COLUMBIA, S.C. (December 19, 2019) – – Certified Public Accounting firm Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A., (BPS) has been recognized by global media company Forbes as being among the top recommended tax and accounting firms in America. A total of 227 firms were named to the Forbes list. BPS was one of only 90 firms nationally and the only South Carolina firm recognized for both tax and accounting services. Only two South Carolina firms are on the Forbes list.
This was the first year Forbes partnered with independent market research company Statista to create the list of the nation’s most recommended firms for tax and accounting services. The list is based on a survey of 1,800 tax and accounting professionals and chief financial officers who were asked to nominate deserving peer firms. Peer nominations as well as the final selection of firms were carefully reviewed. Statista carried out additional checks to confirm the integrity of all of the firms.
The Forbes honor caps off a transformative year for BPS, a firm recognized as being among the premier tax, accounting, and business-consulting firms in the Southeast. In July, BPS relocated its corporate offices to a new, 20,000-square-foot space in the TD Bank Building at 1501 Main Street, the state capital’s vibrant business hub. At the time, BPS had a team of 70 professionals, including 50 CPAs. Over the last five months, BPS had added another 10 people for a total of 80 team members.
Managing Shareholder Russell Bauknight, CPA, credits the firm’s success to its culture along with ongoing investment in professional development. “Our priority through our 28 years in business is that our people come first. Creating work-life balance for our people is very important and something that can be difficult to achieve in our industry. We constantly look for new ways to make BPS the preferred employer for tax, accounting and administrative professionals. It’s pretty simple; when you take care of your people, they take care of your clients,” Bauknight said.
Professional development is critical particularly in the wake of recent changes to the federal tax code. “Tax code and regulations governing individual and corporate finance are constantly changing so our people must constantly up-skill their knowledge. Each year, BPS invests well over six figures in professional education and development sponsored by the AICPA, PrimeGlobal and other industry leaders. As trusted advisors to our clients, it’s an investment we make to guide clients with confidence based on the latest information,” Bauknight added.