McCay Kiddy

Full-service CPA firm delivers peace of mind

By Monica Kreber

Photos by Aleece Sophia

A word that sets McCay Kiddy apart from other CPA firms is “proactive.”

That word applies to every facet of this company. It means taking the time to plan with their clients before tax season and eliminating the surprise tax bill and “reactive” service typical for the industry.

They focus on making clients’ financial experience a teachable one by helping them understand financial statements, working with them to address areas of concern, and taking the reins on their bookkeeping woes so they can focus on delivering the best service to their clients.

“#ProactiveCPA” is a branded term that speaks to the core of McCay Kiddy.

McCay Kiddy provides outsourced accounting, tax and consulting services, forensic evaluations and business valuation services to its clients. Its partners will agree: The ongoing success of McCay Kiddy comes from a merger between two firms in 2019.

Both McCay Kiddy and Wilson & Quirk were already leading providers for accounting and tax services before they merged. 

Wilson & Quirk had specialized in providing tax, audit and bookkeeping services to individuals and businesses since 1992. Henry Wilson, Danny Quirk and Russell Deal served as partners in the Wilson & Quirk firm and continue working as McCay Kiddy from the West Ashley office. Danny is now director.

McCay Kiddy was established in 1986, providing industry audit experience and comprehensive tax solutions. Justin and Melissa Kiddy moved to the Lowcountry in 2004 with Justin joining the firm and he soon became an owner.

Melissa joined in 2009 and the Kiddys began to expand their tax and audit services into other industries while also entering the market with controller/CFO services.

“It was just a tiny little firm and we took it to the next level,” Melissa said.

Danny said his firm was excited when they were approached by McCay Kiddy.

“We felt like there was some synergy there,” he said. “It was a good fit for us and the McCay Kiddy team was looking to expand their firm.”

Companies who used Wilson & Quirk as accountants had to use a second financial resource for advanced bookkeeping or controller work. Now, after merging with McCay Kiddy, clients have a one-stop-shop for all their financial/CPA needs.

McCay Kiddy now has a staff of more than 30 people who are knowledgeable in each service area. This allows staff to become experts in their field faster and avoid sharing time between departments, which is a direct benefit to the clients.

Danny said the firm works to help its clients grow by listening to their needs and educating them with solutions.

“We’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves and provide the personalized service our clients have come to appreciate,” he said.

The partners said 2020 has been a year “like no other” with the pandemic, but the staff has stayed busy and is in the midst preparing for the 2021 tax season. 

Danny’s definition of success during this pandemic has been “our ability to meet our clients’ expectations by delivering accurate and timely work. Our cloud-based environment was key to seamless communication and flow of documents during this time.”

“If we can continue to meet clients’ expectations during the pandemic, I would consider this year successful,” he said.

Russell said he does not think the pandemic changes what he would consider to be successfully helping a client.

“The business environment is different, there is more uncertainty, and the margin for error is smaller,” he said. “Making sure clients have reliable financial information and the ability to understand what it means for their business is still what I would consider to be a success.”

The firm was previously very active in the community through quarterly events, like holding school supply drives and gathering gifts for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree near the holidays. With the ongoing pandemic, the firm is looking for other ways to give back in the future.

“Our overall goal is to continue to and help clients grow with expanded services and coaching and to provide education about their finances so they can make their best financial decision,” Melissa said.

While they remain “proactive” with putting in the extra effort, the partners say their team is one that enjoys working together and having fun.

“We work hard but we definitely have a great time doing what we’re doing,” Russell said.

McCay Kiddy is located on Bowman Road in Mt. Pleasant, St. Andrews Boulevard in West Ashley and Landmark Drive in North Charleston. To learn more about McCay Kiddy visit their website at www.mccaykiddy.com.