Kerkering Barberio - Sarasota, Florida

Teal H.

Ok, never thought I would do a review for an accounting/tax/bookkeeping firm...but here I am. When you get above and beyond service now a days you need to celebrate it and pass it on. Our company is only 6 years old but growing quite rapidly. We had been through 2 firms for our accounting, tax prep and strategy in the first 4 years with nothing bad but not really any beneficial or extra positive to report. One was a huge national firm and one was a small independent firm. Then we were referred to Kerkering Barberio....and everything changed. From their onboarding process to really understand not just your business functions and processes but also your vision and goals for the future, you feel like you gained a whole company into your company. They feel like an in house team! They are so tapped in and forward thinking for your business even when you don't have time to do it for yourself. They anticipate needs and future hurdles or work and give you a solid plan to follow. They truly work as a team with your team. Their follow up is clockwork and enables everyone on my team to be more efficient. I cannot say how much stress and anxiety they have relieved me. Allowing me to focus on the growth and development of the business. We have added almost all of the suite of services they offer and they are the ONLY firm I will refer my high profile clients to. They care for each one of them no matter what the engagement like they are a part of my family. You will not be sorry if you hire Kerkering to be your accounting, tax, bookkeeping (and more) team! Feel free to reach out to me for specific examples of how they have helped us as a growing business!

Barb R.

My brother and I were referred to KB by our Realtor in Venice and told they were experts in FIRPTA tax laws with the IRS. We were told by KB that they could file an application for my non-US citizen brother that would waive the FIRPTA withholding since we were doing a 1031-exchange for another property and met all the IRS requirements. Therefore, we hired KB and paid them the quoted flat fee. At no time were we told that the IRS could deny this application, nor that my brother could possibly have to pay the FIRPTA withholding a year later. Contrary, we were reassured multiple times that they handle these applications regularly, that we qualified under IRS FIRPTA laws, and that all the money from the sale could be used for the 1031-exchange.

A few months after the application was submitted, we received a new invoice from KB for additional costs (over double the original quoted flat fee) stating that it took them longer than expected to complete and file the application. A lot of this additional time spent was actually with the closing agent who kept stating they still need to withhold the FIRPTA and KB stating that they can release it. If KB handles these applications regularly, why was this all new the the closing agent? Anyways, I showed KB the email proof that we were quoted a flat fee and that we were never told that we could be billed more if it took longer. A flat fee is just that, a set fee for a job or project. If it was based on time, then they should have quoted a base fee with a billable hourly rate. I never heard back from KB, so I assumed they accepted the proof and canceled the invoice.

A year later, we found out the IRS denied the application KB submitted on our behalf, stating it was incomplete and did not meet their FIRPTA tax laws. My brother has 20 days to come up with a large sum of money to pay the FIRPTA amount due. Even worse, we had to pay KB additional $500 to file the new form with the IRS, a form I found out later was 2 pages and could be filled out in 15 minutes. As you can imagine, we are both furious as KB did not give us all the information and possible outcomes when we hired them. A certified accounting firm that specializes in FIRPTA should have known that this could happen and advised us properly so we were prepared to pay in case the application was denied. Also, the closing company should never have released the funds from escrow, which they only did based on input from KB via email that I was copied on!

In conclusion, KB is NOT a company to hire for FIRPTA tax matters and they do not care about their clients in any way. Instead, they argue with their clients and keep changing their side of the story. I have been lied to at least 3 times now as they try to "protect themselves" because they know they did wrong by us. Do NOT hire this firm, they just want to make money off their clients without doing their due diligence, nor do they advise clients properly with ALL the information. This whole situation has left us in financial turmoil and it could have been avoided. I wish I never heard of KB because we would not be in this mess if they had advised us properly. We also would not have paid for their services if we had known that it could all be for nothing. We would have just paid the FIRPTA at the time of the sale and saved on the additional expenses.

Barbara K.

KB completely missed tax filing deadline despite my having submitted documents almost two months in advance. Lots of excuses including "changes in tax laws, growth of the firm, new and existing clients and new and existing team members." They took care of the late penalty, but I will never trust them with my business matters again.

Milena H.

This firm absolutely is the best CPA firm in Sarasota.

Kathy Hargreaves is an amazing business woman that took her time explaining what we can expect, which steps we need to take in order to get to where we need to be, how much it will cost and stood behind her word the whole time.
They truly care about their clients and go above and beyond to answer all questions and meet all small business needs.

We are so happy that we found this firm and are looking forward to working with them a long time!

Outstanding!

Donna M.

I've been with this wonderful firm for over a decade. I'm not a particularly organized person yet every tax season they treat me with the utmost patience and kindness in getting my paperwork together and turned in on time. Utmost in professionalism. I look forward to doing many more years of business with this firm in the future.

William C.

A very poorly run firm, who I cannot recommend anyone trust with their money. Their communication is poor and unprofessional: late returning calls, appointments canceled with no notice, vague mentions of setting up another appointment "sometime next week," and so on. Save yourself the frustration and go somewhere else!

Margo B.

I have been with K and B for over 15 years, through “thick and thin”. The professional guidance and patience with me ( as Accounting is far from my strength) has been valued! Julie Byrum answers my questions with kindness, patience and knowledge! I’m grateful for this experience with K and B.

Jenna V.

5 Stars to Jennifer at Kerkering Barberio in Sarasota. She is professional, knowledgeable and an excellent communicator! Thank you!