Work With Us For Taxes
Work With Us For Taxes

Frequently Asked Questions.

Frequently Asked Questions2022-07-25T20:07:45+00:00
I’m behind on my books. How do you help with this?2022-06-23T18:03:36+00:00

It doesn’t matter if you are 1 month behind, or years behind.  We can help!  We have a Clean Up Service designed to solve this problem.

My lenders and investors ask for various reports on a regular basis. Can you help with this?2022-08-05T18:34:31+00:00

We definitely can!  Various reports are included as part of the services we provide.  As part of our bookkeeping service, you receive standard reports such as Profit and Loss Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Balance Sheet on a monthly basis.  As part of our CFO services, we also prepare other reports integral to the e-commerce industry.  Depending on which reports your lenders or investors need, they may already be ready and we can email them on your behalf.  We generally can prepare any report necessary even if it isn’t part of your service agreement.  We will never send reports to anyone without your permission as privacy is extremely important to us!

How do you maintain security and privacy?2022-06-23T18:18:33+00:00

We care deeply about the privacy of your information.  Our internal systems and servers are regularly updated and secured.  When we ask for access to your financial information, we use read-only access accounts whenever possible.  We store passwords in an encrypted password manager and eliminate unnecessary access to them.  We do not share reports or any information about your company with anyone other than the people you designate.  We also carry cyber, errors & omissions, and general liability insurance, which we’ve never had to use!

Is there a free trial? Can I try out your service before I make a decision?2022-06-23T18:24:22+00:00

Our monthly services are 100% risk-free.  We want all of our clients to be happy with our services! We will work tirelessly to satisfy you if you aren’t happy.  However, if you aren’t 100% satisfied after your first month, we will refund your monthly service fee, give you a virtual fist bump, and wish you the best!

One-time service charges such as our Clean-Up service are non-refundable.  There still isn’t a risk though!  If there is something you are not happy with, just let us know.  We’ll fix it!

Do I have to sign a contract? Am I locked in?2022-06-23T18:34:43+00:00

Prior to starting any services, there will be a service agreement that outlines what you will receive with our partnership.  Most of our services are generally month to month, and you can cancel at any time.

There are a few services that may take longer than a month, and some services may require pre-payments.  These will be outlined in the service agreement.

How much will this cost?2022-08-05T18:37:14+00:00

This is one of the most common questions we hear and it’s the hardest one to answer!  “It depends” is a terrible answer, but it’s the right one.   The needs of every business are different, which makes it difficult to put standardized pricing on our website.  It’s like asking for a prescription from a doctor without them ever diagnosing your problem!

The best bet is for you to schedule a strategy session with us.  We will discuss your business with you, customize solutions, and give a quote that makes sense.  We aren’t the cheapest out there, but we aren’t the most expensive either.  Our goal is to give you fair pricing based on your individualized situation.

Don’t worry – our prices are fixed, so you never have to wonder what your charges will be.  No one will be working 10x too slowly to charge you astronomical hourly rates.  We hate that too!

Are there still things I will need to do? Will I still need someone on staff?2022-08-05T18:37:59+00:00

We try to make things as painless as possible for you.  During your free strategy session, we will determine exactly which services you need.  You may want to keep control of certain things, or you may want us to handle everything.  We can make it so simple that you just review reports monthly.  We will need to communicate with you or someone on your staff on a regular basis, but accounting skills are not necessary.  We’ve got that covered!

During initial onboarding, we will work with you or your team to set up access to various accounts.

Why should we partner with Tall Oak Advisors for our finances?2022-08-05T18:47:27+00:00

That’s a great question!  I’m sure you are looking at other companies and want to know what makes us different.  I could go on and on for multiple paragraphs outlining why we are the best.  In fact, we have large lists of reasons on our bookkeeping services, CFO services, and tax services pages.

We’ll break it all down to three main points in case you don’t want to visit those pages:

  • You will improve your profitability.  You will receive financial reports that help drive decisions that increase profitability.  We also streamline accounts to ensure you pay as little as possible in taxes.  With our eCommerce CFO services, we regularly find ways to decrease expenses and increase revenue. We want to be part of your profit-driving team – not just another expense.
  • You will have peace of mind knowing we are e-commerce, tax, and financial experts.  All of our team members are put through months of training before they even look at your business.  Our bookkeepers receive Accounting Coach certifications, are Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisors, and consistently learn about the e-commerce industry.  We have CPAs, Accounting Majors, and e-commerce industry veterans on staff who all live and breathe finances, taxes, and e-commerce.  We buy courses on bookkeeping, finances, and e-commerce so we can stay fresh and up to date.  It’s a big deal that we have extremely smart people on our team because it ensures you receive rock-solid books and actionable advice to make you more profitable.
  •  You will have a team of people that want to see you succeed.   Everything we do is designed to make you more profitable, eliminate frustration, increase happiness, and improve the chances of reaching your financial goals.  We are reliable, knowledgeable, accurate, and communicate well.   Everything you want in a partner.  We want to be part of your internal team, not just another bookkeeper.   Your success is our success.
What if I don’t currently use Quickbooks?2022-06-24T13:52:05+00:00

You may be using one of the other platforms available for accounting such as Xero, Sage, Freshbooks, and Wave.  Or, you might not have anything other than tax returns or spreadsheets!  Our team is comprised of Quickbooks Certified ProAdvsiors, so can help move you over to Quickbooks with ease!  If you’ve never set anything up, we can start from scratch as well.

Why should I choose you instead of hiring a local bookkeeping service or local CPA?2022-08-05T18:45:33+00:00

The biggest difference between Tall Oak Advisors and local accounting firms is expertise.  Most accounting firms are “jack of all trade” type of firms, where they will have clients in multiple industries.  That’s right, the same person working on Suzy’s Nail Salon, John’s Trucking Service, Bob’s Construction Company, and Anna’s Sandwich Shop is working on your eCommerce business.  Let’s be honest here – eCommerce is tricky and there are a lot of moving parts.  They just don’t understand your business.  We do.  Both of our founders have operated eight-figure eCommerce businesses.  We know the eCommerce industry better than your local accounting firm, which means we can spot inaccuracies others can’t.  In addition, we know where to look to find the missing money and improve profitability.

There are many other reasons to choose Tall Oak Advisors over a local accounting firm:

  • We have multiple people on our team that can work on your account.  When your local accountant or bookkeeper goes on vacation, is sick, or is overwhelmed with work – your financials are not done in a timely manner. This means you can’t make decisions quick enough, which costs you money.  Your sales taxes might not get paid on time, and the reports you need for the bank aren’t ready.  Absolute chaos!
  • Our bookkeeping team is comprised of Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisors and Accounting Coach Certificate Recipients.  How much training has your local bookkeeper gone through?  You want everything to be rock solid in your business.  Our team goes through rigorous training before they ever touch your business.  The person doing your books locally might have spent 3 hours on Youtube to figure out bookkeeping.
  • We focus on making you more profitable.  Most CPAs only focus on the numbers.  They make sure the numbers are right for tax purposes, but give business owners minimal value outside of compliance.  Not only do we make sure the numbers are right, but we also look for ways to improve the profitability of your business.
What accounting software does Tall Oak Advisors support?2022-08-05T18:48:04+00:00

Our team is comprised of Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisors, and we are extensively familiar with Quickbooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online.   If you are currently using other software, we’ll be glad to help move you to Quickbooks.