You're not a Direct Care practice. There's still a good conversation here.
We built this firm around Direct Care, and that focus is deliberate. But the work underneath it — a documented tax strategy, a real read on your cash, books that close on time — is the same work that makes any owner-run business easier to run. We keep a select group of clients outside Direct Care, and we'd rather tell you honestly whether we're a fit than sell you something.
What tax advisory actually is
Most business owners have a tax preparer. Far fewer have a tax strategy, and the difference between the two is worth real money.
A tax strategy is a proactive, documented plan built around your income, your entity, and where your business is headed. It runs all year, not in the four weeks before a filing deadline. Preparation reports what already happened. Advisory changes what happens next — which means the decisions that matter get made while there's still time to make them differently.
What we actually work on
Identifying and using the deductions, credits and deferrals that fit your situation. Timing income and expenses across tax years deliberately. Getting your entity structure right for the business you have now. Aligning your personal and business tax decisions so they stop working against each other. And planning ahead of the big events — a sale, an acquisition, a major investment — rather than reacting to them.
How the year runs
Plan. We build a tax plan that fits your goals and write it down, so you can hold us to it.
Prepare. We identify and organise the documents, reports and filings the plan depends on.
Monitor. We track progress against the plan through the year, while there's still room to adjust.
File. Compliance handled — as the output of a strategy, not as the whole service.
Filing comes last on purpose. It's the part everyone sells; it's the part that matters least to what you keep.
Three services. Take one, or take the whole finance function.
Tax Advisory & Planning
A documented, proactive tax strategy built around your entity, your income and your goals — reviewed through the year, not reconstructed in April. Annual returns are included as the output, not the offer.
Fractional CFO
Financial strategy and forecasting, cash flow management, and systems and process optimisation. The strategic financial leadership of a CFO, at a fraction of a full-time hire — useful when revenue is growing but margins are unclear, or you're preparing to raise, sell, or scale.
Bookkeeping & Payroll
Monthly accounting — transaction categorisation and reconciliation, monthly reporting, AP and AR tracking, budget and expense monitoring. Full-service payroll as an add-on: processing, direct deposits, tax filings, year-end W-2s and 1099s. Take either, or bundle both.
You get a team of three, not a preparer with a busy season.
Three steps, and the first one is free.
No discovery gauntlet and no proposal you have to chase. You'll know after one conversation whether this is worth continuing.
What owners like you say about the work.
“Nate and his team bring both a high-level overview of our business' financial and structural health as well as very granular and detailed reporting and tools specific to our business. The groundwork they have helped lay is setting a foundation for more growth that we could not have accomplished on our own.”
“Nate and his team are of the highest caliber. My wife and I have a small business and would not be where we are without them. We went through 3 CPAs in 4 years and feel very blessed we have been working with Goodman CPA the last few years. They are innovative and forward thinking to help maximize tax savings.”
“Aside from having a better financial perspective for my business, I also have actionable follow up through their CFO role in my small business. Really grateful that this small business has blessed my life.”
What owners ask when they land on this page.
Your whole site is about Direct Care. Why would you take my business?
Because specialising in Direct Care changed how we work, not who we're capable of helping. The tax strategy, the CFO discipline and the clean-books operation are the same underneath. We're selective about clients outside Direct Care so that focus stays real — which means the honest answer on a first call is sometimes that we're not the right firm for you. You'll get that answer straight.
What's the difference between tax preparation and tax advisory?
Preparation reports what already happened. Advisory changes what happens next. A preparer files an accurate return on what you did last year; an advisor is looking at your numbers during the year, while the entity structure, the timing of income and expenses, and the big decisions can still be influenced. We do both — but the return is the output of the plan, not the product.
Do I need all three services?
No. Tax advisory, fractional CFO, and bookkeeping and payroll work independently, and payroll is an add-on to monthly bookkeeping rather than a requirement. Plenty of clients start with one. We'll tell you which one moves the needle first for your situation.
Can you help fix messy books?
Yes, and we don't mind the work. Cleanup is part of onboarding rather than a surprise line item, and it's usually the fastest way to get a real read on the business.
What software do you use?
QuickBooks Online and Gusto, primarily. Your Associate handles the setup or converts you to QBO, and is the person to ask when you have a question about your own file.
Are you only for small businesses?
No. We work with businesses at a range of sizes and stages. What matters more than size is whether you're owner-run and want someone looking at the numbers with you rather than just filing them.
We're not in North Carolina. Does that matter?
No. We're headquartered in Black Mountain and work with clients in all 50 states — video meetings, shared documents, same-business-day responses.
What does it cost?
It depends on which services you need and how much cleanup is involved, so we price it after the first conversation rather than guessing at it here. You'll get a number before you commit to anything.
Let's find out whether we're a fit.
A free strategy session is a real look at your numbers — your entity structure, your compensation, your margins. You'll leave with specifics you can act on whether or not you hire us, and we'll tell you plainly if we're not the right firm.