Northern Star Tax & Accounting, Inc.

12/30/2025

Same team. Same dedication. New name. Transitioning to Northern Star Tax & Accounting, January 2026!

05/14/2024

NOTICE FOR PORTAL USERS:

Reminder that if you used our OLD portal at https://phillipstax.sharefile.com , it will be discontinued as of May 31, 2024. Any tax documentation from tax years 2022 and 2023 are already on your NEW portal ( https://portal.phillips-tax.com ) , but if you would like to move additional years, or you want to make sure there are no older documents that you need access to, please log in before May 31st and download those documents. If you do not recall your old login information, you can use the forgot password link on the old portal website.

Thank you!!

02/22/2024

Thankful Tuesday to all these amazing sponsors for Men Who Cook! Thank you for helping us be able to put on an amazing event and to support survivors💜

Have you gotten your tickets to MWC yet!?

Kimberly- Clark Cares
Amcor
CT Meyer
WOW Logistics
Blended Waxes, Inc.
Community First Credit Union
Menasha Corporation Foundation
Alliance Laundry Systems
Ascension
Bergstrom
Festival
Gartman Mechanical Services
Midwest Real Estate
Miravida Living
Morton LTC Pharmacy
Nicolet National Bank
Phillips Tax & Accounting, Inc.
Thedacare
Werner Electric Supply
WG&R Furniture
Kurt Zentner & Sons, Inc.
Fifth Ward Brewing Company
House of Flowers
WHBY

01/03/2024

We are excited to announce that Karen Oram has joined Jayna Phillips as co-owner of Phillips Tax & Accounting!

Karen has been with the firm for 13 years and we are confident she will join Jayna in doing a great job leading us into the future. Both Karen and Jayna are - and always have been - committed to providing timely, accurate, confidential and ethical services to our clients.

We would like to assure you that there will be no modifications of management policies or staffing within Phillips Tax, and your Tax Preparer/Accountant will remain the same. We thank you for your continued loyalty and dedication to our business.

02/22/2023

Due to inclement weather, Phillips Tax will be closed Wednesday afternoon and will re-open as soon as weather allows on Thursday, February 23rd.

Our hardworking tax accountants will be working from home, so if you need to discuss any urgent tax matters, please email them or leave a voicemail and we will get back to you.

Thanks for your understanding!

07/09/2021

Phillips Tax & Accounting, Inc. is hiring a full time employee to prepare tax returns, complete general bookkeeping, and payrolls. We are looking for a candidate that is a team player, has an upbeat, positive personality and is enthusiastic about all things tax and accounting. The accounting industry has had a wild couple years, and tax law is ever evolving. As an ideal employee, you can adjust and acclimate with ease and are not troubled by change.

Phillips Tax provides competitive pay, generous benefits and a supportive, devoted team to work with! If you want a career in accounting and not just another job, please review the responsibilities and requirements below and apply now.

Rate: Negotiable, based on experience
Hours: April 16 – December 31 - 7:30am – 4:00pm M-Th, 7:30am – 12:00pm Fri
Jan 1 – April 15 – 7:30am – 5:30pm, Saturdays 9:00am-12:00pm, and additional hours if workload requires
No vacation time is allowed Jan 1 – April 15.

Benefits
• Paid vacation
• 401k and employer match with profit sharing
• Health Insurance offered – company pays half of single rate
• Paid Dental Insurance
• Various Aflac Insurance offered
• Company paid continuing education and professional membership fees if required

Job Responsibilities/Requirements
• Prepare and assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals and small businesses using electronic tax prep software.
• Assist and advise clients with tax planning, by utilizing the tax code to ensure clients receive the maximum benefit and minimal liability under the law of government.
• Consult with and research tax law handbooks to assist in preparing especially difficult tax returns, or to familiarize with tax law changes.
• Intake of individual and business clients and their tax returns during tax season, general client attention during off season.
• Dedication to confidentiality of client information and operating in an honest, ethical manner.
• Reconcile bank statements, record cash receipts, depreciation and other standard entries, prepare and submit sales tax reports.
• Prepare, review and understand financial statements and communicate the impact to small business clients on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.
• Perform payroll functions in an accurate and timely manner and submit payroll taxes and quarterly payroll form reconciliations.
• Work with paperless technologies such as PDFs, sending and receiving e-mails, secure portals for document exchange, electronic signature programs.
• Direct and assist with computer system setup and troubleshooting.
• Capable of self-direction in workflows and tasks, strong multitasking skills and ability to operate efficiently and accurately under deadlines.
• Able to take part in general office upkeep and work as a team.
• Participate in a rotating schedule of answering and routing phone calls.
• Required to complete continuing education as necessary for tax law changes and/or professional designations.

Experience/Education
• Associates or Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting OR 2+ years experience in tax preparation, accounting and bookkeeping.
• Thorough understanding of individual tax law, business tax law a plus.
• Experience with QuickBooks Desktop and Online.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and Adobe Acrobat DC Pro
• Solid understanding of basic bookkeeping and accounting payable/receivable principles
• Knowledge and general understanding of computer systems, software installation and troubleshooting IT issues.
• Excellent data entry skills, fast typing and 10-key calculator skills and a “knack for numbers.”
• Experience with Citrix and Drake Tax Software a plus.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.

06/23/2020

Phillips Tax has our personal protection equipment ready and have opened our doors again. Out of concern for our staff and respect for the virus, Phillips Tax will be requiring you wear a mask when in our office. For meetings of more than two, a conference or video call can be arranged. We also ask that if your documents can fit through our back mail slot, you continue to use that. We also are happy to bring your documents to the back door for pickup if you ring the doorbell or give us a call to let us know you are here. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

03/16/2020

During this unprecedented time period, the staff at Phillips Tax & Accounting, Inc. would like to let you know that the health and safety of our people, our clients and their families are of the utmost importance.

We are taking proactive measures to restrict the spread of COVID-19 by having many of our staff work remotely and we are taking steps within the office to restrict contact, sanitize regularly and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC.

While our office will remain open, we request that if you will be coming in to drop off paperwork or pick up and sign your tax documents, that you call ahead of time. We also strongly encourage using electronic means of communication and document transfer. Please see the instructions at the end of this announcement if you are interested in using those methods, and please only use those methods as they ensure secure transmission of sensitive documents.

For those that must come by in person, we will be able to receive documents or have you sign your tax return within our front vestibule. While we have writing utensils available, bringing your own will be your best option.

If you only plan on dropping off paperwork, we have a mail slot at the back entrance and a member of the staff will call you to assure you that we received it and will go over your documents and current information during the call.

Phillips Tax & Accounting, Inc. is committed to serving you during this time, and we do not anticipate any disruption in meeting our clients’ needs. In addition, we are monitoring current legislation regarding extending the April 15th due date and penalty relief. As of right now, there have not been any changes to the deadline or filing requirements. We will continue to deliver the excellent service you expect from us. Please do not hesitate to call our office with any questions or concerns.

Instructions for electronic transmission of documents

Use your internet browser to go to our website (www.phillips-tax.com). On the left hand side of the screen in the sidebar, there is a green icon that says “Send us Your Files.” Click on that link and enter your e-mail, first name and last name (company is optional). From the drop down box at the top of the screen, choose your accountant’s name and click on “browse files” at the center of the screen to find your tax files on your computer. Once you have added them, click “upload” at the bottom of the screen. Your accountant or staff member will be in touch to confirm receipt.

If you would like to e-sign your documents – which is our preferred method currently if you have internet access and an e-mail – please ask your accountant for details. There is no additional charge for this service and we will be happy to walk you through the process.

08/09/2019

Attention Outagamie residents and business owners!

Beginning January 1, 2020, the 0.5% county tax will be in effect in Outagamie County. This brings the number of counties that have adopted the county tax to 67.

01/08/2019

IRS confirms refunds will be issued: :)

Issue Number: IR-2019-01
IRS confirms tax filing season to begin January 28
WASHINGTON ― Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled.

“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

Congress directed the payment of all tax refunds through a permanent, indefinite appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1324), and the IRS has consistently been of the view that it has authority to pay refunds despite a lapse in annual appropriations. Although in 2011 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse, OMB has reviewed the relevant law at Treasury’s request and concluded that IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse.
The IRS will be recalling a significant portion of its workforce, currently furloughed as part of the government shutdown, to work. Additional details for the IRS filing season will be included in an updated FY2019 Lapsed Appropriations Contingency Plan to be released publicly in the coming days.

“IRS employees have been hard at work over the past year to implement the biggest tax law changes the nation has seen in more than 30 years,” said Rettig.

As in past years, the IRS will begin accepting and processing individual tax returns once the filing season begins. For taxpayers who usually file early in the year and have all of the needed documentation, there is no need to wait to file. They should file when they are ready to submit a complete and accurate tax return.

The filing deadline to submit 2018 tax returns is Monday, April 15, 2019 for most taxpayers. Because of the Patriots’ Day holiday on April 15 in Maine and Massachusetts and the Emancipation Day holiday on April 16 in the District of Columbia, taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2019 to file their returns.

Software companies and tax professionals will be accepting and preparing tax returns before Jan. 28 and then will submit the returns when the IRS systems open later this month. The IRS strongly encourages people to file their tax returns electronically to minimize errors and for faster refunds.

10/18/2018

The United States Supreme Court recently ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., that a state can require out-of-state sellers without a physical presence in that state (i.e., remote sellers) to collect and remit sales or use tax on sales delivered into that state.

Most states are now requiring that remote sellers register for a seller’s permit and collect sales tax for the state they are selling to, even if they do not physically enter the state. If you make remote sales (i.e. catalog sales, online sales, sales orders via telephone) to other states besides Wisconsin, you may now have a sales tax liability to that state.

The Supreme Court did approve a small seller exception for sellers who do not have annual sales of products and services into the state of (1) more than $100,000 or (2) 200 or more separate transactions. If your business exceeds either threshold in any state, please contact your accountant at Phillips Tax & Accounting, Inc. to discuss the implications of this new requirement.

The SCOTUS' decision Thursday overturned two major previous cases, Quill and National Bellas Hess.

10/18/2018

It is always nice to spend time with the Phillips team!