In addition to providing tax preparation services to individuals and businesses, we provide a number of services for our clients that you might not expect from an accounting firm. Our goal is to differentiate our firm by providing more services and information than our competition. This allows our clients to solve business or personal financial issues outside the realm of mainstream accounting.
Similar to a family physician, in areas where we do not have the in-house expertise necessary to answer your questions, we have teamed up with other highly qualified professionals who will offer no obligation consultations on how they can assist in solving your problems. (We do not receive any compensation for these referrals; we do this because we are committed to helping our clients to achieve their financial goals and realizing their dreams.)
Staff
Our experienced team of Professionals is here to help with your taxes, business and personal, as well as all of your accounting needs.
Maria Portaro, Adminstrative Assistant, Payroll Specialist, Business Client Services
Lisa Holt, Tax Preparer
Tim Pinkelman, CPA tpink@accounting-centers.com Tim, President of Accounting Center and Tax Services, Inc (ACTS), has over 25 years of diverse experience in growing small businesses – both his own and others where his value to the customers is always key. A Toledo native, Central Catholic High School and University of Toledo graduate, using his entrepreneurial skills, Tim purchased a CPA firm and in late 2006 purchased a tax practice. He efficiently merged the two firms weeks before the 2007 tax season creating ACTS.
As a licensed CPA in both Michigan and Ohio, Tim brings a fresh approach to small business accounting. Graduating with a Master’s in Accountancy in 1981, he worked for Ernst & Young and by 1984 began his adventures in the trenches of small business with experiences in industries of human resources, staffing, heating and cooling contractors and property management. His duties at these firms included director of finance, auditor, planning, treasurer and general manager.
In 1999, Tim began six years as an instructor at Bowling Green State University teaching Information Systems, Accounting Principles and Entrepreneurship. Just to keep his fingers on the pulse of small business, he presently owns a summertime deck refinishing business that is managed by his nephew who uses the documented procedures Tim developed to increase referrals, quality and pricing. Tim knows how to not only manage and grow businesses, he’s not afraid to really dig in and see what makes things tick.
Personally Speaking
A family man by nature, Tim has been married over 25 years to his high school sweet heart, Janet. He has coached two daughters through sports and they are now defining their own futures at college. He is active in outreach to entrepreneurial youth and always willing to help teach. Tim practices the ancient proverb “Teach a person to fish and they will eat for a lifetime” in his business and personal life.
“My desire to see businesses succeed is best characterized by my dedication and enjoyment of my hobby, water skiing. Having water skied since my dad first towed me behind his small power boat as a young boy; I have become the ski coach at our family’s lake property. I pride myself in getting anybody up on skis by not only showing them simple techniques, but also by making sure they are smiling and having fun. Business should be like that, too. If you’re not smiling and having fun, I want to help you find the problem in your business and give you solutions to make it great.”
--Tim Pinkelman
Qualifications:
- Certified Public Accountant since 1984
- Masters of Accountancy
- Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance
- 14 Years Public Accounting & Consulting experience
- Owner-operator of two businesses
- Certified Quickbooks Pro Advisor
Memberships:
Lori A. King, CPA lking@accounting-centers.com A Tiffin University graduate, Lori has over 20 years of experience in the accounting industry. While attending Norwalk Catholic High School, discovered her love of math, but a career in education wasn’t her style. While starting her college career in administrative services, she discovered accounting that blended both her math and business skills. She has worked for several accounting firms and in 1992 joined the Accounting Center under its previous ownership and continues to provide outstanding client service in tax preparation and business accounting.
Lori likes to remind her clients that “since you are paying me for my expertise, maybe you should listen and implement the plans”. She has expertise in the health professions especially with chiropractic and psychological service firms. When it comes to assisting clients she often acts as the go-between when clients need to talk with the IRS.
“Recently, I was doing personal taxes for a client and I noticed prior to our firm working with them, they had some IRS problems that required them to be on monthly payments.” says Lori. “Upon closer look, I found a miscalculation on the owed taxes and when I talked with the IRS we were able to correct the payment amount and they were refunded over $6000 in interest and penalties that were over and above the taxes.”
Personally Speaking
Lori has been married since 1987 to Mark, a Toledo Police Officer and joins him as the proud parents of 3 children from elementary to high school. She enjoys walking, hiking and camping with her family and finds that most of her spare time is spent watching games, being a line judge for volleyball or chauffeuring kids places.
Qualifications:
- Certified Public Accountant since 1991
- Bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting
Christine Boggs cboggs@accounting-centers.com Christine, Vice President of 1st Impressions, is a lifelong Toledoan. She is a key member of our bookkeeping staff and is usually the first person you will connect with at ACTS - either in person at our offices or over the phone. During the tax season, Christine keeps the phones answered, schedules clients with tax prepares, assists with tax return assembly and assists in electronic filling of tax returns.
Personally Speaking
Christine loves to read novels with James Patterson and Steven King two of her favorite authors. She has been married to Bob for 15 years and loves to spend time with her 3 nephews. She, like both Tim and Lori, is a graduate of Central Catholic High Shool.
Maria Portaro, mport@accounting-centers.com Business Services Coordinator, Payroll Specialist Maria Portaro joined ACTS in November of 2007 and wears a variety of hats – Administrative Assistant, Business Client Services Coordinator, and Payroll Specialist. She is a graduate of Bedford High School (yes, she is a mule!) growing up in Lambertville and a summa cum laude graduate of Ithaca College with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theater. She spent 4 years in New York City testing the waters of the theater and found her talents lent themselves to organizing businesses, children and selling! Missing the Midwest she settled back here in June of 2007.
Personally Speaking. Maria has recently become engaged with a wedding planned for July 2008. Upon moving back to the Bedford community, she purchased a 150 year old home that she is lovingly restoring to its previous grandeur. She is a student of life and loves to learn.
Jan Carter, Tax Preparer Jan has been a tax preparer for ten years starting with Kupper Tax and Financial Services and joining ACTS for the 2007 tax season. A graduate of the University of Toledo with a degree in education, Jan taught math in the Bedford Schools for 26 years. After successfully raising two daughters she now spends her time when not doing taxes, keeping and caring for many Yorkshire terriers.
Personally Speaking
Jan was identified as a future tax preparer when she was teaching math to Steve Kupper's sons when she was told "when you retire, taxes are in your future." Jan enjoys every aspect of tax preparation especially helping people save money. She remembers a time when a client had a large personal lose due to a flood. The insurance company paid little and she was able to help the client document the extent of the loss and be able to have the loss deduction on his return.
Linda Fayerweather, MBA lfay@accounting-centers.com, Tax Preparer
With an MBA in Accounting from Augusta State University, Linda Lucas Fayerweather is tax preparer and consultant with ACTS. She is on the Board of Trustees for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Network (WEN) and currently serves as the Co-Executive Director. She has firsthand experience in the world of small business having owned and operated her own before and after school day care center in Maryland; counseled over 300 small business owners as Director of the Delaware Small Business Development Center; has done personal and small business taxes in Michigan, Ohio, Maryland and Delaware; and currently owns Changing Lanes LLC, a firm specializing and planning and lean office consulting. Linda earned a BS from Eastern Michigan University in Library Science and Science Education and spent 10 years educating junior high school students.
Personally Speaking
When Linda is not doing business activities, look for her in her Maumee, Ohio garden where she lives with Bill, her husband of 37 years, three mutts, and one ghost named Aunt Phoebe. Her two adult children have also chosen to live in Maumee and she has an adorable one year old grandson, her namesake, Lucas.
Lisa Holt, Tax Preparer
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