Controller-Level Finances Without a Full-Time Hire

Reliable monthly financials for owners who need to trust their numbers.

Steinhoff Financial helps owner-led businesses clean up the books, manage the monthly close, review payroll and balance sheet issues, improve accounting workflows, and stay tax-ready throughout the year.

Most growing businesses do not need a full-time controller yet, but they do need more than basic bookkeeping. I help bridge that gap with controller-level accounting support, cash-flow visibility, useful owner reporting, and clean financials you can actually rely on.

Start With a Business Diagnostic View What I Help With

Updated books are important. Useful numbers are even more important.

Payroll decisions, uneven cash flow, tax estimates, equipment purchases, rising costs, owner pay, and monthly expenses all depend on having accounting you can trust.

  • 75% of employer firms cited rising costs as a financial challenge
  • 56% cited paying operating expenses as a financial challenge
  • 51% cited uneven cash flow as a financial challenge

Clean books are only the starting point. A consistent monthly accounting process gives you better visibility into cash flow, helps identify problems earlier, keeps the business tax-ready, and gives you better information when it is time to make a decision.

Source: Federal Reserve Banks, 2025 Report on Employer Firms .

One person. Full accountability. No runaround

About Mark

Operational precision.
Forward-looking accounting and tax support.

I’m Mark Steinhoff. Before working in accounting and finance, I served aboard U.S. Navy submarines, where details matter, systems matter, and problems are addressed before they become larger failures. That same mindset shapes how I approach accounting, tax work, financial reporting, and business systems today.

Steinhoff Financial was built for business owners who want more than transactions categorized after the fact. Accurate books and tax returns matter, but the greater value comes from understanding what the numbers mean and using them to plan ahead.

  • Books without planning

    QuickBooks may be updated, but that does not automatically mean the financials are useful. I help organize and clean up the accounting so the books support tax preparation, cash-flow decisions, and meaningful owner reporting.

  • Payroll without coordination

    Payroll affects more than paychecks. Wages, owner compensation, reimbursements, payroll liabilities, and account mapping all need to connect correctly with the books and the broader tax picture.

  • Tax returns without planning

    A tax return generally reports what has already happened. Year-round planning allows time to consider deductions, estimated payments, retirement opportunities, entity structure, timing decisions, and other tax considerations before year-end.

  • Growth without financial visibility

    As a business grows, a bank balance is not enough. Better decisions come from understanding revenue, expenses, cash flow, liabilities, taxes, and the financial trends developing inside the business.

My background includes accounting, operations, private equity, oil and gas, real estate, partnership and small-business tax work, monthly close processes, reconciliations, revenue analysis, payroll coordination, QuickBooks cleanup, and financial reporting.

My goal is not to overwhelm business owners with reports. It is to help make the financial side of the business easier to understand: what is coming in, where cash is going, what needs attention, what tax decisions matter, and what systems should be improved before small problems become expensive ones.

I’m currently accepting new clients. A consultation can start with a review of your books, QuickBooks setup, payroll process, tax position, entity structure, and the areas where stronger accounting systems may help.

  • U.S. Navy Submarine Veteran
  • CPA Exam Candidate
  • Accounting & Finance Background
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Small Business Tax & Accounting

Why work with Steinhoff Financial

  • Direct Owner Support

    You work directly with me, not through a rotating handoff. That means better context, clearer communication, and support from someone who understands the broader financial picture.

  • Forward-Looking Support

    The goal is not simply to close the books. I help you think ahead about cash flow, tax timing, owner compensation, deductions, and the financial decisions affecting the business.

  • Systems That Scale

    QuickBooks, payroll, the chart of accounts, receipt capture, reconciliations, and reporting should support the way your business actually operates instead of creating more cleanup later.

  • Tax-Aware Accounting

    Bookkeeping, payroll, entity structure, owner compensation, deductions, and tax preparation all connect. I help keep those pieces coordinated throughout the year.

Accounting in the AI Era

Technology can move the data faster.
Judgment is still where the value is.

Accounting is changing. Automation, bank feeds, receipt capture, payroll platforms, and AI tools can reduce repetitive work and make routine processes faster. That is a good thing. But faster data does not automatically mean better financial decisions.

Business owners still need someone to review the numbers, understand how the pieces connect, identify unusual activity, consider the tax implications, and explain what deserves attention next.

My approach is straightforward: use technology to reduce unnecessary manual work, then use the time saved for review, planning, tax strategy, cash-flow visibility, owner compensation decisions, and better financial conversations.

  • Automation for routine work

    Bank feeds, recurring transactions, receipt capture, payroll workflows, and QuickBooks rules can reduce repetitive work when they are configured correctly and reviewed consistently.

  • Human review where software falls short

    Software can suggest categories, but it may not understand the business purpose behind loans, owner draws, transfers, reimbursements, payroll activity, entity transactions, or unusual items. Those situations require accounting judgment and context.

  • Tax-aware planning before year-end

    Clean reports are more useful when they support forward-looking conversations about deductions, estimated taxes, entity structure, S corporation considerations, owner compensation, reimbursements, and other tax-planning opportunities.

  • Financial information owners can use

    Technology can generate reports and summaries. I help put those numbers into context: what changed, where cash is going, what needs attention, and what should be considered next.

Services

One financial partner for the books, taxes, payroll, and decisions behind your business.

Steinhoff Financial supports owner-operated businesses with the accounting essentials while helping owners look ahead instead of only looking backward. Services can include bookkeeping, tax preparation and planning, payroll coordination, entity considerations, cash-flow visibility, and controller-level financial support.

  • Clean Books

    Bookkeeping, cleanup & catch-up

    Clean up prior-period books, correct misclassifications, reconcile accounts, organize QuickBooks, and strengthen the accounting foundation so your financial information is more reliable.

  • Monthly Financials

    Monthly accounting & owner reporting

    Monthly bookkeeping, reconciliations, balance-sheet review, and financial reporting designed to give you a clearer view of what is happening in the business beyond the bank balance.

  • Payroll

    Payroll setup & accounting workflows

    Support with payroll systems, employee setup, pay schedules, payroll-to-QuickBooks mapping, payroll liabilities, reimbursements, and processes that keep payroll connected to the books.

  • Tax Planning

    Tax estimates & year-round planning

    Planning support around estimated taxes, deductible business expenses, timing decisions, reimbursements, retirement opportunities, and other items that may be worth reviewing before year-end.

  • Entity & Owner Pay

    S corporation & compensation considerations

    Review of S corporation considerations, owner compensation, payroll versus distributions, accountable-plan concepts, and related accounting and tax issues as they apply to your business.

  • Tax Returns

    Business & individual tax preparation

    Tax preparation support that considers the business books, payroll, deductions, owner activity, and individual tax picture together rather than treating each part in isolation.

Bookkeeping and tax preparation are the foundation. The bigger goal is having better information before important financial and tax decisions have already been made.

What I Help With

The accounting work you need today, connected to the tax planning you should be thinking about next.

Steinhoff Financial & Advisory Services helps owner-operated businesses with the essentials: clean books, payroll setup, financials, business and personal tax returns, and forward-looking planning around deductions, entity structure, S corporation decisions, owner pay, and tax strategy.

Planning First

Every engagement starts by understanding the business, the books, the payroll setup, and the tax picture. The goal is not just compliance. The goal is better decisions before the year is already over.

  • Foundation

    Cleanup & Accounting Setup

    Starting at $500+ / one-time
    For owners whose books are behind, unreliable, overcomplicated, or not ready for tax planning and tax preparation.
    • QuickBooks cleanup and historical corrections
    • Bank, credit card, and loan reconciliations
    • Uncategorized transactions resolved
    • Income, expense, loan, draw, and transfer cleanup
    • Chart of accounts organization
    • Payroll-to-books mapping review
    • Clean financial statement package
    • Tax-ready handoff and planning notes
    Get a Cleanup Quote
  • Recurring Support

    Monthly Accounting & Planning

    Starting at $300+ / month
    For owners who want one financial partner keeping the books, payroll workflow, financials, and tax planning connected year-round.
    • Monthly bookkeeping and reconciliations
    • Bank, credit card, loan, and balance sheet review
    • Income statement and owner-ready financials
    • Cash flow visibility and plain-English summaries
    • QuickBooks Online support and workflow cleanup
    • Payroll setup coordination and review
    • Tax-ready books throughout the year
    • Planning touchpoints before major decisions
    Start With a Planning Review
  • Tax & Advisory

    Tax Strategy, Returns & Owner Support

    Custom / based on scope
    For owners who want their business return, personal return, payroll, deductions, entity tax structure, and owner decisions reviewed together.
    • Business and personal tax return support
    • Year-round tax planning
    • Quarterly estimate planning
    • S corporation election review
    • Reasonable compensation support
    • Owner distribution and reimbursement review
    • Payroll setup for owner-employees
    • Planning meetings before year-end
    Talk Tax Planning

Pricing depends on complexity, transaction volume, number of accounts, payroll needs, filing type, cleanup requirements, and the level of planning support needed. Tax planning identifies opportunities and tradeoffs; it does not guarantee a specific tax result.

Accounting Systems That Support Planning

Tax planning only works when the books, payroll, and owner decisions stay connected all year.

The best tax strategy is not built from a messy file in March. It starts with a cleaner accounting system: QuickBooks structure, payroll setup, receipts, reconciliations, owner pay, reimbursements, cash flow, and reports that actually show what is happening. That is where better planning starts.

  • QuickBooks Structure

    Your reports are updated, but they do not help you make decisions

    Categories overlap, transfers get mixed with income, loans and owner draws are unclear, payroll is not mapped cleanly, and the financial statements do not tell the owner what is really happening.

    I help clean up the structure behind the reports so the books are more useful for tax planning, cash flow decisions, owner pay, and year-end preparation.

  • Payroll Setup

    Payroll needs to support both operations and tax planning

    Hours, employee records, pay schedules, reimbursements, owner wages, payroll categories, and QuickBooks mapping are not always set up with the tax picture in mind.

    I help set up cleaner payroll workflows through platforms like Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll, with payroll-to-books mapping and owner-pay planning considered together.

  • Tax-Ready Records

    Deductions are easier to support when the system captures them correctly

    Receipts, business use, reimbursements, contractor payments, meals, vehicle costs, home office details, software, equipment, and owner expenses can get messy without a clear workflow.

    I help tighten the process so deductions, documentation, and accounting records are easier to review before tax season instead of being reconstructed after the fact.

  • Owner Planning

    S corp and owner-pay decisions should not happen in isolation

    Reasonable compensation, distributions, payroll taxes, quarterly estimates, retirement planning, reimbursements, and entity structure all affect the owner’s full tax picture.

    I help connect the business books, payroll setup, owner compensation, tax return, and planning decisions so the strategy is reviewed before year-end, not after.

Project cleanup or ongoing monthly support.

I can help clean up the accounting system, improve the workflow, organize the books for tax planning, and either hand it back to you or support it monthly as your business grows. The goal is forward-looking control.

  • QuickBooks Cleanup
  • Chart of Accounts Rebuild
  • Payroll Setup
  • Gusto / QBO Payroll Workflow
  • Owner Pay Planning
  • S Corp Support
  • Receipt Capture
  • Reimbursements
  • Tax-Ready Books
  • Deduction Review
  • Cash Flow Visibility
  • Owner Reporting
Start With a Planning Review →
How It Works

From planning review to clear next steps.

A simple process for understanding where your books, payroll, tax returns, entity structure, owner pay, and planning opportunities stand today — then deciding what should happen next.

  1. Start with a Planning Review

    We begin with a focused look at your business, QuickBooks file, payroll setup, tax situation, entity structure, owner pay, and the financial questions you want answered.

  2. I look for the weak points and missed opportunities

    I review where the accounting system may be breaking down: messy books, unreconciled accounts, payroll-to-books issues, tax-readiness gaps, deduction tracking, cash visibility, S corporation questions, or owner-pay planning.

  3. You get a practical accounting and tax roadmap

    I explain what matters most, what should be fixed first, and whether the right path is cleanup, monthly accounting, payroll setup, tax return support, S corporation planning, or broader advisory support.

  4. We build the right support around your business

    From there, we scope the engagement around your actual needs. The goal is not just to keep up with compliance. The goal is cleaner financials, better planning, and more forward-looking tax decisions.

Start With a Planning Review →

What you can expect working with me.

Clear scope. Straight answers. Clean accounting support that connects your books, payroll, QuickBooks setup, tax readiness, and planning decisions.

  • Clear Scope & Pricing

    You will understand the scope and pricing before work begins. If a cleanup, payroll issue, QBO problem, or tax planning need is bigger than expected, I talk to you before expanding the work.

  • Plain-English Explanations

    I explain what matters in normal business language. You will know what changed, why it matters, what needs attention, and how it affects your books, payroll, taxes, or cash flow.

  • Reviewed, Useful Work

    The goal is not just organized transactions. The goal is reviewed, reliable work that helps you make better decisions and keeps your business better prepared for tax season.

Get Started

Ready to plan ahead on the accounting and tax side?

Email me directly with a short note about your business, what software you use, and where you need help. We can look at your books, payroll setup, tax returns, entity structure, owner pay, deductions, cash flow, and planning opportunities so you know what should happen next.

Start With a Planning Review
Direct Email

[email protected]

Fort Worth, Texas

Currently taking on new owner-operated business clients.