Thompson Greenspon

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Taoti Creative, a full-service creative agency here in Washington, D.C. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Thompson Greenspon?

We have internal bookkeeping and accounting, but we needed additional strategic financial support when it came to taxes and financial strategy. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been able to help us get our books cleaned up and establish some best practices. Come time for taxes, we have various calls to talk about strategy, compliance, and any updated laws. Then, we submit our data to them and they prepare all the taxes.

What is the team composition?

We work with about 3–4 people. A senior partner oversees the high-level strategy, there’s an account manager who handles most of the preparation, and there is an analyst that assists him.

How did you come to work with Thompson Greenspon?

They were referred to me by one of my tenants. We were introduced, we had conversations, and they talked about what they could do. It sounded good to me.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the years, I’m sure it’s been six figures.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them since 2015, and the partnership is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They advised me on our R&D tax credit, which I knew nothing about previously. They proactively reached out to me and asked me to talk with them about my operations. They’ve saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years through the R&D credit alone.

As we’ve grown, we have employees and clients in multiple states and countries. They’ve been able to provide wonderful, proactive advice on the strategic end about where, when and how to file those taxes. Their strategic recommendations have been invaluable. 

If I were doing this internally, I would worry that we’re missing something. There’s only so much one person can know. They’re briefed to constantly educate themselves on the latest and greatest tax laws. So, I know that when we submit our taxes, as long as we approve them, I feel comfortable that whatever we did was kosher.

How did Thompson Greenspon perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent, on top of everything, and very proactive. They have never missed a beat for me.  Since they work on our taxes, it’s a seasonal partnership. Come tax time, we may be talking multiple times a week. During the offseason, I’ll reach out to them if I have any questions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of their strategic input is impressive. Other tax accountants may simply take the data you give them, put it in their computer, and it spits out the form. But, with Thompson Greenspun, I feel like I’m really getting tax strategy and financial advice. I don’t think I would get these results from an algorithm-based type of process. Frankly, they’re very proactive about it, too. That’s the best part since I don’t know which questions to ask. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re communicative, organized, and on-the-ball. They’re top-notch.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should be organized. The more organized you are with your financial data, the more efficient they can be. Once your data is solid, clean, and in one piece, it will help them be more efficient for you.