A Salida CPA You Can Actually Talk To

Certifications

Certified Public Accountant

QuickBooks Pro Advisor

Certified Valuation Analyst

Megan Leesley

719-767-1989

megan@darkhorse.cpa

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.

Get Started

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.

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.

Solutions for Businesses

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.

Tax Solutions for People

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."

Nancy R.

I have used James Larsen as my CPA for many years and am confident in his work ethic and tax knowledge.

Patrick Wingate

I was referred to Max by a friend who is also a small business owner. I was definitely in need of direction when it came to my finances. After speaking with Max I was able to understand how I can be efficient in the accounting side of my business and he and his team is there to guide me every step of the way. I'm now confident I have the right team watching my books I highly recommend Max and Dark Horse CPAs

Marisa M.

I had the pleasure of working with Stella and she was absolutely incredible. I had received what I suspected was bad advice from a previous tax preparer, and I was looking for another professional opinion on a specific tax situation. I found Dark Horse and Stella and I couldn't be happier. Stella confirmed what I had suspected about the previous tax situation being handled incorrectly by my former preparer at a different firm, and helped me fix the problem. Stella was prompt, exceedingly professional, and actually took the time to explain everything. Prices for services are fair. I am thrilled to have found a knowledgeable, trustworthy tax advisor and I look forward to continue working with Stella in the future.

Susan H.

Megan, Kim and staff were very prompt filing our business and personal taxes. The secure email site to upload our documents was very user friendly. The staff was also extremely prompt answering our questions through email and on the phone. In addition, Megan met with us personally a couple of times several months in advance to map out a plan for our business and personal taxes. Thank you all!

Quinn R.

We signed on with Adam's accounting group after bouncing around trying to find the right 'fit' with other companies. I knew immediately that we found what we needed when Adam took the time to sit down and talk to me about my business, my plans, my goals and where I wanted my company to be in the next 2, 5, 10 years. Adam and his team are responsive - and by that, I mean proactive - which is probably the single best reason to use Dark Horse. After 8 years and 3 different accounting firms we found what we need with Dark Horse.

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