A Salida CPA You Can Actually Talk To
Megan Leesley
TITLE
Director of Tax
HOMETOWN
Salida, CO
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
11
EDUCATION
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.
— Benjamin Franklin
A native of Austin, Texas, Megan got her start in accounting at an early age while helping her parents out in their respective businesses. Insistent in her infinite wisdom as a teenager that she would not be "stuck behind a desk doing something boring like accounting or taxes," she instead earned her undergraduate degree in marketing from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
Megan then moved to Colorado, where she spent 15 years in business consulting and management. In 2014, she came to her senses and realized that she had an unashamed love for taxation, evaluating financials for strategic planning, and that beautiful equation that is the root of accounting: assets = liabilities + equity. Upon this realization, Megan quickly returned to school to complete her master's degree in accounting with a focus on tax from the University of Colorado, earned her CPA license, and began working in public accounting. More recently, she earned her CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) certification and began performing valuations for exiting small business owners and gift and estate tax purposes.
Megan has spent the last seven years specializing in tax compliance, advisory and strategic planning for small businesses, high net worth individuals and trusts, as well as business valuations. Her passion for helping clients navigate the complicated world of tax, as well as helping them to plan for their future financial goals, is palpable in each client interaction and reminds her every day how much she loves her work.
In her spare time, Megan loves to enjoy the great outdoors, going on multi-day rafting trips with her daughter, running her local river (the Arkansas) after work with friends, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, traveling, and being a complete foodie in the kitchen, whipping up new creations for friends and family. In other words, anything that doesn't involve sitting at a desk.
Specialties
Single-Member LLCs
High-Net Worth Individuals
Closely Held Businesses
Small Business Valuations
Industries
Rental Real Estate
Professional Services
First Class Service From Your Salida CPA
When you need a relational, strategic, and forward-thinking accounting firm in Salida, Colorado, work with Dark Horse CPAs. Your small business deserves timely and actionable data from your books. That’s why Dark Horse CPAs are flipping the script on what a top accounting firm looks like. Give less of your money to the TaxMan and receive more hands-on services than your traditional accounting firm.
MEGAN LEESLEY, DIRECTOR OF TAX
When I first heard the Dark Horse name, I was intrigued. As I dove into discovering more, I found a firm creating real solutions to the myriad of issues CPAs face working for traditional CPA firms and starting their own practice. Here is a company that seeks to put its greatest asset, its people, first and give them the tools to not only exceptionally serve their clients and build strong client relationships but also thrive in their own lives. The results of this innovative model speak for themselves with overwhelmingly high client and employee satisfaction metrics.
89%
Net Promoter Score
The average NPS for accounting firms is 38%. At Dark Horse, 89% of our clients would recommend us to a friend.
Net Promoter Score
Companies use this metric to gauge how happy their customers are with their services. It's calculated by taking the percentage of "promoters" minus the % of "detractors. "The average NPS score for the accounting industry is 39%, less than the DMV! We believe it's important to share that we have successfully fulfilled our promise to WOW clients and consistently monitor this metric to ensure we continue to deliver on the highest level.
350+
5-Star Reviews
Our Google and Yelp reviews speak for themselves. Our goal is to provide 5-star service to every client, every time.
5-Star Reviews
When someone shares their experience with us online, we find it extremely valuable to know where we've exceeded expectations and where we can improve. Many of our clients decide to engage with us as a result of reading about other Dark Horse clients’ experiences. Even when things do not go as planned, we do everything we can to make it right.
90%
Retention Rate
We're all about creating long-lasting, value-added relationships.
Retention Rate
This is the frequency of repeat business from our clients that work with us. This means that 9 out of 10 clients use us for subsequent years. That shows us that people enjoy working with our CPAs, are pleased with the work, and want to continue with Dark Horse over the long term.
Accounting Solutions for Businesses.
The Problem: Small businesses are making uninformed decisions because they aren’t receiving timely, accurate and actionable financial data from their accountant. They’re also not receiving the strategic guidance they need in order to plan for and reduce their taxes. We hate this. This is why we combine bookkeeping and tax services for our business clients to ensure they’re making informed, tax-savvy decisions to move their business forward. We take an Advisory-First approach and need good data to bring the most value to every engagement.
MEGAN LEESLEY, DIRECTOR OF TAX
"Small businesses often approach their taxes with a CPA, use a bookkeeper to keep their books and financials, run the day-to-day operations and financial analysis themselves, and are left struggling to find the time and capacity to fit all the pieces together. Taking a more holistic approach that incorporates tax preparation, tax planning, and financial analysis into the goals of the small business owner is simply the better way."
Tax Services for People.
The Problem: It’s not until you file your personal tax return that you feel the sting of your tax situation. Whether it’s an unwanted surprise in the amount owed or refunded, or the realization that you left significant tax savings on the table, the sting hurts. We believe in No Surprises, especially the bad kind. This is why we work collaboratively with our clients to ensure they plan for and reduce taxes wherever possible. We make sure every engagement requires a level of Tax Planning with your CPA, period.
MEGAN LEESLEY, DIRECTOR OF TAX
“We have arguably the most complex tax system in the world, and IRS letters are enough to strike fear into the hearts of many. And this is why I love my career... taking clients from a place of fear of the IRS to a place of confidence that they are not only in compliance but are using the tax code to their advantage is why I do what I do. Being the trusted advisor to small business owners and individuals to walk through that process is highly rewarding."
Get a personable & experienced CPA who will partner with you to achieve unparalleled results.
Blogs and Pods
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Blog
Understanding the New DOL Overtime Rules: What Your Company Needs to Know
VLOG
Transforming the CPA Landscape: Darkhorse CPA’s Innovative Model for Growth and Success
Podcast
SPEED ROUND: 1031 Exchanges
Nancy R.
I have used James Larsen as my CPA for many years and am confident in his work ethic and tax knowledge.
