Agriculture isn't a side practice for us — it's the economy we live in. Farm families from Brown County and the surrounding area have trusted Klabo, Brown & Co., LLC with their books and their tax returns since 2005. We understand that a farm is a business, a household and often a legacy, all on the same set of books.
Farm accounting has its own schedules, its own elections, its own rhythms. An accountant who doesn't know the difference between raised livestock and purchased livestock, or why income lands in January after a good harvest, will cost you money. We work with operations of all sizes — cow-calf herds, grain farms, mixed operations and custom work.
Many of the most valuable farm tax decisions have to be made before the year ends, not after. If you only see your accountant in February, some options are already gone. We encourage our farm clients to schedule a year-end review every fall — one meeting that routinely pays for itself.
We meet farm clients where they are. Some keep excellent digital records; others run on a checkbook and a notebook. We don't demand a technology overhaul. What we do is build a recordkeeping routine that captures what the IRS and your lender need without inventing busywork. If you want help getting closer to the numbers every month, our bookkeeping service extends to agricultural accounts too.
Farm engagement fees depend on the size and complexity of the operation — the number of enterprises, the condition of the records and the work involved. As with everything we do, fees are quoted after a review of your situation and confirmed in a written engagement letter before work begins.
It's one of the classic farm tax questions, and the honest answer is: it depends on this year and your expectation of next year. That's exactly what a fall year-end meeting is for — bring the question to us in November, not April.
Equipment purchases often come with real choices — depreciation method, timing, trade-in treatment — that change the outcome by thousands of dollars. Talk to us before the deal closes when you can; afterwards, we'll handle it correctly either way.
Adding a partner affects your entity choice, payroll, income splitting and estate plan all at once. We'll work through the numbers alongside your attorney so the structure serves the family, not just the tax return.