JTA-CPA — FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You Have Questions. We Have Honest Answers.
These are the questions we hear most from business owners before they reach out — and our real answers. No sales language, no runaround.
Getting Started
New to JTA-CPA or thinking about making a switch? These questions cover what the first conversation looks like, what to expect from onboarding, and how to get moving without it feeling complicated.
What happens during the first consultation?
Our first conversation is simple and completely pressure-free. We spend 30 to 45 minutes talking about your business — how it’s structured, where your books stand right now, and what’s been frustrating you about your current situation. We ask a few targeted questions about your revenue, how you’re handling taxes, and what your goals are for the next year or two.
From there, we’ll give you our honest read on where we can add value and what engagement with JTA-CPA would actually look like. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you that too. The goal of the first call is clarity — not a sales pitch.
How do I get started?
Schedule a consultation using the button on this page. Once you do, we’ll confirm timing and send a brief intake form so we’re prepared before we talk. The intake takes about five minutes and covers the basics: business type, how long you’ve been operating, who handled your taxes last year, and what you’re hoping to get out of the conversation.
After the consultation, if it makes sense to move forward, we’ll outline a clear engagement scope and fee structure in writing before anything begins. No surprises.
What do I need to provide to get started?
The initial consultation doesn’t require anything in advance — just your time and some basic context about your business. If we decide to move forward, we’ll send a structured onboarding checklist tailored to your situation. It typically includes prior-year tax returns (two to three years), current-year financials or bookkeeping access, and basic entity and ownership documentation.
If your books are behind or your records are incomplete, that’s fine. We don’t need everything to be perfect before we start. Getting organized is often part of the work.
How do you communicate, and how fast do you respond?
We communicate primarily by email and phone, with scheduled calls when a topic warrants a real conversation rather than a chain of back-and-forth messages. For straightforward questions, you can expect a response within one business day — usually the same day. For questions that require pulling your records or running numbers, we’ll acknowledge your message and give you a realistic timeframe rather than leaving you waiting without an update.
There is no phone tree, no ticketing system, and no rotating staff. When you reach out, you’re reaching someone who actually knows your file.
Is switching accountants going to be a headache?
Most clients expect the transition to be painful and are genuinely surprised by how smooth it is. We coordinate directly with your prior accountant to request prior-year returns, workpapers, and any open items. We review everything carefully before we take over so we understand the full history of your books and taxes.
We handle the IRS and state authorization paperwork where needed, and we keep you informed at each step of what we’ve received and what’s still pending. The transition is on us to manage — not on you to chase.
How do I know I can trust you?
Trust matters — especially with someone who has access to your financial records, tax history, and business strategy. Our firm is built on three things: credentials, transparency, and consistency.
Steven Towne holds active CPA, CIA, and CISA certifications — professional licenses that require ongoing ethics education and are subject to disciplinary action. We explain what we’re doing and why at every step, return communications promptly, and don’t disappear after tax season. Our goal is to be someone you still trust five years from now — not just someone who filed your return this year.
Working Together
We get asked a lot about what it’s actually like to work with JTA-CPA day to day. These answers cover how the ongoing relationship works and what sets this firm apart from the typical tax-season-only accountant.
Will I feel like just another number?
No — and this is something we’re deliberate about. We intentionally keep our client list at a size where every client gets real attention from an experienced CPA, not a rotating cast of staff. You work directly with Steven Towne on your engagement. When something comes up mid-year — a major purchase, a business decision with tax implications, a payroll question — you reach the person who actually knows your situation, not a call center.
We don’t outsource your work, we don’t hand you off to a junior associate at tax time, and we don’t make you re-explain your background every time you call.
Are you just going to show up at tax time?
No. Filing your return is the output of good year-round accounting — not the whole job. We focus heavily on ongoing work: monthly or quarterly bookkeeping, payroll coordination, quarterly estimated tax planning, and regular check-ins on where your numbers stand.
The goal is that by the time we prepare your return, there are no surprises. Everything has been tracked, planned for, and optimized throughout the year. Tax season should feel like a confirmation of what we already know — not a scramble to figure out where last year went.
Do you really take time to understand my business?
Yes — and this is genuinely how we work, not just how we market it. Before we give advice, we want to understand your business model, your revenue cycle, how you’re structured, what your margins look like, and what you’re trying to build. A contractor doing percentage-of-completion accounting has very different needs than a physician setting up an S-Corp. Generic advice doesn’t serve either of them well.
That understanding is also what allows us to flag things you wouldn’t necessarily think to ask about — depreciation strategies, retirement plan options, entity restructuring — because we know your situation well enough to recognize the opportunity.
My past accountant never explained anything. Will this be different?
That’s one of the most consistent frustrations we hear from new clients, and it’s something we take seriously. You have a right to understand what’s happening with your own finances.
We explain our work in plain language — what we did, why it matters, and what it means for you going forward. We don’t use jargon to seem sophisticated. If you ask a question, you get a real answer. If something we’ve explained isn’t clear, we keep going until it is.
Your Situation
Whether your books are behind, you have unfiled returns, or something just arrived from the IRS — these are the situations that can feel stressful to bring up. We’ve handled all of them. Here’s what you actually need to know.
My books are a mess — should I be embarrassed?
Not at all — and we mean that. Messy books are one of the most common situations we encounter, and they’re almost always the result of a business growing faster than its accounting systems, not a reflection of how the owner runs the business.
Cleanup work is something we do regularly. We’ve taken clients from two or three years of uncategorized transactions, missing reconciliations, and no clear picture of profitability to a fully organized, current set of books. It takes time to work through, but we do it systematically and without judgment. What matters is getting it right going forward.
What if I haven’t filed taxes in a few years?
We can help. This is a situation we handle more often than most people realize. The first step is understanding the full picture: what years are unfiled, whether you’re in IRS systems for those years, and what your realistic liability looks like once returns are properly prepared with all applicable deductions.
From there, we prepare and file the missing returns in the correct order, coordinate with the IRS or state where there are outstanding notices or balances, and help you get into compliance. In many cases, the actual liability is lower than people fear. Getting current eliminates the ongoing risk of penalties and collection activity. Staying stuck makes it worse.
What if I receive an IRS notice or letter?
Don’t panic — most IRS notices are routine and many are resolvable without significant consequence. The most important thing is to not ignore it and to respond within the timeframe stated on the notice.
IRS notices cover a wide range: math corrections, identity verification requests, balance due notices, audit notifications. The nature and urgency vary significantly. What they have in common is that they get more complicated — and more expensive — the longer they sit unanswered.
If you’re already a client, forward the notice to us immediately and we’ll assess it and respond on your behalf. If you’re not yet a client and you’ve received a notice you’re unsure about, reach out — we can review it and tell you exactly what you’re dealing with before you decide anything.
What if I’m being audited?
An audit doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. The IRS audits returns for a range of reasons — statistical anomalies, mismatched information reports, industry-specific patterns — many of which have nothing to do with actual errors on your part.
If you receive an audit notice, contact us immediately. As a CPA, Steven Towne can represent clients before the IRS at all examination levels. We’ll review your records against what’s being examined, prepare a complete response, and handle all direct communication with the IRS on your behalf. You won’t need to talk to them directly.
The most important thing you can do if you’re audited is not respond on your own. Unrepresented taxpayers routinely create additional problems by providing too much documentation, saying too much, or agreeing to assessments they could have challenged. Let us handle it.
Am I too small for your firm?
No. We work with small and mid-sized businesses across a wide range of industries — from sole proprietors just getting organized to established businesses generating several million in revenue. We also work with individuals who have complex tax situations, significant assets, or simply want a CPA who pays close attention.
We don’t have a minimum revenue threshold. What matters more is whether we’re a good fit for the kind of work you need done and the kind of relationship you want with your accountant.
Tax Strategy & Planning
This is where the real money is. Tax planning — done year-round, before the return is ever filed — is what separates a CPA who saves you money from one who simply documents what happened. These questions cover the forward-looking work we do.
What’s the difference between tax planning and tax preparation?
Tax preparation is backward-looking — it’s the process of documenting what already happened during the year and filing your return accurately. Tax planning is forward-looking — it’s the work done throughout the year to structure decisions, timing, and your financial picture so that when we prepare the return, we’ve already minimized your liability as much as legally possible.
Most CPA firms focus almost entirely on preparation. But filing a return for last year’s numbers doesn’t change last year’s numbers. What changes your tax outcome is the advice and decisions made before December 31. That’s where the real value is, and it’s where we spend most of our energy.
What is an S-Corp and should I consider one?
An S-Corporation is a tax election that allows business income to pass through to the owner’s personal return while potentially reducing self-employment taxes. For the right business at the right income level, it’s one of the most effective legitimate tax strategies available to small business owners.
Whether it makes sense for you depends on your net income, how much you’re currently paying in self-employment taxes, and what a reasonable compensation for your role would look like. It also comes with ongoing compliance requirements — payroll, reasonable salary documentation, quarterly filings — that have to be handled properly to protect the tax benefits.
This is a conversation worth having if your business generates consistent net profit above roughly $40,000 to $50,000 and you haven’t evaluated your entity structure recently. Many small business owners are paying significantly more in self-employment taxes than they need to.
How can I reduce my taxable income as a business owner?
The honest answer is: it depends on your structure, industry, and current situation. But the areas that consistently produce the most impact are entity structure (S-Corp election and reasonable compensation strategy), retirement plan contributions (SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), defined benefit plans), timing of income and deductible expenses, depreciation strategy (Section 179 and bonus depreciation on equipment and assets), and home office and vehicle deductions applied correctly.
The key word is “correctly.” There’s a lot of folklore about what you can deduct, and both extremes are costly — leaving legitimate deductions on the table, or claiming things that create audit exposure. We take a methodical approach: understand your full situation, apply everything you’re entitled to, and document it properly so it holds up if questioned.
Costs & Practical Details
Straightforward answers about how we price our work, what the logistics of working with a fully digital firm look like, and what you can expect before you commit to anything.
How does your fee structure work?
We price engagements based on scope, not hours. Before we begin any work, we provide a written engagement letter that outlines exactly what’s included and what it costs. No billable-hour surprises, no “we didn’t realize how long it would take” conversations after the work is done.
For ongoing engagements — monthly bookkeeping, year-round advisory, payroll — fees are set at a fixed monthly amount. For project work — tax return preparation, cleanup, one-time planning — fees are quoted upfront based on the complexity and scope. If the scope changes materially, we discuss it before the additional work happens, not after.
I’m worried about the cost — will it be worth it?
It’s a fair concern, and one we’d rather address directly. Our goal isn’t to be the cheapest option — it’s to be worth more than we cost. Better tax planning, cleaner financials, proper entity structure, year-round advisory, and fewer mistakes routinely produce savings that exceed what clients pay in fees.
The clients who get the most value aren’t always the ones with the biggest businesses. They’re often the ones who were leaving money on the table with their old approach — paying self-employment taxes they didn’t need to, missing depreciation on equipment, running through a personal tax return when an S-Corp would have saved them thousands.
We’ll give you a clear, written picture of what engagement looks like before you commit to anything.
How do you handle client documents?
Securely and entirely digitally. We operate as a fully digital firm — no paper passing back and forth, no documents sent as email attachments, and no physical folders sitting around an office.
All client documents are exchanged through secure, encrypted client portals. You upload what we need, we share what we’ve prepared, and everything is organized and accessible to you whenever you need it. Documents are retained according to professional standards, and access is controlled and audited. Your information doesn’t travel through unsecured channels.
Do you work with modern accounting software?
Yes. Our primary platforms are QuickBooks (Online and Desktop) and Sage Intacct, and we’re experienced with both the day-to-day bookkeeping environment and the reporting layer that sits on top of them.
If you’re not currently using accounting software — or you’re using something that isn’t working — we can help you evaluate the right option for your business size, industry, and how your team actually operates. We won’t push a specific platform for its own sake; we’ll recommend what actually fits your situation.
JTA CPA serves clients across Mount Pleasant, Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Chicago, and the broader Southeast Wisconsin region. We provide a full range of professional services — including tax preparation, accounting, bookkeeping, business advisory, QuickBooks consulting, and assurance support — with a commitment to accuracy, transparency, and exceptional client service. As a local firm invested in our community, we’re here to help individuals and small businesses plan confidently, stay compliant, and make informed financial decisions.
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Ready to Have a Real Conversation?
If any of this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, let’s talk. One conversation — no pressure, no commitment.
No pressure. Just a conversation about your business.
