Business Tax Services
Business Tax Services

Strategic leadership. Trusted advice.

How Can We Help?

Tax is core to Smith + Howard’s DNA

Our roots going back over half a century were grounded in tax. Today, while we can serve every aspect of your business’ financial life, we still stand on a strong tax foundation. It’s our calling to put our tax expertise to work for your business.

How does this translate for your business? As a client of Smith + Howard, you benefit from committed brainpower and proactive support for business taxes.

How can your tax burden be reduced? We’ll bring our technical expertise and practical approach to achieve results for your business and stakeholders.

What are the plans for your business? Taxes can influence the timing and approach for strategic growth decisions. We’ve helped many businesses successfully navigate the path to growth and stability.

We make it our job to find solutions.

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A Firm of Distinction

4,000+
Tax clients served globally
14
Consecutive years as a Best of the Best firm in the US
99%
Average client retention
16
Average tenure (years) of our Partners, Principals and Managers
Industries FAQs Why Smith + Howard Our Tax Team Contact Us

Business Tax Services

Accounting for Income Taxes
  • In general terms, accounting for income taxes is recording the provision for taxes on your financial statements. If only it were that simple. It requires an understanding of both GAAP and tax law – neither of which is simple.
  • We take this a step further and integrate our provision work into the tax return compliance process while also seeking to identify potential tax planning opportunities.

Tax Planning and Compliance
  • If you only see your tax team once a year, you’re missing out. The entire year carries opportunity and it’s our job to ensure you take advantage of it.
  • How do business tax decisions relate to stakeholder taxes? What options do you need to consider? We quarterback, bringing fresh ideas to the table to ensure your tax liabilities are minimized and all reporting is done timely and accurately.

Entity Selection
  • Entity selection is one of the most important decisions your business will ever make. Your choice affects your business from day one. Tax, legal, and operational issues must all be considered. As your business evolves, you may need to rethink your original selection.
  • We can help you arrive at the best choice for today and for the future.

International Tax Services
  • Are you ready to expand your impact globally? Taxes when operating in foreign countries can be exponentially more complicated than when operating in a single country.
  • We’re here to translate the rules and make sure you pay the right taxes to the right governments at the right time. As you ready your business to take on the world, we will help to keep you in compliance while minimizing your tax burden.

Multistate Tax Services
  • Every state has a unique and evolving set of tax laws and incentives that carry potential hidden costs and exposure to unnecessary taxes. With the right experts on your side, you can capitalize on opportunities and minimize your tax liability.
  • Let Smith and Howard’s multistate tax experts dig in on your behalf to ensure you’re taking full advantage of savings in every applicable state.

Private Equity
  • Buy, grow, sell, repeat. The goal? To create value in a tax efficient way. We work with portfolio companies throughout the value creation process.
  • Our advanced tax and business acumen means owners and operators get the required tax planning, timely communication, and practical advice throughout their journey.

Succession Planning
  • Have you identified the next generation of leaders for your business? A thoughtful succession planning strategy is key to ensuring your business can and will survive.
  • Whether it’s a family transition, a management buy-out, or a sale, we’ll help you evaluate the options that will meet your needs in a tax-efficient manner.

Tax Controversy
  • Few things are more panic-inducing than an official notice from the IRS or a state tax department.
  • Notices and audits do not scare us, and we will handle them quickly to ease your concerns. You can trust us when we say, “We’re from Smith + Howard and we’re here to help!“

Tax Credits and Incentives
  • Do you ever wonder if you are taking advantage of all the tax incentives that are available to you?
  • You can rely on our in-depth understanding of the available federal and state credits, deductions and incentives to confirm you receive all the savings that you are entitled to.

Tax Transaction Advisory Services
  • Whether you’re buying or selling a business, the transaction is a significant milestone and not something to take lightly. The risks and the rewards are many and the tax and non-tax considerations are complex.
  • We understand the business complexities and personal challenges involved and will partner with you every step of the way.
What clients are saying
Abatement Technologies Client Testimonial

“In recent years, Smith + Howard has been invaluable in keeping us abreast of changes to the tax code and wider environment. They’ve guided us through complex issues we had no knowledge of, and time and time again, it’s proved to be invaluable for us.”

Tom Nahigian, retired CFO of Abatement Technologies

“We use Smith + Howard for our audit, tax and special project work. Their advice and counsel is exceptional. Most recently, without Smith + Howard’s advice, we would have missed out on a $4M refund from a tax incentive program.”

David Seem, CFO, Miller-Zell

“Their mindset is different. They’re constantly looking to see what our objectives are and they’re giving us the best possible advice and keeping up with all the rules and regulations. It’s like having an expert looking over your shoulder with what you’re doing.”

Raj Anand, CEO, Southern States, LLC

Industry Knowledge + Expertise

In any industry: we’ve got your back.

CONSTRUCTION
DISTRIBUTION
FRANCHISING
HEALTHCARE
HOSPITALITY
INSURANCE
MANUFACTURING
NONPROFIT
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
REAL ESTATE

What plans do you have for your business?

At any stage, from startup to liquidity event, we are the tax professionals who will support your business for the long-term. Let us help you find the opportunity in tax laws.

Talk to an Expert Today

A Nationally Recognized Accounting Firm

With clients in all 50 states and many with operations around the world, Smith + Howard brings an extraordinary level of expertise and knowledge to serve you.

Our tax DNA permeates our approach to every client, whether you’re down the street or on the other side of the world. It is part of what repeatedly lands us on the client-nominated USA Today Top Accounting and Tax Firm list and the IPA National Best of the Best list.

We invite you to connect with us and tell us more about your business.

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Why S+H?

Smith + Howard is a tax firm of distinction built on dedicated, personal service, responsiveness, and technical expertise.

Our reputation is one of doing exceptional, creative work. We build long-term relationships with our clients, forming a partnership to meet holistic tax and business needs.

Nicole Davis
 CPA
Partner
Smith + Howard Advisory LLC

I always put our clients first and try to be as proactive as possible. Our jobs are a very important part of our client’s lives, and I want them to know we recognize and respect that, as well as appreciate them.

Mark E. Abrams
 CPA/PFS, CFP®
Partner
Smith + Howard Advisory LLC

Ultimately, doing the little things the right way when no one is watching every day is the path to achieving success. It permeates throughout all interactions with our people, clients and community. I strive to make the most out of my interactions and relationships with the goal of adding value wherever and whenever I can.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is it like to work with Smith + Howard?

Working with Smith + Howard is like working with an old friend who is also a tax expert. It is a stress-free, collaborative experience.

You benefit from our streamlined systems for data-gathering, sending information, communication, and sharing. When you need us, we are there. For any inquiry, you will get a response in 24 hours or less. Our tax team understands that every minute that goes by can be impactful to your business and stakeholders.

Working with us is easy because tax is in our DNA: we live, eat and breathe tax, seeking to reduce your tax burden and formulate strategies that will support your business growth. More than just tax experts; we are your skilled partners who understand your business and how tax decisions support the bigger picture of all you aim to achieve.

Most clients work with us for the long term. That stems from the fact that we have a strong and healthy culture with happy employees who enjoy a professional and personal supportive environment, consistently ranking as a Best Firm to Work. This results in an enjoyable working experience for our clients and our people. 

Your taxes aren’t all we consider when you work with us: we always think about other ways we can add value, solve problems, and reduce pain points. We address your tax issues and then coordinate with others in the firm and with your closest advisors to ensure that we are always considering all the needs of your business. 

That’s what your experience is like. We are proud to provide reliable, attentive, expert service to every client.

How will Smith + Howard’s tax services be able to grow with my business?

Your growth is on our mind: it has been our mission since day one to build capacity and structure with scale in order to always be able to meet the needs of our clients. We continuously increase our expertise and service offerings so that our tax department becomes your company's tax department. We bring strategic insights, best practice recommendations, and creative brain power to help you navigate every phase of your growth. Your tax team will expand to meet your needs while developing a true partnership relationship with you. 

Our tax clients include local, national, and international organizations with varying degrees of complexity. We’ve worked to help companies launch, scale, sell, merge, acquire, and more. Our average client retention rate of 99% speaks to the power of the long-term relationships we build and our ability to serve our clients as they grow.  

Though we are your tax team, we don't just stop at taxes. We can help with estate planning, wealth management, and cyber risk assessment, to name a few. Please look at our website to see all the ways we can help your business as it grows or connect with us today to learn more about our team and services.

What kind of client is right for Smith + Howard?

The right client for the tax team at Smith + Howard has complex needs that require a sophisticated tax approach. We love solving problems and finding solutions; business leaders who are open and enthusiastic about engaging smart problem-solving accountants find deep value in their work with us.

Those who wish to better position themselves in the market, engage in strategic tax planning, and understand how taxes impact every business decision will find a ready and willing partner in us.Often, businesses come to Smith + Howard in a period of transition and growth and when they are looking for a true partner to address all their tax needs

For example, one of our many long-term tax clients is a manufacturer that went from operating at a loss to earning a profit. They needed help in maximizing the utilization of their prior losses to defer paying taxes while conserving cash needed to continue to fund growth. Their existing tax advisor was not up to the challenge. This was the right client for us as we were able to navigate the tax issues so that the tax losses were able to offset taxable income. We were the right fit for them because we had the expertise and the responsiveness needed along with a genuine desire to help them successfully address the challenge.

We want to work with clients who share our values and quest for excellence. If you require an elevated approach, creative thinking, and world-class tax expertise, you are the right type of client for Smith + Howard. Contact us to learn more.

How is Smith + Howard different from other firms?

We believe that how clients talk about us is the best way to answer this question.  After years of client surveys and conversations, we found some standout traits that our clients consistently identify as our differentiators. Being accountants, we created an acronym for it: TRPCCK (pronounced “ter-pick”)

Team extension

Responsive

Problem solvers

make Connections

provide Confidence

Knowledge

This is what our clients say about us, and we are committed to personifying TRPCCK in every client relationship. One way we do this is with the personal attention given by a tax partner to ensure a seasoned perspective and unparalleled knowledge.

Not all CPAs are alike, and not all firms will provide the same kind of experience. We are different and we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the difference to you.

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Let’s talk about how you’re looking to grow your business

At each step of the way, we will work with you to maintain compliance and minimize your taxes, while establishing a long-term relationship built on quality counsel and efficient, responsive service.