Why you shouldn’t work with Nth Degree.

Hey there, I’m Dan Nicholson. CPA, entrepreneur, and the founder of Nth Degree CPAs.

I’ll admit - the title of this page risks sounding a little audacious and perhaps even slightly confrontational. Because of that, I’m choosing every word you see very carefully to ensure my message to you is properly communicated.

I believe in absolute honesty, so I hope the sincere meaning behind this message is conveyed. I am going to take a minute to address why Nth Degree CPAs might not be the right fit for you.

✗ We focus on the end goal, not number crunching.

At Nth Degree CPAs, we’re not about crunching numbers and filing tax returns. Yes, we do that - but it’s a small part of the process. We take a comprehensive and strategic approach to help our clients achieve their ideal P&L today, and 10 years into the future. So, if you’re looking for a traditional, transactional accounting arrangement, we might not be the best fit.

As a top 10 firm in the country, we recognize the importance of forming deep, consultative partnerships with our clients. We challenge you to think differently about your finances, we ask tough questions, and we push you outside your comfort zone. We turn over every stone in your financial-garden, and sometimes there can be some pretty gross bugs underneath.

But we can’t protect all of your money if we don’t have all the information, and it’s only with open communication that we can give ourselves the best chance of success.

For example, when a high-profile nutritional coaching business came to us with a $500,000 tax bill - we didn’t just focus on the immediate problem. Instead, we took a deep dive into their financials and discovered that their accounting method wasn’t aligned with their business model.

By making a simple change to their revenue recognition strategy, we not only eliminated the $500,000 tax bill, but also uncovered a $600,000 refund opportunity. That’s a $1.1 million dollar swing in their favor, all because we focused on the bigger picture and not just the numbers in front of us.

And while we can’t guarantee that you won’t need to pay taxes, or make some uncomfortable financial decisions, what we can guarantee is that we’ll use the most cutting-edge tax laws (yes, that’s a thing) and financial tactics to allow you to keep the most money possible.

My team will work closely with you to understand your unique goals, challenges, and opportunities and then develop customized game plans to give you a clear understanding of your financial situation and path to success. But if you’re not ready for that level of collaboration, another firm might be a better match.

✗ Alignment with our core values is essential.

We built our firm on a foundation of unwavering core principles: honesty, transparency, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of financial certainty for our clients. These values guide everything we do, and we expect our clients to share and embrace them as well.

If these values don’t resonate with you, or if you’re looking for an accounting partner who will help you cut corners or prioritize risky short-term plays that jeopardize your wealth creation, we’re not the right fit.

We’ll always give you our honest, objective advice - even when it’s not what you want to hear.

We’re committed to building partnerships based on mutual respect, trust, and shared values. But if you’re not aligned with our core principles, it’s probably best to find another firm that’s a much better match for your needs and priorities.

✗ We specialize in working with purpose-driven businesses doing $1M-$10M in annual revenue, or individuals who earn $300K/year.

Niching down allows us to concentrate on building strong solutions for our clients. We specialize in serving purpose-driven entrepreneurs and small businesses. In a marketplace that for the most part does not properly serve these groups, we know their unique needs, obstacles, and opportunities and we’ve tailored our services and strategies to help them succeed.

If you’re a large corporation or a business without a clear mission - we may not be the best fit for you. Our team is passionate about working with entrepreneurs who are driven by more than financial gain, and who want to make a meaningful difference in the world.

If you’re a startup or a business who hasn’t yet reached the $1M/year revenue mark, or an individual who earns less than $300k/year, we may not be the best fit for you at this time either. It’s not that we don’t believe in your potential - far from it. But we’ve found that businesses/individuals need a certain level of resources and infrastructure to fully benefit from our strategic approach and advanced financial frameworks.

We’ve seen the impact our work can have on the right businesses at this stage. For example, we recently helped a video game studio save millions in taxes, secure a $50 million acquisition deal, and receive $2.2 million in R&D credits.

Our award-winning team (Inc. Magazine Power Partner, 2023) has a proven track record of remarkable results, from slashing tax bills, to increasing profits, even in securing game-changing deals and partnerships.

While we may not be the right fit for your business right now, we want you to know that we’re here to support you in any way we can.

Keep pushing forward, stay true to your purpose, and know we’ll be here to help you achieve your financial goals when the time is right.

✗ Our approach is unconventional and disruptive

At Nth Degree CPAs, we pride ourselves on being different from your typical accounting firm. We don’t just focus on compliance, historical financial statements, and maintaining the status quo. Instead, we take a future-focused, action-oriented, and unconventional approach to managing financial resources and minimizing tax obligations.

We’ll introduce you to cutting-edge tactics, contrarian ideas, and innovative frameworks that challenge the way you think about your finances forever. We’ll help you “rig the game” in your favor by optimizing your cash flow, minimizing taxes owed, and making strategic decisions with asymmetric upside. This combination helps our clients fund their wildest dreams (like hockey rinks, farms, multiple exotic properties, etc) more quickly than they ever imagined they could.

We have, and we will, defend our unconventional plans against any audit threat - winning judgments well into the 7-figures thanks to our robust knowledge and creative (but legal) tax solutions. Try to find another firm out there that has former IRS commissioners’ contact information on their phone. ;)

But if you’re not comfortable with disruption, or if you prefer the regurgitated, conservative approach to accounting and finance, we are not the right fit. Our strategies are designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to think differently and increase their bottom line from it. We encourage calculated bets and push the boundaries of what can be done.

True wealth can only come from a willingness to break from convention and forge your own path. But if you’re not ready for that level of innovation or imaginative problem-solving, another firm would be a better match.

✗ Building wealth takes time, effort, and commitment

Achieving true wealth is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. It takes time, effort, and a willingness to stay the course, even when the path gets rocky.

If you’re hoping for a quick-fix, magic bullet, or a set-it-and-forget-it solution to your financial challenges, we are not the right team for you.

While we understand the need that sometimes arises to fix a large, sudden problem like a huge tax bill (and have an incredible track record for helping with these), the fact of the matter is that tax day is a non-event for our clients. It’s well prepared for, well communicated, and creates no surprise stress. This is the state to which we move all of our clients. We believe in the impact of incremental progress, continuous refinement and compounding returns over time.

We’ll work with you to develop a long-term financial plan that is customized to your unique situation. One that aligns with your specific objectives and standards.

We’ll help you make small, strategic changes that add up to big results over time. But if you’re not willing to put in the work, stay committed to the process, and trust in the journey, we might not be the best fit.

✗ You pronounce it “Ninth” degree, instead of “Nth” degree.

Now there’s really no excuse (there never was).

✗ We’re not for everyone, and that’s okay.

We’re looking for business owners and individuals who are ready to think differently about their finances, take bold action toward their specific goals, and embrace an unconventional approach to building wealth and success.

If that sounds like you then…

I want your business.

So, if anything I’ve shared here resonates with you, and you’re ready to take your finances to the next level, we’d love to talk. But if not, no hard feelings.

Regardless of whether Nth Degree CPAs is the right fit for your organization, I want to thank you for reading this and considering us. I know that choosing an accounting partner is a big decision, and I respect the time and thought you’re putting into the process.

Please know that no matter what you decide, I’m rooting for your success.

I believe that every entrepreneur and small business owner deserves to achieve financial clarity, confidence, and freedom - and I’m committed to doing my part to make that a reality.

So whether you choose to book a call with us or not, I hope that our paths cross again in the future. Until then, I wish you all the best in your financial journey and entrepreneurial pursuits.

Warm Regards,

Dan Nicholson

Founder, Nth Degree CPAs

Author of “Rigging the Game”