Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Whalen.
Tim, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Advisant was created to make everyone’s tax experience simpler and more convenient. There are many ways we achieve that, but it is accomplished with two main strategies: First, our business model is different than any other tax firm in America. Instead of only have a brick and mortar presence, which we do, our main difference from other tax firms is that we partner with many corporations in Chicago where we go onsite to their office building to meet with employees during tax season. This offers employees the ultimate convenience of not having to make an appointment after work to meet with a tax accountant. They are simply notified by HR that we will be in the office that day, and they can bring all of their tax documents to work to drop off with us. From there we communicate with the client outside of the office to complete their tax return. This type of business model only works if you employ our second strategy: communication is everything. We pride ourselves on having the best customer service with clients. If you send us an email or give us a call, you will hear back from us within a few hours. We have been able to achieve this from the very beginning with only a couple dozen clients, to now having hundreds of clients. Communication is the most important part of any business, but especially within the tax industry.
We have also been heavily involved in the Chicago film industry. We have been preparing the books and other various accounting work for many films, most notably a few that have been featured on Netflix. This is a unique area of accounting and really enjoy it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have had our ups and downs as a company, but overall we have been very blessed in that the road to our success has been relatively smooth. That doesn’t mean we haven’t stressed out about what our next steps are or how we can grow our company each year, but we have seen a growth with our company that I think is very unusual considering we only started about four years ago. We are very grateful for each and every client we have and look forward to what the future will bring.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Advisant Financial – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Here is a brief list of all the tax/business services we offer: individual, corporate, partnership, and trust tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll services, and all types of tax/financial/business consulting.
We are most known for our tax preparation services, but we also offer bookkeeping and payroll, which is typical for any accounting firm.
There are many things I am proud of with our business, but one of the main things is that we’re helping people. I have been involved in a few other financial industries over the years and didn’t feel that there was a true purpose. With Advisant Financial, we are working with people and helping them every step of the way. One of my favorite things is when we do tax planning during the year and when it comes time to file, everything goes as planned. One of our company mottos is “no surprises” when our clients file their tax return, so it’s always encouraging when everyone expects the same outcome and that comes to fruition when we file the tax return.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
From a business perspective, we’re always looking for ways to expand our client base. Going onsite to various companies throughout Chicago is a unique business model that no one else is employing and we’ll continue to be creative and find new ways to reach people. We don’t have any major changes that we’re planning for, however, it appears that the tax code might change dramatically with this new administration, so that could get interesting!
Pricing:
- Individual Tax Preparation Fees – Minumum for Married Filing Jointly is $250
- C-Corporation Tax Preparation Fees – Minumum fee is $750
- S-Corporation Tax Preparation Fees – Minumum fee is $750
- Partnership Tax Preparation Fees – Minumum fee is $650
- Trust Tax Preparation Fees – Minimum fee is $500
- Bookkeeping Fees – Minimum fee is $100/Month
- Payroll Service Fees – Minimum fee is $125/Quarter
- Film Industry Bookkeeping Fees – Fees vary greatly depending on the scale of the project
Contact Info:
- Website: www.advisantfinancial.com
- Phone: 847-712-4611
- Email: team@advisantfinancial.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvisantFinancial/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/advisant-financial-buffalo-grove-6

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