Any professional musician, photographer, or restauranteur knows that tax season can be downright dizzying. Creative entrepreneurs—who are often balancing multiple gigs and irregular income streams, or whose businesses are intertwined in their day-to-day lives—need to understand the power of deductions to ensure their finances remain in the black. Since 2010, Smyle and Associates, LLC, a boutique tax and accounting firm based in Rhinebeck and New York City, has built its reputation on the importance of a personalized, nuanced approach to working with creative businesses.
“Whether you’re an Instagram influencer or a lawyer, 80 to 90 percent of accounting is the same. It’s that extra cherry on top—that 10 to 15 percent difference—that really counts,” says founder Aaron Smyle.
Smyle, who received his MBA from Fordham, trained at New York City firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers and Davis, Graber, Plotzker and Ward before striking out on his own. Now in its 15th year, Smyle’s firm is the antithesis of the stuffy corporate accounting office. It’s warm, client-centered, and, for Smyle and his team of six accountants and tax managers, a lot of fun.
“I’ve always liked the idea of being able to see the tangible result of my work,” says Smyle. “It’s a very special thing to go to Nashville to see one of our musicians perform or sit down at one of the restaurants we work with and have a meal. It’s just more fun to do work you have a passion for.”
To that end, the heart of Smyle & Associates’ client list spans the creative industries—from Grammy Award-winning musicians to restaurants, breweries, designers, photographers, fashion models, and content creators. The team is well-versed in breaking down their clients’ finances, highlighting expenses that can be eligible for deduction (like an actor’s gym membership or restauranteur’s R&D lunches), and creating an approachable strategy for the future.
“In general, I think a lot of accountants overcomplicate things,” Smyle says. “We’re all about education and empowerment. If you know a little bit more about your tax situation and can become more comfortable with your finances, we can use our expertise to really help you along in your professional and economic growth and development.”
In addition to Aaron’s commitment to knowledge-sharing, the firm’s approachability comes from his sister Nicole, Smyle & Associate’s Director of Client Engagement and Development. As a veteran of the restaurant industry, Nicole brings a high-touch, hospitality-minded approach to team-building, client relationships, and the firm’s down-to-earth social media presence. “I write birthday cards to every single client and their spouse,” says Nicole. “There are still months that we get calls and people say, ‘I didn’t get a single card from my family, but I got one from you.”
For Aaron, the team’s diversity is another aspect that their clients find welcoming. “I’m the only white guy,” he says. “We have more women than men, and we come from a mix of backgrounds. When compared to other firms of our size, it really does set us apart.”
Even Smyle & Associates’ office space reflects the firm’s creative, community-minded spirit. Its office on Mill Street in Rhinebeck shares a space with Aaron’s wife’s business, Ana Claudia Design Studio, but it’s also more than just an office.
Together, the couple transformed part of their space into The Beck, a gallery that showcases the couple’s client lists of emerging Hudson Valley makers, designers, and artists. Every quarter, a different local creative gets to take over the front window display, which becomes their own pop-up storefront for three months, with any sales going directly to the creators.
In Smyle’s eyes, it’s all part of uplifting the local creative economy and the creative professionals that his firm proudly serves and supports every day. Both Aaron and Ana Claudia—who are about to celebrate their wedding anniversary and the first birthday of daughter Dori Jae—are committed to a holistic approach to work-life balance that nourishes both their personal and professional lives. “It gives these wonderful artists a space right in the heart of the village and exposure they might not otherwise be able to afford,” he says. “It really just comes back to giving back to our Hudson Valley community.”
To start a conversation about working with Smyle and Associates, LLC, email info@smyleandassociates.com or call (845) 582-3358.
