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: Time Consuming Billing Process.


Big Thinking: Utilize Robotic Process Automation To Reduce Manual Input Time By 75%.

Shareholder PATRICK ARMKNECHT has been with Schneider Downs for over 21 years. His expertise lies mainly in corporate accounting, project management and software implementation.
One of Patrick’s clients was looking for more efficient back-office operations. Patrick’s team recommended the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology to help address their billing problem. After implementing RPA technology, manual time spent completing the monthly billing process was reduced by 75%. “Although the immediate need was focused on the monthly billing process, we recognized that investment in RPA would also enable the client to automate a number of processes throughout their organization,” Patrick said. “They have already implemented five other automation projects in different parts of the organization and have a list of more than 20 other processes they intend to automate in the near future.” 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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