Q&A With Partner and Tax Specialist Steve Schult

Q: Why did you decide to become a CPA?  I started out at Ohio State in the College of Agriculture majoring in Agricultural Economics (an area that was recommended to get into Veterinary School at the time).  I liked the agriculture and accounting classes I took, but hated the chemistry classes required for vet school.   I was advised that majoring in accounting would be a good background for any career in business, so that is the path I took.

Q: What do you think is most gratifying about your work?  Being a trusted advisor to my clients relating to business and tax issues.  The strong personal relationships I’ve developed with clients and their entire family is also very gratifying.

 Q: How long have you been with the Firm?  16+ Years

Q: What do you like best about working at GJM?  I know it sounds cliché, but it is the people.  We have a great management group that brings very complementary strengths to the organization.  We try to make it a fun atmosphere for people to work, but also know how to get work done in a very deadline driven business.  We are also hiring the best and brightest out of the local colleges – and it is exciting to see their technology skills (which are far superior to mine) and the renewed energy they bring to Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD.  It helps keep me young (at heart).  

Q: What community organizations or events are you involved in? I have been the past president of both The Ohio State Alumni Club of Lucas County and The Rotary Club of Waterville.  I have been the Treasurer for The City of Waterville (appointed by City Council) since 2004 and am a board member for The Waterville Community Foundation.  I am involved with the Waterville organizations as my wife and I have lived in Waterville for the past 22 years and it is a fantastic community. I am currently on the board at The Victory Center, an organization that supports the emotional needs of both people fighting cancer and their families.  I am involved with this board because my wife is a breast cancer survivor, and many people in the GJM office are also cancer survivors.

Q: How do you like to spend your spare time? My wife and I are big Detroit Tigers fans and go to about 25 games a year at Comerica Park in Detroit.  I am also a member at Rockwell Springs Trout Club near Castalia, Ohio and enjoy fly fishing there (and taking clients for a unique experience - as most have never gone fly fishing).  I also enjoy downhill and cross country skiing.

Q: Any stories or anecdotes that you think help to convey “who you are?”  “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff!”  “Attitude is Everything!”  “Optimism is Moral Courage!”

Q: What is something people may be surprised to find out about you?  I went to school for a summer in Oxford, England,  I rode my bike from Toledo to the Montreal Olympics and back in 1976, and I have climbed Mount Rainier in Washington with a guided climbing team.

Steve works with a variety of clients including those in manufacturing and healthcare. Learn more about Steve’s expertise.


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Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD Featured by Ohio Secretary of State

What better month than April to feature those in the accounting business? As tax day approaches, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has just announced that the office is featuring the profession throughout the month as a part of it's Ohio Business Profile, including a feature on Gilmore Jasion Mahler. The Secretary of State's office says the Ohio Business Profile was established in 2011 and helps to showcase companies doing business in the state and offering outstanding service. We're proud to be among those businesses featured. Learn more about our capabilities.


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Monitoring Trends for Ohio Utilities

Gilmore Jasion Mahler is keeping current on trends and issues affecting our utilities clients in the state of Ohio. Our firm had a team at this year's Ohio Gas Association Technical Seminar this week. It was also a chance to inform utility companies from across the state of our expertise in the industry. Gilmore Jasion Mahler Partner Nikki Clement specializes in accounting for regulated utilities. She and GJM Partner Bob Bobek attended this year's conference. Learn more about GJM's utilitites expertise.

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GJM Newsletters Help CFOs Stay Informed

ship sailing into the fogAs chief financial decision maker within a business, the role for many CFOs looks different today than it has in the past. It can often be a journey into uncharted waters. In 2018 this critical c-suite role involves not only company financials, but a broader vison, strategic thinking, trend watching and keeping up on developments with potential impact on the business, including:

  • Sweeping tax reform
  • The skilled labor shortage
  • Safety regulations
  • Changes in revenue recognition
  • Blockchain & other technology
  • Fraud and cyber threats

When you subscribe to accounting firm Gilmore Jasion Maher’s (GJM) industry-specific newsletters you’ll gain access to articles offering solutions and solving problems. You’ll receive insight from GJM experts and additional articles on accounting issues and topics that impact your bottom line.

  • Personal and business tax strategy
  • Best practices and trends
  • Clarification and insight on federal tax changes
  • Technology/cybersecurity content
  • Information on cost control and tax credits

Here’s a look at some recent articles you missed if you weren’t subscribed:

  • “Gilmore Jasion Mahler Experts Explain New Tax Law
  • “Tax Reform and Pass-through Entities”
  • “Construction Accounting Update: New Revenue Recognition Rules to “Go Live” Soon”
  • “The Contractor’s Corner-How Helpful are Digital Documents and E-signatures?”
  • “Quality vs. Volume-How Should Physician Compensation be Determined?
  • “Surviving and Thriving in a Changing Practice Landscape”
  • “Beware of Procurement Fraud”
  • “Economic Damages 101: Learn the ABCs of Calculating Lost Profits and Diminished Value”
  • “Are Your Prices Too High, Too Low or Just Right?” 
  • “Smart Factories and Blockchain: How to Stay on the Cutting Edge of Technology”
  • “Understanding “Nexus” – Know the Risks and Rewards of Operating Across State Lines”

GJM’s five quarterly newsletters include:

  1. Focus: A quarterly publication dedicated to covering such topics as strategic business planning, estate planning, employee issues, customer relations issues, personal tax planning, and other aspects of business management and personal finance.
  2. The Expert: The quarterly newsletter offers timely notifications on valuation and litigation support developments that may have an immediate impact on you and your business.
  3. Practice Management Advisor: A quarterly newsletter providing accounting, tax and practice management insights for the health care industry.
  4. On-Site: A quarterly newsletter providing accounting, tax and business insights for construction and real estate focused organizations.
  5. Manufacturer: Offers tax tips, news and information pertinent to the manufacturing and distribution industries. A quarterly publication, Manufacturer addresses the daily challenges facing manufacturers and distributors as well as strategic and long-term planning initiatives.

Signing up is simple. Just click here and start having timely accounting information delivered right into your inbox. You can also sign up by clicking the big blue "subscribe now" button at the top of the sidebar to the right of this blog article. To be sure you continue to receive GJM newsletter content, we recommend the following:

  1. Have your IT department add GJM’s domain name to your network’s whitelist. We recommend you also add the name of the platform we use to distribute our email newsletters, which is a company called BlueHornet (recently rebranded as Mapp Digital).

Domain names to add to your whitelist:

gjmltd.com

bluehornet.com

  1. Double check spam and junk folders/filters and if you find a GJM communication, be sure to mark the message as not spam, not junk or add sender to safe sender list.

Established in 1996, Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD (GJM) is the largest public accounting firm in Northwest Ohio, with offices in Maumee and Findlay. Locally owned, GJM offers cloud-based accounting services and provides comprehensive services including assurance, business advisory, tax, risk advisory and healthcare management. The Firm’s professionals specialize in industries including construction & real estate, healthcare, manufacturing & distribution and utilities.  


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How Technology Has Transformed Our Accounting Firm

Smart Phones and iPads and Video Conferencing, Oh My! It’s no secret that our personal and professional lives have changed dramatically in recent years, driven by technology. The accounting industry is no exception. There’s been a significant shift in the way we serve our clients at Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD. For many of the Firm’s business and individual clients, paper tax returns are but a memory. The documents are now often sent digitally, provided via email or on a flash drive.  

Another major shift has come for some of our clients including physician offices and other healthcare entities that rely on us for their accounting and bookkeeping needs. Gilmore Jasion Mahler’s cloud-based client portal GJM Connect saves them time and headaches.

“They are able to connect with us in real time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s helping improve efficiencies on their end and is as easy as banking or shopping online,” says GJM Partner Linda Hillstrom.

It’s also secure and convenient. GJM Connect offers clients round-the-clock access from any internet connection in the world.  The online portal allows for file sharing and accounting/bookkeeping work. Encryption, secure password protection and other measures bring heightened security.

Technology has also created a shift in the way Gilmore Jasion Mahler staff members do their work. Working from home and remote locations has never been easier. Video conferencing allows for more face to face time between GJM’s Maumee and Findlay offices. Cloud-based document storage has done away with the need for large filing cabinets, allowing access to archived documents with a click of the mouse.

Online communication helps clients and the public stay informed on tax law changes and other timely information that may affect their businesses. Digital newsletters, email alerts and social media messaging from GJM bring industry-specific information to those in manufacturing & distribution, construction, real estate & utilities and healthcare. Additional digital newsletters are specific to litigation and valuation and general tax information.

It truly is a whole new Technicolor world. We’re definitely not in Kansas, anymore, and that’s a good thing for the staff and clients of Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD.

Learn more about GJM Connect and our cloud-based accounting services or sign up for one of our industry-specific newsletters.

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