Why Guadalajara?

Since we sent out our Hustle Season 2022 newsletter (and this accompanying video), we have had some questions from clients about the announcement of our expansion to Guadalajara, Mexico, and our need to have clients sign a disclosure authorization form in order to work with our team there. 

Sherwood Tax & Accounting’s international team enables us to better and more efficiently serve our clients by expanding our Sherwood-based team. The IRS requires that we disclose this to our clients, and we are happy to do so as it reflects our own core value of transparency. Clients’ information is not being shared externally and can be accessed by our team outside the U.S. only for relevant and necessary work through our internal cloud-based software servers, e.g. Smart Vault or SafeSend. In working to support the US-based team, our Guadalajara team requires access to client information. They are an integral part of our processes and, therefore, we are requiring the form to be signed by all of our clients. In addition, any of our US-based staff are not able to access client information while traveling abroad unless this form has been signed, so this allows us to serve our clients without interruption in any travel situation. 

Why Hire an International Team?

Even before the “great resignation” of 2021, the accounting industry had been in crisis. There have been fewer and fewer accounting graduates and those who do join the industry are frequently burned out when they take jobs at public accounting firms (such as Sherwood Tax). The long hours and deadline pressures take a toll over time and those who do take the extra year of education required to get their CPA often drop out of public accounting and move into an industry job after getting their license (if they even get that far). As a result, US-based accounting salaries have skyrocketed in recent years and the supply of qualified candidates has become more and more limited. So we, along with many of our colleagues and competitors, have had to look elsewhere in order to serve our clients. 

In response to this trend, my partners and I founded Cadencia to support US-based firms by augmenting their accounting staff with trained professionals in Guadalajara, Mexico. Sherwood Tax is one of seven firms (and growing!) that are utilizing Cadencia to support their US-based staff. Our team in Guadalajara is highly trained, bilingual, and compensated at or above the going rate for similar positions in their region. 

Why Mexico? 

There are many “offshoring” or “outsourced” accounting firms in the Philippines and in India. We have explored these options, but given our needs and our client base, we were drawn closer to home. 

Prior to making a decision to hire employees in Mexico, I visited another Mexican team that works for an Oregon CPA. I found their employees to be bright, capable, and eager to work. The culture is aligned with ours and the small time difference (2 hours) makes communication easy. We can have real-time conversations with our team members and we often involve them in client meetings so that our clients can get to know all members of the team on a personal level. 

Why Guadalajara? 

Guadalajara is an economic and educational hub in Mexico. In addition, it is a sister-city to Portland which gives us access to resources and the ability to learn best practices from fellow Oregonians. Guadalajara is known as the “Silicon Valley of Mexico '' and this technology drive aligns with our values. It is a relatively easy trip for us to make and we do so frequently to train and personally engage with our staff. Our team in Guadalajara is highly trained, bilingual, and compensated at or above the going rate for similar positions in their region. We consider them to be just as much a part of Sherwood Tax as our team members in Vancouver, Bend, and Hillsboro. 

What about security? 

When clients hear that we are “sending their tax return to Mexico,” it is natural that they might feel nervous about who has access to their personal information. Each of our staff candidates is carefully vetted prior to being hired for Sherwood Tax. The background checks completed by our recruiting team go above and beyond what is required for US-based staff, and includes home visits and interviews with neighbors and family members. 

In addition, all equipment issued to Mexico-based employees is restricted to accessing the specific applications that we require (all cloud-based) so that at any moment, access can be removed if necessary. 2FA is required on all applications and every device is locked with a password in case of theft. 

In truth, we can never be 100% sure of security either in Mexico or the US, but we can only put in place the proper safeguards to get as close to 100% security as possible. 

Are clients required to provide consent?

Yes. In working to support the US-based team, our Guadalajara team requires access to client information. They are an integral part of our processes and, therefore, we are requiring the form to be signed by all of our clients. Our Guadalajara team is an integral part of the whole team here at Sherwood Tax and look forward to helping with your tax needs.
The 7216 form is required if any member of our staff needs to work on your return while they are out of the country - regardless of their nationality. Our owner and principal, Kristen Keats, travels regularly to Mexico and Canada for her business. By signing the 7216 consent form, this also allows her to work on your return and answer questions while traveling and avoid unnecessary delays in completing your return.

Nothing is more important to us than our clients’ security and we will take all necessary precautions to protect client data. Our goal in this project is to be able to provide superior service. We appreciate your support in this endeavor! 

I encourage you to visit our website and get to know our entire team. As we have gotten to know them they have become an invaluable resource for us.