work directly with Steven throughout the year — the same CPA who knows your entity structure and reviews your quarterly estimates. No handoffs, no rotating contacts. See our About page for more.
Do you specialize in contractors and manufacturing businesses?
Yes. We work extensively with contractors, trades, and manufacturing operations on job costing, equipment depreciation, quarterly estimates, and entity structuring. These industries have specific accounting needs that general tax preparers often overlook.
How does job costing work with QuickBooks?
We configure QuickBooks with job-level tracking, class assignments for labor and materials, and reporting templates that show profitability per project. This gives you real visibility into which jobs make money — not just whether the overall business is profitable.
How does Wisconsin handle depreciation differently from the federal return?
Wisconsin doesn’t conform to all federal bonus depreciation provisions. This means your Wisconsin return may show different depreciation amounts — creating add-back adjustments that affect your state tax liability. We track both schedules and plan around the differences so there are no surprises at filing.
GET STARTED
Ready to Work With a Grafton CPA Who Knows Your File Year-Round?
Start with a free consultation. No pressure, no commitment — just an honest conversation about where you are and what you’re trying to build.
Serving Grafton · Cedarburg · Mequon · Port Washington · Saukville · Ozaukee County
