Bilingual CPA firm for entrepreneurs · Tampa & nationwide
Most business owners only hear from their accountant once a year, after the decisions that set their tax bill are already made. ATHENA plans with you all year: tax strategy, clean monthly books, the right entity, and a CPA in your corner if the IRS writes. In English or Spanish.
Free, 20 minutes, no obligation. You leave knowing which help fits.
“Thanks to her expertise and strategic planning, I finally understood my taxes for the first time.”
Four kinds of help, one team
Pick the one that sounds most like you. We’ll show you where to start, and the rest can wait until we talk.
Tax Navigator
If your accountant only shows up at filing time, the decisions that set your tax bill were made months earlier without them.
No more surprise bills. A plan you can see coming.
Monthly Bookkeeping
You can’t plan, price or borrow with numbers you don’t trust, and catch-up season always lands at the worst time.
Clean, reconciled books, so you always know where you stand.
Entity & S-Corp Setup · Cross-Border Tax · Strategy Session
Pick the wrong structure and you can overpay self-employment tax, leave personal assets exposed, or miss a foreign reporting rule.
A structure chosen on purpose, explained in English or Spanish.
IRS Tax Resolution
IRS letters come with response dates. Opening it and acting early keeps the most options on the table.
A CPA who reads the letter with you and speaks to the IRS for you.
From overwhelmed to in control
You built it for freedom, for your family, maybe for the generation after you. Here’s what changes when your numbers finally work for you.
Before
After
“She gave me structure, confidence, and clarity.” Tani Lopez, Google review
“She has gone above and beyond to make sure I have peace of mind and literally will save me 45K this year.”
PlanTax Navigator
A preparer records what already happened. By the time your return is filed, the moves that could have lowered the bill (salary, retirement contributions, timing, structure) are gone.
Tax Navigator is year-round planning and preparation for entrepreneurs who want to stop reacting and start planning.
Need only a return? Tax Preparation Only is available.
SAMPLE · illustrative figures, not a client
Quarterly tax projection, Q3
“…until we hired Athena CPA’s and Advisors, we were not being efficient in how we billed and how we were doing our accounting. Laura has the expertise to turn any business around financially.”
KnowMonthly Bookkeeping
When the books are behind, every decision is a guess: what to charge, what you can afford, what you’ll owe. One plumbing company says it wasn’t billing efficiently until its accounting was fixed.
Monthly Bookkeeping gives you clean, reconciled books and monthly financials, so you always know where you stand. It pairs with Tax Navigator for complete year-round coverage.
Your numbers are your scorecard. We help you read them.
“Living and working abroad can be complex, but she handles everything seamlessly.”
StructureEntity & S-Corp Setup · Cross-Border Tax · One-Time Strategy Session
Most owners file an LLC once and never look at it again. Then the business outgrows it, and the wrong setup starts costing real money: too much self-employment tax, assets left exposed, or foreign income reported the hard way.
We evaluate entity options, S-Corp elections, reasonable compensation and tax-efficient structures, and guide U.S. obligations involving foreign income and cross-border reporting, in English or Spanish.
Real estate investors: putting a rental in an S-Corp usually costs more than it saves. Ask us why.
Protect IRS Tax Resolution
An IRS notice is a starting point, not a verdict. Most come with a response date, and acting before that date keeps the most options open. You don’t have to call the IRS yourself: a CPA can review the notice, explain your choices and communicate with the IRS for you.
Led by Laura Zarrate, CPA, CTRC (Certified Tax Representation Consultant)
Find the notice number (usually top or bottom right of page one) and choose it below.
Act soon
What it means. The IRS says you owe tax for the year shown. It is a bill, not an accusation, but interest and penalties keep adding up until the balance is paid or arranged.
What to do next. Compare the amount with your records. Pay by the date on the notice, or ask us about a payment arrangement.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241Act soon
What it means. A reminder that the balance from an earlier notice is still unpaid.
What to do next. Respond now. Each later notice in this series leaves fewer easy options.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241Act now
What it means. The IRS has not received payment or heard from you about the balance.
What to do next. Contact the IRS, or have us do it, before an intent-to-levy notice is issued.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241Act now
What it means. If the balance is not paid or arranged, the IRS can take your state tax refund and begin steps toward levying other property.
What to do next. Call before the date on the notice. A payment arrangement or other resolution can stop the next step.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241Time-sensitive
What it means. The IRS intends to levy and is telling you about your right to a Collection Due Process hearing.
What to do next. You generally have 30 days from the letter date to request the hearing. Call us the day it arrives.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241Respond by the date
What it means. Income or payment information the IRS received does not match your return. It is a proposal, not a final bill.
What to do next. Agree or disagree by the response date. We can review the numbers and draft the response with you.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241Time-sensitive
What it means. Often called a “90-day letter.” The IRS has determined additional tax and is giving you the right to challenge it in U.S. Tax Court.
What to do next. The petition deadline is printed on the notice (90 days, or 150 if addressed outside the U.S.). Do not wait on this one.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241We’ll read it with you
What it means. There are hundreds of IRS notice types. The number is usually in the upper or lower right corner of the first page.
What to do next. Call us with the letter in hand. We’ll tell you what it is and what, if anything, needs to happen next.
Talk it through: 813-553-2241General information based on IRS descriptions of these notices, not tax or legal advice. The dates and instructions printed on your own notice control. Look up any notice on IRS.gov.
In their words
Clients mention the same things again and again: they finally understand their taxes, someone answers, and the process feels calm.
“Laura has been SO helpful and really made the tax process less overwhelming. I have 2 separate LLC’s and she was able to answer all of my *many* questions and she made sure I was getting the correct deductions!”
“As someone who has witnessed too many tax horror stories, I was weary about handing off my taxes to the team, but after speaking with Laura, we decided it would be in my best interest.”
“They are bilingual (English and Spanish) and they efficiently use technology to make the process streamline and very organized. They maintain ongoing communication with clients to ensure everything is clear and updated.”
“When I send a question via TaxDome they will respond within minutes.”
“I’m a financial advisor and it’s lovely to have someone like Laura who can assist me in giving clients the best possible experience.”
“¡Altamente recomendada! Me explicaba cada cosa con claridad y demostrando su gran conocimiento en el área. ¡Muy amable y su equipo de trabajo es un dream team!”
“She completed everything remarkably fast while still taking the time to ask thoughtful, probing questions to make sure every detail was handled correctly.”
“Her presentation at the completion of my taxes was quite impressive. I highly recommend Laura for your tax needs.”
From Laura’s casebook
Stories the firm has shared publicly. Every situation is different, and individual results vary.
$10M+ in client tax savings, as published by ATHENA CPAs on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Heard on
Laura Zarrate, CPA, CTRC, MAccFounder & Principal CPA
Your guide
Laura grew up in a Colombian immigrant family and had to learn money, credit, retirement, taxes and homeownership on her own. She went on to train in Big 4 and national accounting firms, then founded ATHENA to give growing business owners a more proactive, strategic approach: more clarity, more profit, and legally keeping more of what they earn.
She is a bilingual CPA specializing in proactive tax planning and business advisory, a Certified Tax Representation Consultant, a working mom, and active in the Tampa Bay business community.
Leadership roles: Hispanic Professional Women’s Association (Treasurer) · Enterprising Latinas · Tampa Bay Latin Chamber of Commerce
One dedicated team that doesn’t disappear after tax season.
Jeff Delacy, CPA
Accounting Manager
Over 30 years in public accounting, tax planning and business advisory, with deep expertise in individual and business taxation and financial reporting.
Allison Pierce
Senior Accountant
10+ years in tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll and financial reporting for owners and real estate investors.
Lois Perez
Operations Manager
Joined ATHENA in 2022 from accounting-firm operations in Puerto Rico; grew from Executive Assistant to Operations Manager.
Aldana Liendo
Accounting Associate
Bank reconciliations, payables and receivables, and month-end closings.
Ornela Melilli
Accounting Associate
10+ years in accounting, including roles at Disney and Fox; bookkeeping and financial reporting.
Hablamos español
Planificación de impuestos, contabilidad mensual, estructura de su negocio y representación ante el IRS, con un equipo bilingüe que le explica cada paso con claridad. ¡Tranquilo, que nosotros te ayudamos!
Proud member of
Women-owned, Latina-founded, and part of the Tampa Bay community: Laura serves as Treasurer of the Hispanic Professional Women’s Association and supports its mentorship program for Latina college students.
Before Dec 31
Once the year closes, most of these can’t be made for 2026. Not every move fits every business; that is what the Clarity Call is for.
General education, not tax advice. Whether a move applies depends on your entity, income and records; ask before you act. Dates shown are federal and Florida deadlines as published by the IRS and the Florida Department of State.
Yes. The Clarity Call is a free 20-minute call to see if we are the right fit, with no obligation. We look at your situation and recommend the services that fit your business. If you only want a focused plan, we also offer a paid one-time tax strategy session.
Every package is scoped to your business after the Clarity Call, so we do not publish one price for everyone. You will know the scope before any work begins.
No. We are a virtual, CPA-led firm based in Tampa and we work with entrepreneurs nationwide. Our clients include business owners in Florida, California and New York, and clients living and working abroad.
Sí. Somos un equipo bilingüe y ofrecemos servicio completo en español: planificación de impuestos, contabilidad mensual y representación ante el IRS. Hablamos español.
Do not ignore it, and do not panic. Find the notice number in the upper or lower right corner and the response date. Then call us or request an IRS resolution consultation. We review the notice, explain your options, and can communicate with the IRS on your behalf.
Yes. Our IRS tax resolution service covers back taxes, payment arrangements and penalty abatement requests, and our monthly bookkeeping team reconciles and organizes your records so your returns and plan rest on accurate numbers.
No. Tax Navigator is year-round: quarterly tax projections, estimated payment guidance and ongoing recommendations, so decisions happen before deadlines instead of after them.
Clients use our secure TaxDome portal to upload documents and send messages. You can also email the team directly.
Your next step
Without a plan: surprise bills, books months behind, letters you don’t want to open, and a CPA who calls back in April.
With ATHENA: quarterly projections, clean monthly books, a structure that fits, and one bilingual team on your side.
Free and no obligation. Got an IRS notice? Go to the IRS help lane.
