Tonnesen Accounting Services provides clear, reliable Quality of Earnings Reports so you can spot hidden pitfalls and negotiate a fair price with confidence.
Before launching this firm, I specialized in analyzing financial statements in a corporate setting—where I’d comb through complex financials to catch errors that others might miss. Today as a licensed CPA, I use that same detail-oriented mindset to help you buy a business you can truly rely on.
Most CPA firms only work with very large deals, leaving the average business buyer without good options.
I exist to help mid-sized, to smaller business investors get top-tier quality of earnings analysis, all without breaking the bank.
If you want a high-caliber analysis, at a scope and price that's accessible to smaller investors, I'd love to help you.
When it comes to buying a business, concerns about cost, accuracy, and the scope of financial reviews are totally normal. Many people wonder if their existing accountant could do the job just as well or worry about spending money on a separate analysis. At Tonnesen Accounting Services, we focus exclusively on Quality of Earnings, bringing deep expertise and real-world experience to verify every figure. We’ll not only help you catch errors but also clarify why certain calculations are crucial. From reconciling bank statements to ensuring the seller’s discretionary earnings are accurate, we ease your doubts by delivering clear, data-backed insights that protect you from costly oversights.
A Quality of Earnings Analysis is a detailed review of a company’s financial statements, focusing on the accuracy and sustainability of its earnings.
By conducting a Quality of Earnings Analysis before acquiring a business, you can identify potential red flags—such as overstated revenues, understated expenses, or irregularities in bookkeeping.
This ensures you’re paying a fair price and protects you from unexpected financial pitfalls after you take over.
It’s a valid question: If you have a trusted CPA, why bother with a separate firm for a Quality of Earnings review?
The answer is specialization.
While many accountants handle routine tax filings or basic bookkeeping, they may not dive into the fine details of trailing 12-month performance, add-back legitimacy, or the hidden liabilities unique to small-business transactions.
Tonnesen Accounting Services focuses exclusively on dissecting the seller’s financials from a buyer’s perspective.
We spot anomalies, ensure a realistic owners discretionary earnings, and deliver a crystal-clear snapshot of exactly what you’re buying—so your existing accountant can focus on what they do best.
Many clients fear a high valuation propped up by unrealistic earnings projections or sloppy bookkeeping.
We tackle these worries by meticulously verifying every number and challenging assumptions that don’t align with the bank statements or tax returns.
If the claimed seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE) are off by even a small percentage, that discrepancy can add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
We help you recalculate a fair SDE so you can negotiate a purchase price rooted in reality—protecting your bottom line from day one.
You may worry that an in-depth financial review will drag out your deal, but our streamlined approach was built for speed.
We know sellers want to close as soon as possible—and as a buyer, you need solid data without unnecessary delays.
Tonnesen Accounting Services zeroes in on the core financial metrics, focusing on bank reconciliation, tax return alignment, and the seller’s discretionary earnings.
By maintaining close communication with you and any other stakeholders (like brokers or the seller’s accountant), we keep the process efficient, ensuring you get accurate results in a timeframe that supports your transaction.
We perform analysis, we do NOT provide assurance.
Some buyers think they need a full-blown audit to be absolutely sure of the numbers.
However, that level of scrutiny can be expensive and time-consuming—and it might not even be necessary for small-to-mid-size acquisitions.
We provide a robust Quality of Earnings Analysis that offers an in-depth look at a seller’s finances without the bloated cost of official “assurance.”
Our approach is thorough: We verify the seller’s claims, align financial statements with actual bank records, and ensure you understand every adjustment.
This approach saves you money while offering enough certainty to make a wise, data-backed decision.
A common hesitation is spending money on due diligence, only to walk away from a deal. But consider the alternative: entering a shaky transaction and discovering inflated numbers or hidden debts months later.
A comprehensive Quality of Earnings review might stop you from inheriting a financial mess. And if the deal does fall through, you’ll know you dodged a much bigger loss down the road.
Think of our service as investment insurance—minimizing your exposure to bad accounting and maximizing your confidence in the right opportunity.
Better services and faster turn-around for a lower cost. Put more money back in your pocket this year by choosing the right accountant.
