PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city native is hoping to help fill a need for certified public accountants in the county. 

 

Kevin Garcia recently started his own accounting firm and is accepting new clients.

 

"It's just, it's like the American dream. Ever since college, I've always had that drive to try to start my own [company]," he said. "I just had an itch to just do it. I knew one day I was going to do it. And so I think at one point I was just like, 'I'm going to do it.'"

 

He said Berkshire County is short on CPAs and that fewer people are going into the accounting field. Another local CPA told him that he's having to turn away customers because the need is so high and there's not enough accountants.

 

"He says he gets, I don't know if these numbers are crazy, they're probably more tax season, about 50 to 100 calls a month about people needing CPA. Wanting to be clients," Garcia said. "And he pretty much turns them all away because he doesn't have the capacity."

 

That accountant thinks that younger people aren't going into accounting because they don't want to work crazy hours, Garcia said. "They want to do different things, and it's really a national shortage, like, there's a lot of people exiting this type of work. So it's kind of happening everywhere."

 

Garcia earned his bachelor's degree in accounting in 2014 from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. After graduation, he stayed and worked at Briscoe, Burke & Grigsby LLP for more than eight years.

 

He moved back to the Berkshires in 2019 and was working for GHJ, a tax firm based in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, he decided he wanted to start his own firm to help clients in the Berkshires.

 

"I'm officially open for business now, accepting new clients. And I just want to say that I'm able to do this because God gave me the opportunity. So, just want to give Him all the glory here," Garcia said.

 

He said he loves this work and working with people and helping them.

 

"What I like about it is being able to work with somebody and have a relationship where you almost become like their friend, and you help them," Garcia said. "So I like helping people, and I like solving problems. So I work with them. I get to know them."

 

His new business, KG CPA Tax and Advisory, will offer tax planning and preparation services, accounting and payroll services, business advisory and structuring services, and high-net worth individual services. 

 

He expects close on an office at 374 South St. on July 18. Contact him through the company website.