Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in East Lansing, MI

Overview

CS Tax & Bookkeeping LLC is an accounting practice in East Lansing, Michigan, owned by one person. It handles bookkeeping, payroll and tax work in a single office. Buyers looking for accounts payable help should see it as a hands-on outsourced bookkeeper, not an AP software vendor. Its staff handle routine payables tasks inside the client's books, then carry that data into payroll, year-end reporting and tax filings.

Accounts payable and bookkeeping work

The firm's bookkeeping service includes paying vendor invoices for clients and recording check stub details. Engagements run on monthly, quarterly or annual cycles. This suits owners who want someone else to keep bills paid and entries current without building an internal finance department. Bookkeeping clients include new ventures, contractors, small companies and larger businesses. Payables-related duties appear across the service lineup:

• Paying supplier invoices and posting disbursements to the ledger
• Entering check stub information on a recurring schedule
• Remitting insurance and other third-party deductions through payroll
• Preparing 1099 forms for contractors and other annual reporting needs
• Producing cash flow statements
• QuickBooks setup, training, tune-ups and troubleshooting

Payroll and tax integration

Clients can outsource payroll entirely or use it on demand. Each client is assigned a specialist dedicated to their payroll who manages the full cycle. That covers direct deposit and EFT, printed paychecks, tax deposits and e-filing, and reports by department or by employee.

It also includes processing of W-2, W-3 and 1099 forms, with payroll tax reports delivered monthly, quarterly and annually. On the tax side, the firm prepares federal, state (excluding New York) and city returns for individuals.

It also files returns for C corporations, S corporations, partnerships, LLCs and sole proprietors, plus Form 1041 filings for estates and trusts, and offers tax planning. When the same team handles payables, payroll and tax preparation, there are fewer handoffs at year end.

Background

Owner Catherine Smeage has worked in tax preparation and bookkeeping since 1983. She started at the office of Thomas M Harvey, an attorney and CPA. She stayed on after Lee Reimann & Associates acquired that practice in 2001 and became a partner there in 2007, overseeing the whole operation.

In 2015 she became sole owner and renamed the business CS Tax & Bookkeeping. She holds an associate's degree in accounting and keeps up with continuing education, including the yearly federal tax refresher test.

How the firm works with clients

The practice stresses confidentiality, accuracy and timeliness. It describes itself as offering the personal attention of a small office along with broader capabilities. Clients get a password-protected online portal for storing and retrieving financial documents, and SecureSend for transferring files. Other client resources include newsletters, tax calendars, financial calculators and tax organizers.

Businesses that use QuickBooks, or plan to, may value the firm's software support alongside its payables and bookkeeping services. Buyers who need an enterprise AP automation platform will likely need a different provider. Small and mid-sized businesses that want a local, personal bookkeeping relationship that includes bill payment may find it a practical choice.