Clarity Tax & CPAs
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Clarity Tax & CPAs
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Lynden has relied on our knowledgeable CPAs, tax accountants and bookkeepers for professional tax services since 1976.
Farms and small businesses in Lynden turn to us to answer their questions and reduce their stress. And we're ready to help, whether you need help with bookkeeping, financial statement audits, or as a go-between with the IRS. We can also help you better understand and follow federal and state tax laws, including Washington's B&O tax on businesses.
We are open all year. Some CPA firms close up shop after tax season ends, but not us. Our Bellingham office stays open for you.
You don't take a break after tax season. Neither do we.
Our office sits about 15 miles south of downtown Lynden, a straight shot down the Guide Meridian (SR 539). Plenty of our Lynden and Front Street area clients work with us entirely by phone or video, but you are always welcome to visit our Bellingham CPA firm in person.
1326 E Laurel Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
About 15 miles, roughly a 25-minute drive south on the Guide Meridian (SR 539)
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
(360) 862-6556
Tax services for construction, farming, dairies, and other small businesses, financial statement audits, single audits, Yellow Book audits, HOA audits, year-round bookkeeping services, including B&O tax filing, and cross-border tax services for US and Canada tax residents
CPAs and IRS Enrolled Agents
1040, 1040-NR, Schedule C, Schedule E, Schedule F, 1120-S, 1065, 8938 (FATCA), FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR), 3520, 3520-A, 5471, 5472, 8621, and more
The tax services we provide for Lynden are specialized to meet the needs of our community. We've worked with local farms, dairies and other small businesses in Whatcom County for decades. We know Washington tax law, and what matters to you. That's why we stay open all year. We know tax issues can arise at any time, and work doesn't just stop after April 15th.
Lynden sits at the center of one of the most productive farming regions in the country. North Whatcom County grows the large majority of the red raspberries processed for foods in the United States, which is why Lynden is often called the raspberry capital of the country, and the area's Dutch dairy tradition reaches back to its founding in the 1870s. We have spent decades preparing Schedule F returns and keeping the books for the dairies, raspberry and blueberry growers, and hay farmers who define this community.
That farm economy shapes the questions we hear most. The raspberry harvest runs just a few weeks each summer and brings on thousands of seasonal workers, so payroll, labor reporting, and the timing of major equipment purchases all affect your bottom line. The Northwest Washington Fair and the winter Lynden Ag Show at the fairgrounds reflect how central agriculture is here, and it is the world we work in every day. Whether you sell at the farm gate, run cattle, or supply one of the national processors, we help you plan around your season instead of scrambling at tax time.
Spend any time in Lynden and you get to know its landmarks fast: the Dutch-themed storefronts and working windmill along Front Street, the Lynden Pioneer Museum with its two-story replica of the early town, the restored Waples Mercantile building, and the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds a few blocks north. Just outside town, Berthusen Park preserves a founding family's 1913 barn and original homestead. We mention the local color because the people behind it, the Front Street shop owners, the dairy and berry families, and the contractors working the valley, are the clients we file and plan for, and the local rules they deal with (from city business licensing to Whatcom County requirements) are part of what we account for. You can review the city's own requirements and resources through the City of Lynden official website.
Lynden farmers know they can trust us with their tax preparation. Since we work with so many farmers, we're very familiar with Schedule F. We count several dairies, hay farmers, berry farmers and other local agricultural businesses as satisfied clients.
Our experienced tax preparers and small business accountants can help you:
Construction accounting is very familiar to us. Did you know you can save thousands if you know the best deductions to take and how to depreciate your assets correctly?
These aren't the kinds of things the IRS will advertise to you, but it's our experienced tax preparers' job to identify money-saving deductions you may be eligible for.
Here are just a few of the things our tax services pros can help you with:
You might not need a CPA if you only have one source of income and no foreign accounts. But if you have rental property generating income, or you want to optimize your equity compensation, retirement and/or business activities, working with a CPA could save you money. And if you have foreign income, you should definitely consider asking a cross-border accountant to help you avoid double taxation.
If you're a Canadian working in Lynden, your tax situation can get complicated fairly quickly. Lynden sits right at the Lynden to Aldergrove border crossing on the Guide Meridian (SR 539), so cross-border questions are common here. Canada and the US may both try to claim you as a tax resident.
If you're required to report your worldwide income to the IRS and don't, the penalties can be enormous. Our cross-border tax manager, Kelly Sheng, CPA, can help you avoid double taxation. If you're already behind on your US taxes, you may be able to use the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures to catch up on back taxes. We may even be able to help reduce or even erase your penalty for not reporting your income on time.
You won't find this type of cross-border tax service at many CPA firms, but it's one of our specialties.
Following are some of our most popular tax services:
If you need help with tax prep, we've got your back. We do tax returns for both individuals and small businesses, including farms and dairies all over Whatcom County.
Individual tax returns take about 2 or 3 weeks, once you give us all of the information we need. A business return takes longer, depending on how complex your business is. Your tax preparer will give you a time estimate and quote you the cost before we begin to avoid any surprises.
Tax accountants can help more than you realize. When you file your own returns, you may be missing important deductions you could take to save on your tax bill. If you're a high earner looking for ways to cut your bill, we can also show you when might be the best time to buy new equipment from a tax perspective.
Bookkeeping services can help you stay on track all year, instead of scrambling at tax time. If you hate reconciling your accounts each month, let one of our experienced bookkeepers, including Tiffany van Duker, do it for you.
They can also track down past due payments, and catch any duplicate or suspicious charges quickly. If your records are clean and ready to go in the spring, you can save a lot of money on bookkeeping cleanup when you need to file your taxes, and your tax returns can be completed much faster.
They can even eliminate the headache you get when you try to figure out the ever-changing requirements for your Washington B&O taxes.
If IRS issues have you tearing your hair out, whether it's an audit you're facing or back taxes you owe, ask one of our CPAs or IRS Enrolled Agents to help you deal with the IRS to make it as painless as possible.
We speak taxes. We don't expect you to. Having an expert speak to the IRS on your behalf can save you a lot of money and stress.
We'll meet with you by phone, on video, or in person at our Bellingham office so we can see what you need and what's involved.
We'll send you a quote within 1-2 days. This is usually a flat fee, based on what you need.
We'll send you an engagement letter with all of the information.
We'll give you a single point of contact, someone who will work with you and answer any questions you have. We'll also assign a CPA to review your case.
Most individual tax returns take about 2-3 weeks once you give us all the info we need to prepare your return. A business tax return takes longer. We'll let you know upfront how long it will take.
The price you pay is usually a flat fee for the specific service you request. If you need a financial statement audit, single audit or Yellow Book audit, your cost is based on the complexity of your business and how many hours we think it will take.
If you need help with an IRS issue, we bill you by the hour. The total number of hours depends on how the IRS responds.
Tax preparation is based on your tax status (individual or business) and how complex your income is. Do you have any of the following types of income?
These types of income may require additional tax forms that have to be added to your tax return and increase the cost of your tax preparation. If you need bookkeeping cleanup services (you have unreconciled business accounts, haven't totaled up receipts or categorized business expenses, etc.) that could increase your cost as well.
Or visit our office at 1326 E Laurel Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.