We help clients clean up books, get current with the IRS, and file with confidence. Here are real outcomes for business owners, contractors, and new LLCs.
Client: Small business owner
Challenge: Disorganized books, uncategorized transactions, unreconciled accounts
Our Fix: Reconstructed transactions, corrected categories, reconciled every account, delivered year‑end package
Result: 100% accurate books; smooth, stress‑free tax filing
Client: 1099 subcontractor in construction
Challenge: 5 years unfiled, missing 1099s, mixed accounts, IRS non‑filer notices
Our Fix: Transcripts + deposit reconstruction, expense rebuild, sequential filings, penalty relief + installment plan
Result: Fully compliant; penalties reduced; no enforcement; peace of mind restored
Client: New single‑member LLC
Challenge: No bookkeeping system; confusion about estimated taxes & deductions
Our Fix: Clean setup + categories, estimate plan, mileage/receipt workflow, year‑end checklist
Result: On‑time filings; accurate books from month one; owner understands cash flow & taxes
Client: Multi‑state construction firm (WI, IL, MI)
Challenge: Six years of incorrect filings, payroll tax issues, and IRS/state notices
Our Fix: Rebuilt books, fixed payroll, corrected returns, resolved nexus, and negotiated with IRS
Result: Payroll liability cut from $87k → $14k, penalties removed, compliance restored
Client: 14-employee precision machining S-Corp, Racine County, ~$2.1M revenue
Challenge: Disconnected job costing spreadsheet, S-Corp W-2 set too low, Section 179 election missed on $210,000 equipment, Wisconsin sales tax exemptions not applied
Our Fix: Rebuilt job costing in QuickBooks, corrected S-Corp W-2, filed amended return claiming Section 179, recovered Wisconsin sales tax
Result: $71,400 federal tax refund; $6,200 WI sales tax recovered; $22,000 SEP-IRA established
Client: Milwaukee-area successor trustee; estate with Racine County rental property and brokerage account
Challenge: No one flagged Form 1041 obligation; 11 months elapsed; $34,000 distributed without DNI planning; rental property sale pending with 20+ years of depreciation
Our Fix: Filed Form 1041 on extension, allocated DNI to beneficiaries’ lower brackets, structured installment sale to spread recapture, handled Illinois beneficiary return
Result: No late-filing penalties; $5,100 year-one tax savings; $44,000 recapture gain deferred
If you recognized yourself in any of these stories, that’s a good sign. These are real scenarios — messy books, unfiled returns, multi-state confusion, trust paperwork, manufacturing numbers that don’t add up. A short conversation is usually enough to tell you whether we’re the right fit and what the path forward looks like.
No — and most people who call us don’t. Several clients in these case studies came to us with boxes of receipts, years of gaps, or almost no records at all. We’ll start with what you have and help reconstruct what’s missing. That’s part of the work.
It depends on how far back we’re going and how much documentation exists. A single-year bookkeeping catch-up can often be completed in a few weeks. Multi-year situations — like the construction case above — typically run two to four months. We’ll give you a realistic timeline up front before any work begins.
Not at all. Every client in these case studies was in a difficult spot when they called. We’ve seen it before — more than once. Our job is to fix the situation, not to make you feel bad about it.
Don’t ignore them any longer. Several of these situations involved IRS correspondence and state tax notices that had been sitting unopened. When you address things proactively, you typically have more options — including reduced penalties and manageable payment plans. We can help you understand exactly what you’re dealing with before deciding how to respond.
Yes. As shown in the construction case, we handle clients operating across state lines — including payroll tax registration, back-filing, and resolving assessments in Illinois, Michigan, and other states. If your business operates in multiple states, we understand the compliance requirements and know how to work through them.
Yes, and this is an area we’ve invested in specifically. We help manufacturers look at job costing, customer profitability, and underutilized deductions like Section 179. Knowing which work is profitable — and which isn’t — changes how you price, bid, and plan for growth.
Start by calling us. Estates and trusts have filing obligations most people don’t know about, and the timeline matters. We’ll walk you through what needs to be filed, when, and in what order — so nothing gets missed and you don’t accidentally create a problem by waiting.
It varies by scope, but we’re always transparent about pricing before any work begins. In most cases clients find that the value — recovered deductions, reduced penalties, avoided interest, or simply having clean books — more than covers the cost. We’ll tell you what’s involved and what it will cost before you commit to anything.
Schedule a consultation. We’ll talk through your situation, tell you honestly what we think needs to happen, and give you a clear next step. No pressure, no obligation — just a straightforward conversation.
Let’s fix this together.
from messy books to clean financials
A small business owner managing books with a mix of bank statements, spreadsheets, and outdated software—overwhelmed and unsure about accuracy with tax time approaching.
This is the cleanest my books have ever been. I finally understand my numbers.
Your books behind? We clean up situations like this regularly across Racine, Kenosha, and Southeast Wisconsin.
Schedule a free consult →judgment‐free catch‐up, start to finish
A 1099 subcontractor in construction with five consecutive years of unfiled returns, mixed accounts, and multiple IRS non‑filer notices.
I thought I was too far behind. You handled everything without judgment. I can finally sleep again.
Contractor with years of unfiled returns? We handle this. No judgment — just a clear plan forward.
Schedule a free consult →simple setup, clear plan, no penalties
A first‑time business owner who formed a single‑member LLC mid‑year and needed a clean accounting setup, clarity on estimated taxes, and confidence about what’s deductible.
It finally feels like there’s a plan. I’m not guessing anymore.
Just started your LLC? Let’s set up your books, estimates, and filings right from day one.
Get started →six years of damage, fully resolved
A mid‑sized construction subcontractor operating in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.
The company had grown quickly — from a single-member LLC to a 12‑employee S‑Corporation — but the accounting never kept up. After multiple bookkeepers, three payroll providers, and years of patch‑work tax filings, the owner realized the business was in serious trouble.
They contacted Jackson Titus & Associates after receiving:
The owner said:
“I don’t even know where to start. I think everything is wrong.”
They were right — but everything was fixable.
Result:
Four years of tax filings were filed under the wrong entity type.
$480,000 needed to be reconstructed and re‑depreciated.
This was the kind of case where one wrong move triggers audits in three states.
We built a multi‑stage recovery plan that addressed immediate threats first, then worked backward.
We contacted:
We successfully:
This stopped the bleeding.
We:
This established the correct filing position for all six years.
We:
The original $87,000 payroll tax “liability” dropped to $14,300.
We:
This prevented the states from initiating audits.
Using transcripts, invoices, and bank records, we:
This adjusted corporate income downward across multiple years.
We:
Once the books were clean, we re‑ran all tax calculations.
No penalties. No audit. Entity type aligned correctly.
All accepted. All penalties removed or reduced.
(VDA approval.)
Filed under reasonable cause.
From depreciation corrections and amended returns.
The owner finally understood the company’s real cash flow.
All accounts closed as compliant.
I thought this was the end. You rebuilt six years of my business and dealt with the IRS, Illinois, and Michigan like it was nothing. This is the first time I’ve slept in months.
Dealing with IRS notices or tax issues across multiple states? This is exactly what we do.
Schedule a free consult →from guessing which jobs made money to knowing — and getting a refund in the process
A 14-employee precision machining S-Corp in Racine County with roughly $2.1 million in annual revenue. The owner came to us after losing a contract bid he wasn’t sure he should have taken. He’d worked with the same bookkeeper for nine years. The books were clean on the surface — payroll on time, accounts reconciled — but job costing lived in a spreadsheet, the S-Corp W-2 hadn’t been reviewed in years, and a $210,000 CNC machining center purchased the prior tax year had never been discussed from a tax planning standpoint.
I had no idea I was leaving that kind of money on the table. The Section 179 refund alone covered years of accounting fees. And now I can see exactly which customers are making us money — that’s completely changed how I price new work.
Running a manufacturing business? Let’s find the money you’re leaving on the table.
Schedule a free consult →the estate was closed. the tax obligations weren’t.
A Milwaukee-area woman became sole successor trustee after her mother’s death. The estate held a Racine County rental property ($395,000), a brokerage account ($265,000), and several bank accounts. Her mother’s longtime family CPA filed the final Form 1040, issued a closing letter, and moved on. Eleven months later, the trustee received an unexpected brokerage K-1 and called us. She had never heard of Form 1041. The first trust tax year was approaching its deadline with no return prepared, and she had already distributed $34,000 to the two beneficiaries without realizing the income tax consequences.
My mother’s CPA is wonderful for what he does — but no one told me the trust had its own obligations. By the time I found you, I was already worried I’d done something wrong. You filed everything correctly, explained every piece of it, and took the whole thing off my plate.
Handling an estate or trust? We’ll guide you through every filing obligation — so nothing gets missed.
Get started →Messy books and unclear reports don’t have to slow you down. Get organized and take charge of your finances in 5 days.
Plus simple monthly tips to keep your books clean and stress-free..
