JAMES A. SAYRE CPA

Jim possesses nearly 20 years of experience in consulting and advising public and privately held clients in the areas of income and franchise taxation. As a Shareholder in the tax department, he is one of our firm’s leading experts in the area of accounting for income tax, including accounting for mergers and acquisitions in accordance with ASC 740.

Jim has served clients in various industries, including construction, manufacturing, retail, technology and professional services. He provides services to the firm’s clients that include the coordination and review of corporate, partnership and individual tax returns, including implementation of tax planning strategies.

Prior to working at Schneider Downs, Jim worked at a Big Four accounting firm and a large regional firm, where he provided tax compliance and advisory services to clients ranging from multi-national public entities to family-owned businesses.

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Do you have a hobby/personal passion?
I enjoy playing and watching basketball.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received?
Everyone has something to teach so look for the lessons you can learn from other’s experiences.

Who is your role model?
I’ve had many in different aspects, but above all and for many reasons, my role model has been my grandfather.  He taught me to look for the value in a hard day’s work and that sometimes doing a task that others do not want to do can lead to better opportunities.

What was your childhood dream?
I wanted to be a doctor…..right up until I took my first science class and realized I should stick with math.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your college self? 
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because those will teach the most impactful lessons.

What is the best or most interesting thing about your career?
The collaborative environment helping to learn from each other’s viewpoints and experiences.

What was your first job?
I worked at a carnival running different games….my first experience with long hours.

When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do?
Spend time with my son and daughter.

Do you have advice for young professionals? 
Stay open to new experiences especially those that challenge you.  The areas that are difficult provide the most learning opportunities and the struggle helps you grow.

Our Thoughts On

FEATURED

Big Problem: A Limited Employee Benefit Plan.


Big Thinking: Increased Contributions And Employee Retention.

Shareholder JOE BRUCE has more than 21 years of public accounting experience since joining Schneider Downs in 1996. He has expertise with a variety of clients including construction, manufacturing, retail, oil and gas industries, and employee benefit plans.
One of Joe’s clients had a successful business and was interested in contributing more to their retirement accounts. However, the client was limited by the existing employee benefit plan structure and IRS contribution limitations on their existing structure. Joe’s team was familiar with the structure of their existing plan and offered to do an analysis of their options. “The Schneider Downs Retirement Plan Solutions Group suggested a cash balance plan and provided an analysis to the business owners which quantified the impact and provided options to allow the client to evaluate the direction they were most comfortable moving forward with.” Bruce said. “The client elected to adopt the cash balance plan and was able to significantly increase contributions into the owners’ retirement accounts. This also enhanced the quality of the retirement benefits for their employees, which in turn helped improve employee retention.” Schneider Downs provides Big Thinking and Personal Focus in delivering a variety of services for large and small businesses, both publicly and privately held, as well as nonprofit organizations, government entities and more. Through our commitment to thought leadership and knowledge management, we deliver the solutions our clients need with a personal commitment to service.

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