Our basic philosophy is to anticipate and satisfy the ever-changing needs of our clients by providing proactive, responsive and personalized service. We make sure we fully understand your expectations so we can meet or exceed them. While we are large enough to offer specialized services, we are also small enough to maintain a high degree of personalization. We work closely with you to gain a clear understanding of your business and the industry in which it operates.

ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING SERVICES

Today, the demands on your accounting system are more complex than ever before. Ever changing regulations affect every aspect of a business' financial reporting, so basic CPA services no longer suffice.

Berlin Ramos has the experience and depth of knowledge to make our services complement your specific requirements. We analyze every Berlin Ramos client's accounting and reporting systems to help develop solutions to enhance productivity and profits.

We expect our clients to demand top quality service and we are most dedicated to providing it. Our peer review identified us as one of the top 5% of CPA firms in Maryland. We comply with all pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of CPA's and all state regulations. We perform our engagements in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Standards.

• Audits
• Reviews
• Compilations
• Accounting System Analysis
• Internal Control Review

TAX SERVICES

Every year tax laws are modified and the IRS issues new regulations. Because our tax experts know and understand the new requirements, we are able to assist you in tracking and evaluating tax issues affecting you and your business. This same knowledge enables us to reduce your tax burden where possible and offers you superior tax planning.

We identify planning opportunities and approach them with real world applications to help you manage your tax liability and evaluate alternative ideas, specific to your requirements.

Berlin Ramos will also be your advocate, resolving issues in your favor where there is reasonable authority for the tax position chosen.

• Income tax projections and planning
• IRS practice, procedure and representation
• Evaluation of state and local taxation issues
• Tax planning for estate, trust and gift matters
• Analysis of tax effects on business and investment decisions

PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING

Whether investing for the short or long term, as a private investor you have but one goal — financial security. You want to protect your assets while experiencing growth in your net worth. As the financial services industry has expanded, it has become more complex, making this balance harder to achieve.

To accomplish this goal, Berlin Ramos evaluates your current and projected income and expenses to identify present and future opportunities. We employ creative financial models tailored to your specific priorities. With your help, we determine your goals and develop a viable strategy.

Our staff includes Certified Financial Planners and AICPA designated specialists in personal financial planning. Our knowledge of the industry, coupled with continuing extensive training, assures you the best financial advice available in the current market.

• Retirement planning
• College tuition planning
• Estate, trust and elder care planning
• Cash flow and asset portfolio analysis
• Insurance and risk management techniques
• Ownership succession and planning
• Business fringe benefit planning
• Investment analysis and consulting services

QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLANS

Top quality employees are a key to a business' good fortune. To recruit and retain these employees your company must offer a competitive and valuable benefits package.

Berlin Ramos has invested heavily in both a highly skilled staff and the latest technology to administer hundreds of qualified retirement programs. As a business owner, making the right choice from this multitude of plans is understandably difficult. Our staff understands their intricacies and can assist you in choosing the one that best balances cost and benefits and has the most favorable impact on your bottom line.

As your needs change, we can redesign, alter, or if necessary, add an additional plan. Our approach to plan design includes methods to simplify the often complicated task for the administrator and assures necessary compliance.

As a Berlin Ramos client, we help you custom-tailor and administer 401(k), profit sharing, and employee stock ownership plans, always considering their specific requirements to ensure delivery of the intended benefits to your employees.

• Plan design and administration
• Record keeping and valuation
• Administrators' reports and employee certificates
• Compliance testing
• Government reporting
• Calculation of benefits
• Loan and distribution processing
• Trustee liability considerations

HEALTH CARE CONSULTING

The changing health care environment places many challenges on today's physicians. Institutional and individual providers face concerns about cost reduction, managed care and economic pressures.

Berlin Ramos recognizes that whether your medical practice is private or hospital-based, regardless of specialty, you have unique management styles. As such, we consider these factors when addressing your needs and objectives.

We have been helping physicians by answering questions such as when and how you should expand and which managed care plan you should join. We are particularly well-versed in buy-ins and buy-outs, income distribution, equipment acquisitions, financing, leasing options, tax and investment concerns.

Berlin Ramos has solid relationships with an established network of health care lawyers and computer consultants who specialize in billing revenue enhancement and medical practice software.

• Assessment of practice profit and productivity
• Addressing practice purchase, sale calculation and succession issues
• Implementing billing and collection procedures
• Assisting with financing options and loan packages
• Assisting with equipment acquisitions and lease purchase options
• Analyzing accounts receivable levels
• Evaluating revenue center costs and benefits
• Consulting on technology and system installation
• Evaluating internal controls

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Dramatic changes and shifting market trends are common in the real estate market. That is why developers, investors and lending institutions must be aware of the economic, social and financial factors facing their projects.

Berlin Ramos has the extensive experience and resources available to help you as a real estate client best evaluate your strategy and position yourself favorably for these market variables.

We consider all aspects of your venture: capitalization, debt service, rental or sales revenues and costs. As we stay current with all tax policy and regulations that affect your investment, our specialized advice becomes a key asset to guide your business planning and help minimize risk factors.

• Complex tax planning such as tax-free exchanges
• Budgeting and cash flow analysis
• Business planning
• New venture evaluations
• Transactional analysis and planning
• Capitalization vs. expense policy issues
• New entity structure analysis and selection

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM SUPPORT

Each and every Berlin Ramos client has a variety of specific needs relating to their accounting systems. Some, like staffing and technology, are critical aspects of their businesses. Berlin Ramos offers the advantage of expertise derived from working with a myriad of businesses to provide support to our clients. This can be a cost effective alternative to the hiring of permanent in-house staff to perform those tasks.

Berlin Ramos provides support services in this vital area, in a number of different ways. Our employees enjoy a variety of qualifications and have the experience needed to step in when you need to supplement your workforce. We can address internal accounting needs, from basic bookkeeping and accounting functions to controller or chief financial officer levels. As our staff works closely with you, we derive the added benefit of becoming familiar with the workings of your accounting system and are able to resolve issues quickly, as they arise, rather than long after the fact.

Sometimes we perform bookkeeping or accounting services for clients in the context of a transition to an 'in-house' solution. We train your employees to perform these tasks. We have also helped to successfully recruit accounting personnel.

Look to Berlin Ramos as your 'behind the scenes' support team to help meet your bookkeeping, accounting and technology needs.

• Technology evaluation and support
• Bookkeeping and accounting support
• Training and recruiting employees
• Supplement client staffing