Elder Hanson & Company, Ltd.

Accounting, bookkeeping and payroll for service firms

Operating from downtown Naperville, Illinois, Elder Hanson & Company, Ltd. works as a public accounting firm. Its certified public accountants and strategic advisors serve professional firms in Naperville and in the communities around it, including Wheaton, Warrenville, Lisle, Plainfield and Oswego. The firm's core work covers accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, income tax planning and preparation, and consulting.

Records that support better decisions

The firm says that accurate financial information is the starting point for running a business well. It takes on the accounting and bookkeeping so that owners can concentrate on the business itself, and it uses current technology to keep records up to date so that clients can make more informed decisions and build better financial plans. Its team includes QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisors.

A guided payroll system

Payroll is delivered through a guided, self-service online system that the firm describes as user-friendly. The firm sets up each client's account, trains the client to use it and updates it when necessary, so that clients can run payroll efficiently and stay ahead of filing deadlines. The firm says its professionals are available when clients need help with it.

Tax planning and preparation

Tax work is described as the firm's specialty. Returns are prepared from the client's accounting, bookkeeping and payroll information. The aim is to maximize deductions, reduce tax liability and keep clients in compliance with tax rules that change often. The firm also helps clients plan for the tax effect of life events and of business opportunities as they arise.

CFO help, start-up advice and long-term planning

Clients can take on ongoing CFO services, or ask for consulting on a specific situation. For new businesses, the firm advises on choosing the most suitable business entity from a tax perspective, which it says reduces the learning curve for owners who are starting out. Its strategic and long-term planning services are offered to help a business move forward over several years.

The kind of business it works with

According to its site, the firm typically works with businesses that provide professional services, mainly in Illinois, that have one or two owners and fewer than twenty employees, and that do not sell products to clients outside the state. It does not serve clients in more than three other states. The firm says it works most closely with the owners and key decision makers of small businesses.

Continuing education

Each year the firm invests more than 1,000 hours in education, research and training for its professionals. It presents this as a way to improve the knowledge and skills of its team and, through that, the quality of advice it gives to clients.

Elder Hanson & Company, Ltd. is a public accounting firm in downtown Naperville, Illinois. Its certified public accountants and advisers support professional service businesses in Naperville and nearby towns.

What Elder Hanson & Company, Ltd. offers

• Accounting and bookkeeping: accurate records to guide decisions, with QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisors on staff.
• Payroll: a guided, self-service online system, which the firm sets up and trains clients to use.
• Tax planning and preparation: returns built from the client's accounting and payroll data, with attention to deductions and compliance.
• CFO services and consulting: ongoing or one-off help with a specific situation.
• Start-up advice: guidance on choosing a business entity from a tax point of view.

Who it works with

The firm concentrates on professional service businesses in Naperville, Wheaton, Warrenville, Lisle, Plainfield, Oswego and surrounding areas.

Key facts

• Based in: Naperville, Illinois
• Training: Over 1,000 hours of education and research each year for its professionals