Caster CPAs Inc.

A Rhode Island CPA firm covering tax, audit and forensic work

Established in 2002, Caster CPAs is a Warwick, Rhode Island practice of certified public accountants. It calls itself a full-service accounting and taxation firm, and its client list is deliberately broad: professional service firms, chain retailers, personal service salons, start-ups and long-established companies, as well as trusts, estates and not-for-profit organizations. The firm says every client receives the same level of precision, whatever its size.

Tax planning and preparation

Taxation is the area the firm leads with. It offers tax planning and return preparation for corporations, partnerships, individuals, trusts, estates and not-for-profit filers. Its approach is described as up-to-date, delivered by staff with specific tax training.

Audits, including retirement plans

Financial statement audits are usually required by a bank, a regulator or some other outside party. Caster CPAs says it tries to make the process useful both to the company being audited and to the party asking for it. It also describes itself as expert in audits of 401(k) plans, which are a separate compliance exercise from an ordinary financial statement audit.

Accounting, bookkeeping and QuickBooks help

The accounting menu covers monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements, compilations and reviews, the set-up and analysis of cost accounting systems, reviews of accounting policies and procedures, and special-purpose compliance reviews. For clients who would rather spend their time on their own customers, the firm handles bookkeeping behind the scenes and promises timely, correct preparation. It also helps with QuickBooks set-up and offers personalized training in the software.

Forensic accounting and business valuation

The forensic service combines accounting principles with investigative techniques to judge whether there is cause for concern about a company's records, and the findings can be used in legal proceedings involving fraud, embezzlement and financial disputes. Business valuation determines the economic value of a company, and the firm says clients ask for it when selling a business, setting partner ownership or going through a divorce.

Management advisory work

Internal control services include forecasts and budget projections and ratio and trend analysis. The firm's view is that reliable financial information, especially on sales, expenses, receivables and payables, is the most important thing an accountant can give a client.

Professional background

The practice is managed by a CPA with more than 25 years of experience, formerly at a big four firm. She holds AICPA designations in financial forensics, personal financial planning and global management accounting, and is also a certified fraud examiner, a certified valuation analyst and a registered investment adviser.