Funeral Home and Cemetery Tax Services
The Right Tax Strategy is Built Before The Deadline, Not During it
Between compliance filings, ownership decisions, and the day-to-day of running a funeral or cemetery business, tax planning is easy to put off until it’s urgent. Johnson Consulting Group’s tax team works with funeral home and cemetery owners and operators year-round, not just during tax season. We keep you compliant, reduce surprises, and give you the guidance you need, so you can focus on what matters most.
A Proactive, Year-Round Approach
Tax planning is most effective before a transaction or year-end decision is final. We work with clients throughout the year to identify opportunities early and align tax strategy with your business and personal goals.
Tax expertise built around your business
Industry knowledge matters. Our tax services complement JCG’s 800+ years of combined profession expertise, helping you evaluate growth opportunities, succession decisions, acquisitions, sales, and capital investments with the tax impact in mind from the start.
- Complete, Accurate Compliance: Business, individual, trust, and estate returns handled correctly and on time, with support for multi-state filings, notices, and correspondence.
- Guidance When it Matters Most: Tax modeling and due diligence for acquisitions, sales, and ownership transitions, informed by JCG’s deep experience across the funeral and cemetery profession.
- Planning That Looks Ahead: Entity structure, owner compensation, depreciation, and succession-related tax strategy, built around where your business is headed, not just where it’s been.
Accounting & Financial Management
Let’s start the conversation
With a clear understanding of where the profession has been, and a compelling vision of where it’s going, we help our clients reach new levels of success. Let’s talk about how we can do the same for you.
Berny Gaarsoe
Consulting Chief Financial Officer
Berny brings extensive experience to Johnson Consulting’s financial services. He graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Having served as chief financial officer for several large corporate companies, his areas of expertise are Corporate Finance, Accounting Systems – Implementation and Financial Statement Preparation, Tax Planning, Risk Management, Human Resource Responsibilities, and Governmental Regulation Compliance. Berny also has extensive death care industry experience having created the financial management systems for two large funeral home and cemetery companies, including Prime Succession where he was responsible for finance, accounting, budgeting, reporting, auditing, human resource and risk management functions. Under Mr. Gaarsoe’s direction, Johnson Consulting has created a web based bookkeeping system, employing proprietary death care industry software that will allow independent funeral homes to control cash flow, create accounting reports, and maintain budgets.
Lisa Thomas
Accounting Services Controller
Lisa brings over 30 years of accounting experience to Johnson Consulting Group. Having earned her Master’ Degree in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, she has spent her career in various Controllership rolls including 10 years in the funeral and cemetery industry. Her hands on, day-to-day industry experience brings a realistic perspective to JCG. Her career path also led her to establishing and successfully operating her own business for 15 years, giving her a well-rounded entrepreneurial skill set.
In her down time, Lisa enjoys showing her Chinese Crested Dogs, volunteering and spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren.
Kristen Szymborski
Chief Financial Officer
Kristen Szymborski is an experienced Financial Executive with over 15 years of expertise in driving financial optimization and business transformation through data insights and automated reporting. With experience in serving various industries and having worked at CliftonLarsonAllen, a Top 8 Accounting Firm, Kristen is a licensed CPA in Arizona and holds a master’s in accountancy from the University of Phoenix. Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, travelling, trying new restaurants, and living a healthy lifestyle.
She is committed to being a strategic business partner to the Executive team, leading process improvements, and driving strategic initiatives. Kristen has a proven track record of increasing profitability, stabilizing cash flow, identifying high-impact problems, and implementing new technologies. She has managed budgets up to $700M and has extensive experience leading multi-location dispersed, cross-functional teams.
Sheryl Lawary
Manager of Training
Sheryl brings over 15 years of accounting experience to Johnson Consulting Group. While earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Accounting from the University of Phoenix, she worked with certified public accountants and tax attorneys. Prior to her accounting career, Sheryl worked as an Assistant Trust Administrator in Wealth Management and Private Banking. As a Johnson Consulting Group Senior Accountant, Sheryl builds and maintains strong client relationships and anticipates their needs. Integrity is her core value. Sheryl is responsible for providing accounting and bookkeeping services to our Accounting client base. In Sheryl’s off hours, she enjoys the outdoors and the challenges of hiking.
Niccole Delgado
Consulting Controller
Niccole graduated from the University of Phoenix with honors, earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Niccole is a current member of the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business Administration. Her past work experience in the credit and banking industry as an SR Rapid Cycle Test Analyst provided her analytical and strategic decision making, as well as teamwork skills. Her innovative ideas help strengthen customer relationships, improve processes, and fortify the company brand. Niccole’s dedication to Johnson Consulting Group’s core values and mission to provide the highest quality services, will ensure she is not only meeting, but exceeding, our clients’ expectations.
Tuyen Tran
Staff Accountant
Tuyen has a Master’s in Accountancy degree from Arizona State University. Her professional career prior to JCG was working for Food Service of America in their Corporate Headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ. In the accounting role she focused on cash management and financial analysis of vender accounts. Tuyen is a team player and prides herself on quick results and accuracy.
Madison Swaney
Staff Accountant
Madison graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Management and certificates in Marketing and Accounting. She was on the executive board for the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. During her college career, Madison worked at an accounting firm where she found a passion for helping clients with their businesses and assisting in reaching their goals for their business.
Ryan Hill
Director of Accounting Service
Ryan joins Johnson Consulting Group with more than 10 years of accounting and customer service. Ryan has earned multiple degrees while studying at his alma mater, Florida Southern College, including a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a Masters of Accountancy. Ryan brings a unique perspective to JCG, having experience in public accounting, construction, real estate, and manufacturing industries, with his most recent experience as the Controller of a new home construction company. When he is not working, Ryan enjoys traveling, reading, playing video games, and crossfit.
Gamba Lizwelicha
Accounting Services Manager
Gamba has eight years of accounting and business experience. He earned multiple degrees while studying at his alma mater, Florida Southern College, including a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a Master of Accountancy. Gamba has experience in multiple industries: banking, consulting, healthcare, material handling, food and beverage, with his most recent experience coming from a health insurance company where he was a Senior Staff Accountant. When Gamba is not working, he enjoy traveling, reading, playing video games, and working on personal IT projects.
Simon Wong
Financial Analyst
Simon graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. After graduation, he worked at a student loan company as a staff accountant preparing financial documents. Thereafter, Simon worked at an insurance brokerage as a staff accountant preparing financial statements and reviewing an assortment of accounting procedures. Simon’s prior accounting experience and analytic abilities supports his role as a Financial Analyst at Johnson Consulting Group. Simon enjoys bicycling, hiking and listening to music in his free time.