Arizona Certified Public

Accountanting Firm

Jacobsen & Wachterhauser bring nearly 70 years of combined experience to the table when they work to tackle your accounting needs. Specializing in small businesses, we are capable of handling all aspects of accounting and income tax needs for business owners. Additionally, we offer individual income tax planning and preparation, ensuring to reduce your tax liability and maximize your return at rates that are comparable to national firms.

Roderick A. Jacobsen, CPA – Rod has been practicing accounting for nearly 40 years. He started his career back in 1970 working for a well known national accounting firm, then two locally known and trusted firms. Rod’s experience has given him a broad range of knowledge in all aspects of accounting and taxation. Rod’s expertise is in auditing of publically traded corporations, small business, estates, and trust accounting and tax preparation. Furthermore, Rod offers business planning, forecasting, and projections for business owners, plus estate planning and individual tax preparation services.

In 1966 Rod graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. degree shortly before enlisting in the Air Force. After serving his country, Rod taught high school level business and government studies. In 1971, Rod received a M.S. degree in Accounting from Northeastern University. From there Rod found a place at the international accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand from 1970 through 1974. Rod then worked for two Phoenix accounting firms before opening his own practice in 1978.

Lynette R. Wachterhauser, CPA – Lynette began her accounting career in 1981 in New Jersey where she worked to tackle small to medium sized business tax and accounting needs. In 1985, Lynette moved to Arizona where she continued to provide her expertise in small business accounting to local companies. She also used her accounting knowhow to conduct tax preparation for estates and trusts. Lynette helps her clients to forecast and project future tax liability, plus she offers estate planning and individual tax planning services.

Lynette graduated in 1981 from Rutgers University with a B.S. in accounting. She then decided to further her education by attending Keller Graduate School of Management where she achieved her MBA and obtained her Certified Public Accountant certificate.

General Accounting Information:

• Unstated Interest
  Definition of Unstated Interest: Interest which must be determined and the sale price lowered by this amount when interest is not stated in an installment agreement or the interest rate applied is less than the applicable rate. […]
• Vacation Home
  Definition of Vacation Home: The Tax Code places limitations on taxpayers who rent their residences or vacation homes to others during part of the tax year. The limitations may result in scaling down of expense deductions for the taxpayer. […]
• Vested Benefits
  Definition of Vested Benefits: Pension benefits belonging to the taxpayer. […]
• Wash Sale
  Definition of Wash Sale: A Wash Sale is when a purchase of substantially similar stock or other form of securities within 30 days before or after the sale of the similar stock or security at a loss. A taxpayer cannot claim a wash sale loss; instead, the loss is added to the basis of the [...] […]
• Welfare to Work Credit
  Definition of Welfare to Work Credit: A tax credit for employers that have hired workers from welfare rolls. The Welfare to Work Credit is claimed on Form 8861. […]
• Thinking in an Intellectual and Analytical Way
  What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is exactly what the term suggests—it is the process of thinking in an intellectual and analytical way. The concept is designed to improve upon one’s thinking process to achieve better results. This is accomplished through identifying an individual’s strengths... […]
• The Effects Technology has on Accounting Professionals
  The effects of technology on the accounting profession: Over the past several decades the effects of technology on the accounting profession have been numerous and extremely influential. Major impacts can be seen in areas of data collection, storing, processing, and outputting into various forms of... […]
• Financial Statement Users
  Users of financial information: A responsible organization’s management will interpret accounting data for purposes of evaluating the business. Management relies heavily on accounting information, along with numerous other indicators, for analyzing current business decisions; while simultaneously using that data for planning for the future of... […]
• Widow (Widower)
  Definition of Widow (Widower): A woman (man) who hasn’t remarried subsequent to the death of her husband (his wife). Additional Widow (Widower) Information: […]
• Withholding Allowances
  Definition of Withholding Allowances: A credit available to employers who hire employees from certain destitute groups. The credit is claimed using Form 5884. Additional Withholding Allowances Information: […]