Chicago based Serving clients nationwide

Know what’s coming. Decide what comes next.

Focused tax, assurance, compliance, and accounting expertise for businesses and regulated organizations where surprises are expensive—and the next decision matters.

A focused first conversation about fit, scope, timing, and the clearest next step.

Services

Exacting work. Practical answers.

Each engagement is scoped around the outcome you need—not a generic bundle. These are the three areas where Forge can help.

Tax

Tax strategy & compliance

Move from filing-time reaction to a clearer view of obligations, choices, and timing throughout the year.

Discuss a tax need

What the work can include

  • Federal and state return preparation
  • Year-round planning and estimated payments
  • Entity structure and selection guidance
  • IRS and state notice support

Best fit: Owners and established professionals who want fewer last-minute tax decisions.

Assurance

Audit, assurance & compliance

Prepare for external scrutiny with disciplined reporting, clear requirements, and a process designed to reduce surprises.

Discuss an assurance need

What the work can include

  • Financial statement audits
  • Reviews and compilations
  • Agreed-upon procedures
  • Title IV compliance, audits, and reporting

Best fit: Organizations facing lender, regulator, stakeholder, or federal program requirements.

Accounting

Accounting & bookkeeping

Build a reliable financial foundation so reporting is timely, balances are supportable, and decisions are based on numbers you trust.

Discuss an accounting need

What the work can include

  • Monthly and ongoing bookkeeping
  • General ledger maintenance and reconciliations
  • Financial statement preparation
  • Cleanup, catch-up, and compliance coordination

Best fit: Teams that need clean books, a dependable close, and more useful financial visibility.

Featured specialty

Title IV compliance calls for more than a generic audit process.

Institutions participating in federal student aid programs operate under specific reporting and U.S. Department of Education requirements. Forge helps bring the engagement, documentation, and deadlines into one clear line of sight.

Conceptual architectural illustration combining education spaces, structured documents, and pathways toward clarity
Conceptual illustration Education + compliance

Where Forge can help

  • Audit scope & timing

    Clarify the engagement, period, criteria, reporting path, and preparation timeline.

  • Student aid record trail

    Organize financial, student, program, and correspondence support that can be traced and explained.

  • Financial + compliance coordination

    Keep requests, open items, responsibilities, and reporting timing visible across the engagement.

For career, vocational, cosmetology, barber, and other postsecondary training institutions participating in federal student aid programs.

The Forge standard

What working together should feel like.

Good client service is not an adjective. It is a set of behaviors you can see in the work.

Earlier visibility

Important requirements and open decisions are surfaced while there is still time to respond.

Direct explanations

Technical issues are translated into the decision, risk, or action that matters to you.

Connected work

Tax, reporting, accounting, and compliance are considered together when the facts overlap.

Defined next steps

You know what is needed, who owns it, and what comes next in the engagement.

Who Forge helps

For clients who need the work to stand up—and the advice to move them forward.

Forge is based in Chicago and works locally and nationwide with clients who value precision, direct communication, and a long-term accounting relationship.

Operating businesses

Small and mid-sized businesses, closely held companies, professional service firms, real estate investors, and their owners.

Title IV institutions

Career, vocational, cosmetology, barber, and postsecondary training institutions participating in federal student aid programs.

Owners & established professionals

People whose business, compensation, investment, and personal tax decisions need to be considered together.

How it works

A clear path from question to action.

No runaround and no premature solution. First, establish what the situation actually calls for.

  1. 01

    Start with the situation

    Share the decision, deadline, requirement, or reporting problem in front of you.

  2. 02

    Define the right scope

    Forge clarifies fit, information needs, responsibilities, timing, and the proposed work.

  3. 03

    Execute with a clear line of sight

    The engagement moves forward with visible requests, open items, and next steps.

Frequently asked

Useful answers before we talk.

Still deciding where your need fits? Start with the situation; Forge can help identify the right service path.

Does Forge work with clients outside Chicago?

Yes. Forge is based in Chicago and serves clients locally and nationwide, depending on the nature and requirements of the engagement.

When should tax planning begin?

Before a filing deadline forces the decision. Changes in income, ownership, entity structure, investments, or major transactions are all good reasons to start a planning conversation.

What is the difference between bookkeeping and decision-ready reporting?

Bookkeeping records and reconciles activity. Decision-ready reporting builds on accurate records to present timely financial statements and clearer information for management.

Can Forge help with Title IV compliance?

Title IV compliance, audits, reporting, and agreed-upon procedures aligned with applicable U.S. Department of Education requirements are a featured area of service.

What happens after I submit the form?

Forge will review the situation you describe and follow up to discuss fit, scope, timing, information needs, and the clearest next step.

Start the conversation

Bring the question that cannot stay unclear.

Tell Forge what is changing, what is due, or what is not working. The first conversation will focus on fit, scope, timing, and a sensible next step.

  • Explain the situation in plain language
  • Identify the service path that fits
  • Leave with clearer next steps

Please do not include Social Security numbers, account numbers, or other sensitive financial data.