Welcome to Horizon Accountants, Certified Public Accountants

It's time to look to the future

When I was in high school they gave us a survey test that would group our highest occupational possibilities in what was known as the Kuder Occupational Survey. My second highest score was Certified Public Accountant. I took bookkeeping in high school and rather enjoyed it. I would go on and graduate with a double major in Accounting and Business Administration from Eastern Mennonite College (now University). I began to work at S.B. Hoover and Company right out of College and the partners there were most gracious to me. I learned much from each one. To this day I have fond memories of that learning time.

Ever since I entered public accounting I enjoyed working on tax returns and researching complex things. I became an expert on Alternative Minimum Tax and financial institutions as I worked on bank audits. Tax season was fun for me and still is today. My plans included becoming a partner and taking care of my clients. Well things did not go just like that but I did have a chance of a lifetime in buying Vernon Graber’s tax practice on February 4, 2003 (my birthday) and launched out on my own September 1, 2003. I will be entering my twentieth year as owner of Horizon Accountants.

Looking back I have no regrets at all. I am doing what I always dreamed I would do. I am thankful for the trust my clients have shown to me over the years. I can honestly say I enjoy getting up each and every day to come to work. Each day is a little different and when tax season comes it energizes me. Some say our staff is so pleasant and relaxed that it is quite a place to come and be part of, if you are a Horizon client.

Business, career, end of work and life transition planning

Over the past five years my professional life and interests have synthesized a CPA (35 years), Pastoral (ordained minister), Financial Analyst (Registered Investment Advisor) skills into a unique approach and experience for clients wanting wholistic transition advice and planning. What is a more wholistic approach? It combines financial direction, family systems and emotional counseling, business and career transition advice, exploring end of life considerations, and increasing money management skills and financial market understanding.

In 2023 I have become a member of the Financial Therapy Association and have spent over 30 hours in specialized training classes building the therapy and emotional counseling skill set required to provide this type of planning.

In a recent 2023 survey nearly 60% of American adults said they believe money can buy happiness, but a larger percentage say they would be happy with better financial planning. Only 26% are working on some type of a financial plan.

If you want to know more about this type of planning just let me know.

Listen to Lawrence on the local NPR broadcast April 13, 2012.

Businesses that receive $10,000 in cash from a customer must file form 8300 within 15 days of receipt of the cash payment. Failure to file by ignoring it brings expensive fines!

A New Change in Our Tax Season

We have grown over the past 20 years and now regrettably reached our capacity of what we can do during a compressed tax season. We want our tax clients to have a satisfying tax season experience each year. We value each one and with this expectation comes a limit of how many clients we can adequately serve. As of December 13, 2023 we have around 5 open spaces for the upcoming tax season. After that we will need to put new clients requesting space on a waiting list.