Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in Lincoln, NE

Harger CPA Group, P.C. is a certified public accounting practice in Lincoln, Nebraska. It combines outsourced bookkeeping and bill payment with tax, payroll and advisory work. Buyers comparing accounts payable providers should know what kind of firm this is. Harger is a hands-on CPA office that takes over routine financial chores for smaller organizations. It does not sell a software platform. Its AP support comes through staff who pay bills and maintain the books on a client's behalf.

Accounts payable and related services

One of the firm's accountants focuses specifically on paying bills for clients. She also handles payroll and general small business accounting, so vendor payments are recorded by the same team that keeps the ledger. Because of this, payables, cash records and financial statements stay consistent. Clients who want help keeping the books themselves can get setup, training, troubleshooting and periodic cleanup for QuickBooks. Staff also support a product called Checkbook Solution. Core offerings include:

• Client bill paying and vendor payment handling
• Bookkeeping and small business accounting
• Payroll processing and payroll tax compliance
• Cash flow projections and cash management
• Reviews and compilations for lenders, investors and owners
• QuickBooks implementation, training and support
• Business and individual tax preparation, planning and IRS representation

Who they serve

Most clients are smaller and mid-sized companies, not-for-profit groups and individual taxpayers. One shareholder has deep experience advising non-profits, including churches. The firm also lists hospitality businesses, manufacturers and real estate as industries where it has specialized knowledge. Additional services cover strategic and financial planning, succession planning for family businesses, and help for owners forming a new company.

How they work

Harger emphasizes close, personal working relationships. It sets out to learn how each client operates and what owners, managers or boards need to see in their reports. Reporting is then shaped to fit those needs, and clients are invited to suggest ways to make their statements more useful.

The firm aims to go beyond compliance by anticipating problems and planning ahead. It also stresses responsiveness, professionalism and quality, along with fees it describes as reasonable. Prospective clients can request an initial consultation at no charge. Existing clients can exchange documents through a secure online portal.

Background and credentials

Ardel Harger founded the practice in 2001. He had earlier co-founded another Lincoln accounting firm in 1979 and has held his CPA license since 1973. Fellow shareholder Gregory Thomsen joined the predecessor firm in 1990, after time with the Nebraska State Auditor's office and a Dallas CPA firm.

The professional staff includes several CPAs and accountants with backgrounds in banking, industrial auctions and larger public accounting firms, supported by a client service representative and an office manager. The firm belongs to the AICPA and the state's CPA society. It undergoes an external peer review every three years.

For Nebraska organizations that want a local, CPA-led team to handle bill payment alongside bookkeeping, payroll and taxes, Harger offers an integrated, relationship-based option.

Melinda D. Clarke, CPA., P.C. is a certified public accounting practice in the northwest area of Lincoln, Nebraska, serving owners of small and growing companies across Lancaster County. The firm describes itself as an ongoing financial partner and not a once-a-year tax preparer. It blends routine bookkeeping with tax strategy and advisory guidance.

Buyers comparing accounts payable providers should view it as a general small business accounting practice that can take on back-office finance work, not as a vendor of specialized AP automation software.

Relevance to accounts payable

The website does not list accounts payable as a separate service. Payables tasks would most naturally sit within the outsourced bookkeeping offer or the part-time controller service, both aimed at keeping a company's records current and accurate. Related capabilities include managing cash flow, building budgets and forecasts, preparing financial statements, and supporting QuickBooks users.

The firm also prepares 1099 forms, which matters for businesses that pay independent contractors and other outside vendors. Companies seeking invoice capture, approval workflows or electronic payment tools should confirm exactly what is covered before signing on.

Services at a glance

• Outsourced bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses
• Interim or part-time controller and CFO assistance
• Payroll processing for small employers
• Preparation of 1099, W-2 and W-3 forms
• Cash flow management, budgeting and forecasting
• QuickBooks setup and ongoing help
• Tax planning, return preparation and resolution of IRS problems
• Business incorporation and entity selection

The payroll practice is built for small employers who would rather hand off a time-consuming job. Beyond calculating pay, the firm files payroll taxes at both the federal and state level, pays employees by electronic deposit, and customizes reports. It also provides weekly or monthly accounting summaries, helps with unemployment claims and assists when workers' compensation audits occur.

The firm argues that once an owner counts the time, mistakes and penalties of doing payroll internally, outsourcing may turn out to be the more economical path.

Companies that have outgrown basic bookkeeping, yet do not need a full-time finance executive, can turn to the firm's fractional leadership service. It separates the controller role, centered on technical accounting and reliable figures, from the CFO role, which uses those figures to plan efficient and profitable growth.

Possible engagements include operations reviews, profit improvement, risk management, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and due diligence. The firm will also train a client's in-house bookkeepers, which suits owners wanting to keep some work inside the company.

New ventures can receive help choosing between an LLC, S corporation and C corporation, drafting a business plan that supports a financing request, and setting up QuickBooks from the start. The firm advertises a free initial consultation, and its site offers secure file sending, online payments, a newsletter and a blog. Its stated aim is to give owners a clear view of their finances so they can spend their energy on customers and revenue rather than accounting chores.