Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in West Des Moines, IA

MHCS is a certified public accounting firm based in West Des Moines, Iowa. It has served businesses and individuals across the state and beyond for roughly eight decades. Beyond its audit, tax and advisory practices, the firm runs a Client Advisory Services (CAS) group.

That group lets companies hand off routine finance functions, including the handling of vendor bills, to an outside team. Buyers evaluating accounts payable support should view MHCS as an outsourced accounting and controllership partner rather than a standalone AP software vendor.

Accounts payable within outsourced accounting

The CAS group offers several tiers of outsourced work that involve payables directly. At the transactional level, staff use cloud-hosted tools to post entries, process vendor payables, reconcile accounts and carry out complete bookkeeping cycles. The controllership service goes a step further and covers the duties an in-house controller would normally own.

These include managing both payables and receivables, maintaining the general ledger, preparing financial statements, handling cost accounting, running the month-end close and comparing results against budget. For leadership-level needs, a virtual CFO arrangement supplies forecasting, projections and analysis without the cost of a full-time executive.

Related offerings round out the back office:

• Payroll processing, direct deposit, W-2 preparation, payroll tax deposits and compliance filings
• QuickBooks implementation and migration consulting
• Accounting systems reviews aimed at streamlining workflows, which the firm says have cut client teams' routine workload by as much as 40 hours a month
• Fraud detection and deterrence work, including internal control assessments, risk reviews and staff awareness training

How the firm works with clients

MHCS describes its approach as personalized. It tailors each outsourced engagement to how a particular business operates and functions like an extension of the client's internal staff. The firm says it has a comparatively large proportion of shareholders, managers and directors, and it presents this as giving clients access to seasoned advisors across disciplines.

Companies that start with payables processing can use the same firm for audits, reviews and compilations. Other available services include tax planning (covering state and local tax and R&D credits), succession planning, financial planning, business valuation and litigation support.

Industries and team

The firm highlights experience with transportation, healthcare, construction and real estate, and manufacturing and distribution businesses. It also serves high-net-worth individuals and employee benefit plans. Ashley Mowery leads the CAS department. She holds an accounting degree from Simpson College and is involved with NAWBO Iowa and the Accounting and Financial Women's Alliance in Des Moines.

Brian Newton has been with the firm since 2001 and works within both its client accounting group and its construction and real estate group. Wendy Moran heads assurance, and Nick Finkenauer leads the construction and real estate practice. Team members are active in the Iowa Society of CPAs and the AICPA, and MHCS makes its peer review report available.

MHCS offers a full-service local option for Iowa organizations that want payables handled by credentialed accountants who can also manage the general ledger, close and reporting. Firms looking for a self-service AP automation platform should note that the site does not name a proprietary software product. Its technology role centers on cloud accounting tools and QuickBooks consulting.

Overview

Shaul & Associates PLC is an accounting firm licensed in Iowa and located in West Des Moines. It serves business owners, executives, independent professionals, nonprofit organizations and individual taxpayers. The firm describes accounting as its core strength and positions its work around a broad range of financial, payroll and tax services. Its stated vision is to build lasting partnerships that help companies prosper.

Business and Back-Office Services

The firm's business offering is aimed at owners who have little time left for the financial side of their companies. Rather than leaving leaders to wrestle with the books, the team takes on that work so they can concentrate on running the operation and earning profits. The services listed for businesses include:

• Small business accounting and bookkeeping for a variety of industries
• Payroll solutions shaped around the needs of each employer
• Part-time CFO services, which supply a professional financial manager to help steer the company, along with outsourced controller support
• Cash flow projections meant to help a company avoid a damaging cash crisis
• Business advisory work, including strategic plans that help owners put their ideas and direction on paper
• Support for people launching a new venture and planning for the period after the initial excitement fades
• Nonprofit accounting and grant management, with attention to the revenue and expense categories the IRS uses when judging tax-exempt standing

The website does not list accounts payable as its own service line. Companies that want a specific payables process should confirm the scope of work with the firm directly.

QuickBooks Services

The firm calls QuickBooks the ideal accounting software for small and mid-sized companies and offers a group of services around it. These cover initial setup, staff training, answers to user questions and a tune-up of existing files. Businesses that already use the program, but suspect they are not drawing on its full range of features, may find this support useful.

Tax Services

For tax matters, the firm prepares returns for individuals and for businesses, and it provides tax planning and estate and trust tax work. It also handles cryptocurrency accounting. The firm says its aim is to help clients capture the deductions and credits they are entitled to, and it offers help to those facing difficulties with the IRS. A secure client portal and a file delivery page allow sensitive documents to be exchanged safely.

People and Approach

Alicia Bever (Shaul), a CPA with an MBA, and Jie Jung are the two partners. The team page lists Jung as a CPA, while the home page refers to Jung with the enrolled agent designation. The wider staff includes another CPA who holds a master's in accountancy, two additional professionals with that degree, and several further team members.

The firm's mission is to educate and assist clients through strategic advisory, accounting, payroll and tax services. It says it helps clients stay financially stable now while taking a proactive route toward later goals, relying on open communication, research and sound analysis. Its about page names five guiding principles, though the lists on its pages differ slightly in wording, and it stresses personalized attention and responsiveness. New contacts are offered a free consultation to talk through their needs.