Professional Services

Shepard Schwartz & Harris understands the needs of professional services entities – organizations comprised of highly trained and talented professionals who have limited time to run their business and need more time to work with their patients or clients.  We have extensive experience advising a wide variety of professionals, including doctors, dentists, lawyers, business consultants, interior designers and architects and engineers.  We have in-depth knowledge and experience addressing corporate and partnership related accounting or tax matters.  Additionally, we provide business and IT consulting services that are designed to help firms improve their efficiency and service delivery to their clients, patients and customers.

Client Profiles

• When three partners of a large Chicago law firm decided to go out on their own, they selected Shepard Schwartz & Harris as their accounting firm and asked us to assist in setting up their accounting function.  The law firm has grown from three lawyers to eleven, and we continue to perform the accounting and tax return functions for the firm.
• Shepard Schwartz & Harris provides personal and professional accounting and tax services for a medical group. The clinic, which started out with one doctor, has grown to include an array of physician, nurse and other specialists. In addition to providing the typical accounting and tax services, we look for employee or service provider deception.  In this case, during a routine financial analysis, we were able to alert one of the doctors that a stockbroker was churning his personal account, resulting in excessive brokerage fees. 
• When a Chicago-based pet care network and referral service opened its doors, our firm provided consulting to the start-up company.  We suggested recommendations about what type of entity to form, how to set up its books, and the paperwork and requirements for hiring employees.  The company continues to grow, expanding its services and its area of providers. 
• Shepard Schwartz & Harris provides tax and consulting services for an architect who specializes in designing and reconstructing residential homes. We advise this client on expansion planning and cash-flow issues.  We also consult on employee retention, benefits and payroll tax matters.   
• We provide tax and accounting services to a Chicago interior design firm.  When our client was left without a bookkeeper, one of our staff accountants was able to jump in until a new bookkeeper was hired.  We also provide information technology consultation to this firm, resulting in equipment upgrades and increased efficiency.