Andre + Associates, PC

If math is a different language, the team at Andre + Associates might easily be called bilingual. They understand ledgers, profits, and relevant legislation, making their clients that much better equipped to safely navigate uncertain terrain. From their McKinney office, three certified public accountants and partners decode digits into stories about their clients’ direction and financial goals, but they only translate based on client fit, offering advice to specialized fields and business sizes.

“Our sweet spot is businesses that create $2-$5 million in gross receipts,” said CPA Melissa Simmons, managing partner, adding that the firm often helps those earning more. “We ask lots of questions to really understand your situation,” she said. As a board member of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce, the CPA is keen on staying abreast of all changes and advantages available to small businesses. Pitfalls she can help avoid come up too.

For example, legislative requirements present existential challenges to the existence of the business in ways owners might not anticipate. Simmons said all businesses in existence before 2024 and any businesses formed going forward are now required by the Corporate Transparency Act to file a Beneficial Ownership Information Report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. Deadlines vary according to the business establishment date. This rule is in addition to predictable but not necessarily intuitive laws related to taxes and payroll that Andre + Associates easily maneuvers.

Aptitude for Algebra

The CPA exam demands excellence. It’s notorious for awarding only the most well-prepared. With a pass rate hovering around 50%, the designation indicates extensive study and mastery of this crucial area of finance. Compare that to the overall pass rate of 71% for the Texas bar exam and note the smaller pool of candidates with the chops to become licensed CPAs in our state. Detail-oriented and comprehensive in their tasks, the leaders at Andre + Associates CPAs stand out as leaders in their fields. They also happen to helm an organization composed primarily of women.

Fellow CPAs and Partners Rachel Lopez and Jana Endler, accounting department manager, and business tax manager, respectively, join Simmons in creating precise documents to help clients in need, always taking the client lead in the partnership. Andre + Associates does not shy from special accounting requirements, so industries like construction are a favorite area for the group. Professionals in law, engineering, medicine, and hospitality also trust the organization to help them lay the financial groundwork for growth and steer them to safe harbor in tax season and beyond. For Simmons, the best analogy relates to carpentry.

“It’s like building a house,” she said. “You need the architectural plans, the materials, and the contractors to help out at different times. Business owners also need different things for different stages of their business.” At the firm with over 30 years of service to the McKinney community, Simmons, Lopez, and Endler have all lent a helping hand for not just tax preparation, but estate planning, elder care, and college savings, as well as strategic business planning. The women stay nimble by catering to each client’s dynamic, holistic needs.

Glow Up

Though small shops often begin with an individual filing one return, growth often brings the need for payroll and compliance considerations. The Andre + Associates team stakes its reputation on providing expert aid. They explained how a small business trajectory can lead toward sole proprietorships and the potential to become an S corporation. Along the way, special considerations keep each business on the right side of the IRS, with savings reaped for those with knowledge of tax strategy and changing law. As for individuals, the team works with those facing their own life changes, such as learning about previously undisclosed trusts, saving for college, administering probates, and more.

Like the growing ventures Andre + Associates is often in service to, the company of math whizzes recently expanded. Though the team is paperless, opting to forgo physical files in favor of secure cloud storage, lots of tangibles still affect the flow of their business. From a cozy remodeled home where they previously worked, the professionals recently relocated to a more business-friendly office building in an area with greater ease of access, more parking, and better accommodations for the
expanding outfit.

Representing trust placed in the team, the new location still offers the same apt, dedicated, and experienced professionals committed to a thorough examination and preparation of each customer’s financial documents. To maintain that standard of excellence, the CPAs at Andre + Associates pride themselves on methodically combing through the details. As such, they advise all prospective clients to call for a simple roadmap on the journey to working with a CPA, including a list of any documents needed and typical processes for the group as they review them.

“I think a lot of clients going to a CPA are intimidated coming into a CPA office for the first time. I think by the time that we meet with them they’re like, ‘oh that was a piece of cake,’” said CPA Rachel Lopez. Licensed professional accountants can have that effect.