Independent Schools Consulting

Navigate the complexities of independent school operations

Independent schools operate in a highly competitive environment, where regulation, financing, infrastructure needs, and student enrollment all play key roles in sustainability. Our audit, assurance, and consulting capabilities are uniquely suited to help independent schools in their efforts to address the varied demands of this complex environment.

Our team provides the operational expertise and experience necessary to help your private school with the development of clear, actionable strategic plans that address both near- and long-term needs. We work collaboratively with our academic clients to gain a clear picture of current needs and prioritize the work necessary to address them.

Our capabilities

Our independent school teams work collaboratively and cross-functionally to provide services tailored to your private school’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Audit and assurance services

Insights and guidance to protect your independent school from risk

Tax services

Tax solutions to help you maximize opportunities for your school

Employee benefit plan services

Benefit plan audits to ensure compliance while meeting your goals

Outsourced accounting services

Tailored accounting support designed for your success

Business advisory services

A range of business services to meet your operational needs

Audit and assurance

We offer a wide range of audit and assurance services to meet the specific needs of private schools. We focus on building strong client relationships that stand the test of time, helping independent school clients minimize risk and maximize efficiencies.

Financial statement audits

We work collaboratively with you to develop meaningful insights that clarify organizational results, enhance communications with stakeholders, and enable you to make the best decisions for your independent school.

Reviews and compilations

We evaluate and analyze records to determine what’s working well and where there’s room for improvement, and to gain a clear understanding of whether a full audit is necessary.

Agreed upon procedures

We work with you to establish the testing procedures you need to satisfy your school board, bank, and regulatory bodies.

Tax services

BerryDunn brings a deeply experienced, multidisciplinary team and extensive resources to each private school’s unique tax situation. We work closely to develop comprehensive, coordinated strategies to help ensure tax compliance, limit exposure, and optimize performance.

Nonprofit tax

We understand and embrace the unique challenges faced by nonprofit schools and help you develop comprehensive, coordinated, and compliant tax strategies for state, local, and international taxes.

Credits and incentives

Our tax experts help you gain a tax advantage with federal, state, and local tax credits and incentives that independent schools can take advantage of.

State and local tax

BerryDunn’s tax advisors can help you gain control of the shifting landscape of state and local tax rules.

International tax

We help navigate the complicated US international tax rules and regulatory processes to mitigate the risk of IRS penalties and benefit your organization.

Employee benefit plan services

Our team can assist with employee benefit plan design and audits, guiding you through available options and working collaboratively with you to comply with evolving tax rules, meet regulatory requirements, and encourage employee engagement.

Plan audits

Our team conducts ERISA Non-Section 103(a)(3)(C) audits and ERISA Section 103(a)(3)(C) audits to help ensure that your plan is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Plan design

We work with you to optimize plan design for pre-tax contributions and tax-deferred growth, and provide options for executive compensation and profit-sharing plans.

Outsourced accounting services

Whether you need extra help in your finance office during peak times or interim leadership support during periods of transition, we can help you. We offer the expertise of a fully staffed accounting department for short-term assignments or long-term engagements―so you can focus on school business.

Back office services

We provide full-service, back office support including A/P, A/R, financial reporting, payroll, and cash flow management.

CFO services

We provide advisory services to school leaders on long-term strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting, and can assist with industry benchmarking and key performance indicators.

Bookkeeping services

When your finance department is short-staffed or you need extra help to manage daily accounting tasks or tax season deadlines, our team can serve as an extension of your internal team.

Accounting software consulting and conversion

Whether you have a major software implementation or just need some fine tuning, our team will guide you through the process to streamline and simplify your accounting.

Business advisory services

Our teams work collaboratively to serve your private school’s organizational needs. In addition to audit, assurance, and tax services, we offer many business advisory and IT consulting services to help your independent school succeed.

Employee Retention Credit (ERC) tax

We can help you determine eligibility, estimate, and file for the ERC tax credit. We also provide audit support with the due diligence needed to stand up to an IRS audit.

Enterprise system selection

We provide assessment, system evaluation, and implementation services for student information systems and other enterprise technology systems for independent schools.

What to expect from BerryDunn

BerryDunn has a long, demonstrated history of serving independent schools. Our experience allows us to add value through knowledge sharing and the introduction of best practices employed successfully by other organizations. Our involvement with the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) helps us stay up to date on emerging issues and developments.

We take a collaborative approach, assembling the resources you need, when you need them, providing year-round communication and personalized service that addresses your concerns, identifies emerging issues, and helps you plan for complex accounting and compliance matters that can impact your mission.

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Online charitable filings and Form 990 updates: A new state of mind

Testimonials

"My trepidation of switching auditors was completely unfounded. BerryDunn's staff made the transition easy with great communication, thorough on-site reviews and analysis, and well-planned restatements where needed. Despite being new to our school, they provided our smoothest and most professional audit ever."

Steve Sitz

Carrabassett Valley Academy

"The saying that ‘you get what you pay for' is so true when it comes to accounting firms. With BerryDunn, the team provides information and tools to really help our school. They don't just sit in a backroom and regurgitate your numbers to you in an audit report. MCI receives very important data analysis with peer comparisons and national benchmarks that help us determine our overall financial health and set goals and priorities. With BerryDunn, you are receiving outside expertise and support that you can tap into in many areas, rather than just audit services. I look at BerryDunn as my "go to" partner rather than just the annoying auditors who come every year. I always learn something, and appreciate that the team helps with long-range goals and is there to help me create solid processes for the future."

Karla Edney

CFO and Director of Operations

Maine Central Institute

Audit, tax, and consulting for independent schools

Clear, actionable strategies for today and tomorrow

Navigate the complexities of independent school operations

Our capabilities

Audit and assurance

Tax services

Employee benefit plan services

Outsourced accounting services

Business advisory services

What to expect from BerryDunn

Meet our professionals

Industries we serve

Featured content

Articles

Podcasts

Press Releases

Resources

Conferences and tradeshows

Podcasts

Seminars and events

Testimonials

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