About
Burkart & Stevens, CPAs and Advisors is a full service tax, accounting and financial planning firm.
We specialize in minimizing taxes for individuals and businesses and simplifying the complicated when it comes to your businesses’ accounting needs. We pride ourselves on client service and attention.
Although we’re one of the oldest CPA firms in San Luis Obispo, we’re a progressive firm that stays mindful of the latest tax and financial strategies for individuals and businesses. Our success is dependent on our client’s success and our relationship is a partnership that we take very seriously.
Cole Stevens
Cole Stevens has received extensive training in the field of tax, accounting, and financial planning, with over 14 years of experience as a practicing accountant, and specializing in bridging the gap between tax planning and wealth management. After serving four years in the United States Coast Guard, he relocated in his family from Minnesota to California in 2007. He worked his way up from staff accountant to eventually purchasing the firm from his partner, Dennis Burkart, who continues to work along side Cole as a mentor and advisor.
When not in the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife Krystal, son Audie, and their dog, Dundee.
Burkart & Stevens, CPAs and Advisors Values
Our firm provides outstanding service to our clients because of our dedication to the three underlying principles of professionalism, responsiveness and quality.
Professionalism
Our firm is one of the leading firms in the area. By combining our expertise, experience and the energy of our staff, each client receives close personal and professional attention.
Our high standards, service and specialized staff spell the difference between our outstanding performance, and other firms. We make sure that every client is served by the expertise of our whole firm.
Responsiveness
Our firm is responsive. Companies who choose our firm rely on competent advice and fast, accurate personnel. We provide total financial services to individuals, large and small businesses and other agencies.
To see a listing of our services, please take a moment and look at our services page. Because we get new business from the people who know us best, client referrals have fueled our growth in the recent years.
Through hard work, we have earned the respect of the business and financial communities. This respect illustrates our diverse talents, dedication and ability to respond quickly.
Quality
An accounting firm is known for the quality of its service. Our firm’s reputation reflects the high standards we demand of ourselves.
Our primary goal as a trusted advisor is to be available and to provide insightful advice to enable our clients to make informed financial decisions. We do not accept anything less from ourselves and this is what we deliver to you.
We feel it is extremely important to continually professionally educate ourselves to improve our technical expertise, financial knowledge and service to our clients.
Our high service quality and “raving fan” clients are the result of our commitment to excellence.
We will answer all of your questions, as they impact both your tax and financial situations. We welcome you to contact us anytime.
Let Us Help:
Dear Friend,
I have a feeling I know why you’re reading this right now.
You need more time in your day. Running a business is extremely demanding, and there just isn’t enough time in the day to keep all the plates from spinning out of control. And what you need most right now is more proactive help with your business finances and tax strategy. As soon as possible. In fact, yesterday would have been ideal. Am I close?
We get it. We’ve worked with plenty of businesses who have to cobble together 9 different software programs to keep everything straight, or who just wash their hands of it all and put everything on the credit card … and then try to clean up every year after the fact. And they know that this is no way to properly monitor profit margins, cash controls, account management, tax strategy and all of the myriad components of an effective financial system for a business.
Perhaps this is your story too. Or perhaps you’ve reached a stage of development in your business that you want to pass the baton of accounting to another expert team so your expert team can focus on what they do best: making sales and taking care of customers.
Or are you just starting your business and want to start things off on the right foot?
Whatever the reason, we want you to know that our team has been diligently and effectively taking care of the accounting needs of countless organizations in a wide variety of industries for years —discreetly and expertly handling the ongoing financial management of tax burdens, payroll, bookkeeping, and other comprehensive accounting services while providing expertise in business planning, coaching, and strategic consulting that many businesses need.
Because here’s a certain truth as it relates to taxes and your business: the State and Federal Government would love to have more of your business’ hard-earned money in their accounts. And yes, even though it’s painful, none of us begrudge paying our legal and fair share of taxes. But the problem is that regular business owners, like you, are missing out on legal and safe deductions, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed refunds every year.
It doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to hand more dollars over to the government than they require, just because you don’t know their rules as well as they do. You don’t have to live in a constant state of anxiety over the state of your books, feeling guilty about the time you should be devoting to keeping your business profitable.
In fact, to help you find answers to your questions, I’ve compiled some resources in the last couple of years, for business people like you, in response to the specific tax and accounting questions I’ve received from my clients.
Click the button below to take your first step, and receive a free report from us. We’ll rush your copy to you immediately.
And of course, feel free to poke around our site and discover why I’ve been called “The Most Trusted CPA in the San Luis Obispo Area”.
Talk again soon,
Cole Stevens, CPA
PS — When you fill out the form, we’ll also add you to our weekly email series on “Real World” Strategy for small business owners. Our readers enthusiastically forward these to their colleagues and peers all the time, because they’re not your standard “tax tips”.
PPS — Already want to come in? I don’t blame you … many people are fed up with trying to manage their financials on their own. Our schedule is very full … but if you call us at (805) 543-6876 or Email Us, we’ll give you two options for coming in right away. We will NOT make dealing with an accountant as painful as dealing with your books has already been!
What our Clients are saying
We were so lucky to have been referred to the team at Burkart & Stevens. My husband and I were on a tight deadline in order to file taxes before purchasing a home and Cole didn't hesitate to jump right in. He went above and beyond to work with us, answering every question we had along the way. A year later, we are starting a new year free of anxiety and the lingering uncertainty that usually surrounds our tax filing. In a way, Cole and his team have become an integral part of our family and we couldn't be more grateful for them!
Stephanie WiseFast and efficient. Loyal and honest. Way better than anyone I've ever had before. I would recommend this company to anyone!
Kara Grace Jackson
Work From Home Policy for San Luis Obispo Businesses
There’s no better way to celebrate work than by taking a day off. The irony of the Labor Day holiday gets me every year, but I do hope that it provided a little extra rest on the front end of a busy fall season.I mentioned in one of my recent notes another piece of...