Tax & Accounting Manager
Matt Wilkins, CPA, is a Tax & Accounting Manager with Schultz & Associates. He brings nearly two decades of public accounting experience to the firm. Matt has worked in public accounting since 2006. During that time, he has worked directly with businesses and their owners on accounting, tax compliance, tax planning and the financial issues that arise as companies operate and grow.
That experience is an important part of what Matt brings to Schultz & Associates. He developed his knowledge of accounting and taxation by applying the rules to real businesses year after year. Also, he has prepared and reviewed tax returns, worked through accounting problems and addressed unusual transactions. He has also helped business owners understand how tax and accounting decisions affect their companies.
After nearly 20 years in the profession, Matt has encountered many common business and tax issues more than once. That experience allows him to look beyond an individual transaction or tax return and understand how the pieces fit together.
A decision involving owner compensation, equipment purchases, a new entity or a change in operations can affect several areas at once. It may change the company’s financial statements, business tax returns and the owner’s individual tax situation. Matt’s experience helps him identify those connections and address the entire picture.
Matt has worked with many types of businesses throughout his career. That broad experience gives him a valuable perspective when a client presents something outside the ordinary. Every business is different, but accounting and tax issues often share similarities across industries. Matt can draw on years of practical experience when evaluating a new situation.
At Schultz & Associates, Matt works throughout the firm’s accounting and tax practice. He is also helping the Schultz team expand two areas where the firm has developed significant experience.
Ecommerce Accounting and Tax
One of those areas is e-commerce accounting and taxation. E-commerce companies can face accounting challenges that differ from those of traditional businesses. They may purchase inventory overseas, have goods in transit for extended periods and sell through several online platforms. Information from those systems must eventually flow into the company’s accounting records correctly.
Matt brings his years of accounting and tax experience to these engagements. He works with the Schultz team to help e-commerce businesses maintain accurate financial records, meet their tax obligations and understand what their financial statements are telling them.
U.S. Businesses Owned by Foreign Entities
Matt also works with U.S. companies wholly owned by foreign businesses or individuals. Foreign ownership can create accounting, income tax and reporting requirements that a typical domestically owned company may never encounter. These requirements can become especially important when transactions occur between the U.S. company and its foreign owner.
Matt helps these companies with their ongoing accounting and tax needs. He also works with the Schultz team to identify issues related to foreign ownership before they create filing or compliance problems.
Although e-commerce and foreign-owned U.S. businesses are growing areas of Matt’s practice, his role at Schultz & Associates is intentionally broader. He continues to work with businesses across many industries. He also works directly with owners who want an experienced CPA who understands both their financial statements and their taxes.
Matt attended Eastern Michigan University and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Michigan. Before joining Schultz & Associates, he spent nearly 20 years building his career in public accounting. His experience includes work with accounting firms in the Ann Arbor and Farmington Hills areas. He has also been active with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber and served on its Ambassador Committee.
For Matt, experience matters. Tax laws, accounting standards and technology continue to change, so research will always be part of the CPA profession. However, knowing the rule is only part of the job.
Knowing how that rule affects a company’s books, tax returns, owners and operations requires something more. It comes from years of applying those rules to real situations and solving real problems for clients.
That practical experience is what Matt brings to Schultz & Associates and the businesses we serve.