Alaska mountain landscape near Anchorage
Serving Anchorage & the Mat-Su Valley, Alaska

Engaged Accounting Solutions in Anchorage, Alaska

Engage Accounting and Consulting Services provides personalized bookkeeping, individual tax return preparation, payroll services, and audit preparation. We work in close collaboration with our clients so the actual needed work gets completed and each client receives more value than they had before.

What We Do

Comprehensive Accounting Services

Technical expertise delivered with personalized attention. Over 20 years of public accounting experience serving Alaska businesses, nonprofits, and individuals.

Professional bookkeeping services

Bookkeeping Services

We maintain accurate, up-to-date financial records so you always have a clear picture of your business’s financial health. Our bookkeeping goes beyond basic data entry — we provide a structured, methodical approach that ensures every transaction is properly classified, reconciled, and audit-ready.

What’s Included

  • Full-cycle accounts payable and accounts receivable management
  • Bank and credit card reconciliation (monthly)
  • General ledger maintenance and journal entry posting
  • Monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statement preparation (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement)
  • Chart of accounts setup, review, and optimization
  • Accrual-to-cash and cash-to-accrual basis conversions
  • Vendor 1099 tracking and year-end filing
  • Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping for disorganized or backlogged records
  • Integration with QuickBooks, Xero, and other major accounting platforms
  • Custom financial reporting tailored to your business needs

Why Choose Engage Accounting

We don’t just record transactions — we analyze your chart of accounts structure, identify classification errors, and ensure your financials are GAAP-aligned and decision-ready. You get monthly variance analysis and trend insights that help you spot cash flow issues before they become problems. Our hands-on, collaborative approach means you’ll actually understand your numbers, not just receive a report you can’t interpret.

Tax return preparation

Individual Tax Return Preparation

We prepare and file individual income tax returns with meticulous attention to compliance and optimization. Whether your situation involves W-2 wages, self-employment income (Schedule C), rental properties (Schedule E), investment gains, or multi-state filing obligations, we ensure your return is accurate, compliant, and structured to minimize your tax liability within the law.

What’s Included

  • Federal and Alaska state income tax return preparation and filing
  • Self-employment income reporting (Schedule C) with proper deduction categorization
  • Rental income and expense reporting (Schedule E)
  • Capital gains and investment income analysis (Schedule D)
  • Itemized deduction optimization vs. standard deduction comparison
  • Prior-year return review for missed deductions, credits, or filing errors
  • Income tax return review for audit readiness — proactive identification of red flags, documentation gaps, and high-risk positions before filing
  • Amended return preparation (Form 1040-X) for correcting prior filings
  • Multi-state filing coordination for individuals with income in multiple jurisdictions
  • Estimated tax payment calculation and quarterly planning (Form 1040-ES)
  • Year-round tax planning consultations to minimize future liabilities
  • IRS notice response assistance and correspondence management

Why Choose Engage Accounting

Every return we prepare goes through a comprehensive review process — not just for accuracy, but for audit defensibility. We proactively identify documentation gaps, aggressive positions, and areas the IRS is known to scrutinize. You’re not just getting a filed return; you’re getting a tax position that’s been stress-tested. We take the time to understand your complete financial picture and identify savings that software or volume-driven firms routinely miss.

Payroll processing services

Payroll Services

We deliver end-to-end payroll processing, tax compliance, and reporting so your employees are paid accurately and on time — every pay period, without exception. Our payroll service handles the full compliance lifecycle from onboarding through year-end reporting.

What’s Included

  • Full payroll processing for hourly, salaried, and commission-based employees
  • Federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare withholding calculations
  • Alaska-specific unemployment insurance (SUTA) compliance and filing
  • Quarterly payroll tax return preparation and filing (Forms 941, 940)
  • Year-end W-2 and W-3 preparation and distribution
  • 1099-NEC preparation for independent contractors
  • New hire reporting to the Alaska Department of Labor
  • Direct deposit setup and management
  • Workers’ compensation audit support and classification review
  • PTO, sick leave, and benefit deduction tracking
  • Payroll register and journal entry preparation for general ledger posting
  • Compliance monitoring for federal and Alaska employment law changes

Why Choose Engage Accounting

Payroll errors trigger IRS penalties, employee disputes, and compliance headaches. We eliminate that risk with a systematic, multi-step verification process on every pay run. Unlike large payroll services where you’re routed to a different representative every call, you work directly with someone who knows your business, your pay structure, and your employees.

Audit preparation and internal controls

Audit Preparation Services

Whether you’re preparing for an IRS examination, a state compliance review, a financial statement audit by an external CPA firm, or a grant/loan compliance audit, we provide comprehensive preparation that ensures your records are organized, your documentation is complete, and your internal control environment is defensible.

What’s Included

  • Pre-audit readiness assessments and gap analysis
  • Financial statement preparation and review for external auditor requirements (GAAP and GASB compliance)
  • Supporting schedule and workpaper preparation (trial balance, depreciation schedules, debt schedules)
  • Internal control system evaluation — review of authorization procedures, segregation of duties, access controls, and transaction approval workflows
  • Control deficiency remediation — designing corrective controls to prevent audit findings, material weaknesses, and significant deficiencies
  • Reconciliation of all balance sheet accounts with supporting documentation
  • Accounts receivable and accounts payable confirmation preparation
  • Grant compliance documentation and Single Audit (Uniform Guidance) support
  • IRS audit representation support — organizing records, drafting responses, preparing documentation packages
  • Management letter response preparation for auditor recommendations
  • Post-audit corrective action planning and implementation
  • Ongoing compliance monitoring to maintain audit readiness year-round

Why Choose Engage Accounting

With over 20 years as an Assurance Partner at a major national CPA firm, Sam built a career leading financial statement audits and evaluating internal control systems. That experience is now directly available to you. We evaluate your control environment proactively, identify gaps that could lead to findings, and implement corrective measures before they become audit issues. Our evaluations cover authorization matrices, segregation of duties, IT access controls, and transaction processing workflows — the same frameworks external auditors use. The result? Cleaner audit opinions, fewer management letter comments, and real peace of mind.

Alaska mountain landscape
Proudly serving Anchorage & the Mat-Su Valley, Alaska
About Us

Who We Are

A firm built on decades of hands-on audit and accounting experience, now delivering that expertise directly to individuals and small businesses across Alaska.

Our Story

Engage Accounting and Consulting Services provides personalized bookkeeping, individual tax return preparation, payroll services, and audit preparation. We work in close collaboration with our clients so the actual needed work gets completed and each client receives more value than they had before.

The firm is run by the owner with occasional temporary support, allowing highly personalized service without the overhead of a large firm. When you work with Engage Accounting, you work directly with the person managing your finances — not a revolving door of associates or a call center.

Our Founder

Sam brings over two decades of public accounting experience to every client engagement. Before founding Engage Accounting and Consulting Services, Sam spent over two decades at Alaska’s largest public accounting and advisory firm, rising through the ranks from staff auditor to Director and ultimately to Assurance Partner at the firm’s Anchorage office.

During that time, Sam led financial statement audits for a diverse portfolio of Alaska businesses, nonprofits, government contractors, and Native corporations. Sam developed deep expertise in evaluating internal control systems, assessing audit risk, ensuring GAAP and GASB compliance, and guiding organizations through complex regulatory environments. As part of the Anchorage office’s leadership team — which collectively held over 90 years of experience serving Alaska — Sam helped oversee more than 80 professionals delivering audit, tax, and advisory services across the state.

After more than two decades in big-firm public accounting, Sam made a deliberate choice: to take all of that experience and apply it in a more personal, more direct, and more impactful way. Engage Accounting was founded on the belief that individuals and small businesses deserve the same caliber of expertise that large organizations receive — delivered by someone who genuinely knows their situation, not by whoever happens to be available.

Sam lives in Anchorage and is deeply committed to the local community. When not helping clients, Sam can often be found exploring Alaska’s outdoors or volunteering in the Anchorage area.

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Collaborative Approach

We work with you, not just for you

Value-First Focus

Every client gets more than expected

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Owner-Operated

Direct access, no middlemen

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Alaska Born & Raised

Deep roots in Anchorage

Anchorage Alaska professional office
S

Sam

Founder & Owner

Former Assurance Partner at Alaska’s largest public accounting firm. Over 20 years of experience leading financial statement audits, internal control evaluations, and advisory engagements across the state.

20+
Years Experience
Top 5
National CPA Firm
80+
Professionals Led
AK
Anchorage Based
Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

Real feedback from individuals and businesses across Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley.

★★★★★
“Working with EACS and Sam has been a game-changer. They don’t just do the books — they actually explain things so I understand my numbers and feel more in control of my business. I’m saving time and money every month.”
SM
Sarah M.
Small Business Owner, Anchorage
★★★★★
“I used to dread tax season. Engage Accounting handled my individual return smoothly and even caught a couple of deductions I would have missed. They make you feel like a partner, not just another client.”
MT
Michael T.
Self-Employed Contractor, Eagle River
★★★★★
“Their payroll service is reliable and hassle-free, and the audit preparation support gave me real peace of mind. Highly recommend for anyone who wants straightforward, personal service in Alaska.”
JL
Jennifer L.
Nonprofit Director, Anchorage
★★★★★
“Engage Accounting took over my messy bookkeeping and turned it into clean, useful reports. They truly deliver more value than I expected.”
DR
David R.
Local Retail Shop Owner, Wasilla
★★★★★
“Responsive, professional, and genuinely collaborative. Best decision I made for my personal taxes and bookkeeping.”
LK
Lisa K.
Teacher & Side-Business Owner, Anchorage
Alaska aurora borealis northern lights

Ready to Get More From Your Accounting?

Let’s work together to keep your finances clear, compliant, and working for you.

Contact Us Today →
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about working with Engage Accounting and Consulting Services.

Do you work with individuals or only businesses?

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We work with both! We provide individual tax return preparation for personal filers, as well as bookkeeping, payroll, and audit preparation for small businesses and organizations.

How do you charge for your services?

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Our pricing depends on scope and complexity. We offer transparent, straightforward pricing with no hidden fees. Contact us for a clear estimate after an initial conversation about your needs.

Can you help if my books are behind or disorganized?

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Absolutely. Catch-up bookkeeping is one of the most common things we help with. No judgment — we’ll work through the backlog, get everything organized, and set up a system going forward.

Do I need to come to your office?

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Not at all. We work with many clients remotely via phone, email, and secure file sharing. Especially helpful for clients in the Mat-Su Valley. In-person meetings are always available if you prefer.

What’s involved in audit preparation?

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We review your financial records, organize documentation, evaluate internal control systems, identify potential findings, and prepare responses. We cover everything from balance sheet reconciliations to control deficiency remediation.

How far in advance should I contact you for tax preparation?

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Ideally January or February. However, we accept clients year-round and help with extensions, amended returns, and prior-year filings anytime.

Do you handle payroll for small teams?

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Yes! Whether you have one employee or twenty, we handle everything from processing to quarterly filings and year-end W-2s — managed by someone who actually knows your business.

Are you available year-round or just during tax season?

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Year-round. Bookkeeping, payroll, and consulting continue all year. Good accounting isn’t seasonal — and neither are we.

Contact Us

Let’s Start a Conversation

Reach out today. Serving Anchorage and the surrounding Mat-Su Valley area.

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Office

13520 Vern Drive
Anchorage, AK 99516

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Service Area

Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer, and the greater Mat-Su Valley

Send Us a Message

We typically respond within one business day.