bridging a gap for my clients

When I began building my personal tax practice in 2009, I noticed a common frustration among individuals and families: many were paying surprisingly high fees at strip-mall tax franchises for relatively straightforward tax returns. Those advertised base prices often increased quickly once common items like investments, dependents, or education expenses were added.

I also observed that the level of training and experience among preparers at these franchises could vary widely. While there were certainly some capable professionals, clients often had an inconsistent experience from year to year depending on who prepared their return.

This reinforced my belief that clients deserve something better: consistent, CPA-level tax expertise at a fair price. My goal was and remains to provide reliable, high-quality service so clients could feel confident their taxes were handled correctly every year—not left wondering.

I also found great professional satisfaction in working directly with individuals and families who personally feel the impact of taxes paid or refunded. This client-focused approach was a meaningful complement to my background working with larger accounting firms performing impersonal corporate audit engagements.

That philosophy became the foundation of my CPA firm. Over time, clients’ trust and positive experiences naturally led to expanded services that my clients value and ask for - such as small businesses, rental properties, changing family situations, and side hustles.  Today, I’m proud to support hard-working individuals and small business owners with personalized, dependable financial services designed around their needs.

Before starting Lambertus CPA, I spent 14 years in public accounting firms (regional and Big 4) providing audits, controls and compliance services to a wide variety of organizations. I rounded out the rest of my career with private enterprises in various technical positions including internal audit, securities and regulatory reporting, compliance testing, and governance, risk, and controls.

I am a native West Virginian (Mountaineers Are Always Free) and graduated with dual degrees in engineering and economics; during my senior year I took an accounting class and never looked back - at least not at economics (IYKYK).  I moved to Colorado to ski while working my way through night school for Accounting.  I began my professional accounting career in Denver and fell in love with the west, ultimately settling in Phoenix in 2005 where even the dry heat is its own form of paradise.  When I am not working, I still enjoy skiing when the weather cooperates, hiking, home improvement, and attempting to play golf.