Stephen earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Emory University and a Master of Tax Accounting at the University of Alabama. He then spent ten years with PricewaterhouseCoopers and fourteen years with a regional accounting and consulting firm. In 2006, he founded Atlantic Executive Consulting, LLC, where he is a compensation, tax, and financial consultant.
Professional Memberships
WorldatWork (formerly known as American Compensation Association)
Institute of Management Consultants
National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
National Association of Forensic Economics
Certifications
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Management Consultant
Certified in Financial Forensics
Activities
Stephen speaks at industry conventions and continuing professional education seminars for CPAs, consultants, financial planners, and business valuators. At the University of South Carolina, he taught a tax planning course for experienced financial professionals preparing to become Certified Financial Planners from 2001 to 2005. Stephen has been quoted in Barron’s, Bloomberg News, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Worth, The Washington Post, Business Insider, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal.
Stephen is a deacon at his church and has chaired the finance committee. He serves on the Board of a charitable organization and is Chair of the Board of an investment advisory firm. He is a member of the National Eagle Scout Association.
(Details of recent trial and deposition testimony are not included here.)
Publications Authored in Last Ten Years
"What the Tax Court Wants to See in Your Expert Report" QuickRead February 22, 2024 Co-authored with Bruce Wood.
“How Compensatory Intent Affects Compensation Deductions” Tax Insider December 7, 2023
“Calculating Reasonable Compensation for Business Valuations” QuickRead December 7, 2023 Co-authored with Paul Hamann.
“Planning for Golden Parachute Payments: A Primer on the Tax Law Issues” QuickRead
July 6, 2023
"Paying for Personal Guaranties of Company Debts" The Tax Adviser September 2022
"Fixed Payments May Avoid Unreasonable Compensation at Nonprofits" QuickRead May 5, 2022
"Adding Compensation Consulting to Your Practice" QuickRead July 15, 2021
"Telling Your Story: Lessons from Expert Witness Bootcamp" The Value Examiner March/April 2021
"How Fees Help Determine Client Perceptions of Value" QuickRead March 18, 2021
"Reconsidering Compensation for Your Expertise" QuickRead February 18, 2021
"Limit on Deductions for Executive Compensation at Public Companies" QuickRead July 11, 2019
"Getting Paid More Than the Competition" QuickRead September 5, 2018
"Elvis tells the IRS 'Don't Be Cruel'..." RCReports.com July 2, 2018
“Checklist for Initial Information Request to Analyze Replacement Compensation” BVWire May 15, 2018
“Obtaining Compensation Comparability Data from Publicly Traded Companies” QuickRead December 14, 2017
“Tax Treatment of Loans from Hospitals to Newly Recruited Physicians” The Tax Adviser August 2017
“Getting Paid What Your Expertise is Worth” QuickRead June 22, 2017
"Ways to Improve Your Partner Compensation Plan” The Value Examiner January/February 2017
“Charities must Operate Exclusively for Charitable Purposes” The Tax Adviser December 2015
“Getting Paid What You are Worth” The Value Examiner October 2015
“A Cautionary Case for Tax-Exempt Hospitals” The Tax Adviser September 2015
“Helping S Corporations avoid Unreasonable Compensation Audits” Journal of Accountancy June 2015
“Practical Tips for Engagement Letters” QuickRead July 2014
“Preparing for Deposition or Courtroom Testimony” QuickRead June 2014
Presentations in Last Ten Years
Defending Reasonable Compensation in Litigation and Examination
Business Valuation and Financial Litigation Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), Fort Lauderdale, FL, December 15, 2023
Determining Reasonable Compensation for Business Valuations
Co-presented with Paul Hamann on the Around the Valuation World webinar sponsored by NACVA, August 21, 2023
Determining Reasonable Compensation for Business Valuations
Co-presented with Paul Hamann, sponsored by NACVA at the Annual Consultants Conference, Snowbird, Utah, July 14, 2023
Defending Reasonable Compensation in Litigation and Examination
Webinar co-presented with Paul Hamann through CPAacademy, July 6, 2023 and February 21, 2024
Determining Reasonable Compensation + an RCReports Case Study
Webinar co-presented with Paul Hamann, sponsored by Business Valuation Resources, May 31, 2023
Normalizing Owner Compensation + RCReports Case Study
Webinar co-presented with Paul Hamann, sponsored by Business Valuation Resources, September 28, 2022
Lessons from Expert Witness Bootcamp
Around the Valuation World webinar sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, August 16, 2021
Masterclass in Normalizing Compensation
Webinar co-presented with Paul Hamann and Michael Gregory, sponsored by Business Valuation Resources, August 26, 2020
Normalizing Owner Compensation with RCReports Demonstration
Conferences sponsored online by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, co-presented with Paul Hamann, June 15, August 3, November 18, and December 9, 2020
Determining Reasonable Compensation + RCReports Demo
Webinar co-presented with Paul Hamann, sponsored by Business Valuation Resources, August 15, 2019
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations
At the Annual Consultants Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Salt Lake City, UT, June 7, 2019
Tips and Traps in Normalizing Owner Compensation
Webinar sponsored by the American Society of Appraisers, July 26, 2018
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations
At the Annual Consultants Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Las Vegas, June 21, 2018
Mastering the Rules of S Corporation Shareholder-Employee Compensation
Webinar sponsored by Strafford Publications, January 31, 2018
Normalizing Owner Compensation
Around the Valuation World webinar sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, December 18, 2017
Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
At the Financial Valuation SuperConference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, San Diego, December 12, 2017
Normalizing Owner Compensation: Up Your Analysis
Webinar sponsored by Business Valuation Resources, December 5, 2017
Normalizing Owner Compensation
Advanced Business Valuation Conference sponsored by the American Society of Appraisers, Houston, October 8, 2017
Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
Webinars sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, September 18 and July 26, 2017
Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
At the Annual Consultants Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Chicago, June 9, 2017
Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
Webinar sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, December 1, 2016
Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
At the Financial Forensics and Expert Witness Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Chicago, November 16, 2016
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations and Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
At the Business Valuation and Health Care Industry Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Arlington, Virginia, September 21, 2016
Practical Tips for Engagement Letters and Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
At the Institute of Management Consultants - Carolinas Chapter, Greensboro, NC, September 12, 2016
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations; Practical Tips for Engagement Letters; and Getting Paid What Your Services are Worth
At the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts - Massachusetts Chapter, Westborough, MA, July 21, 2016
Practical Tips for Engagement Letters
Webinar sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, June 27, 2016
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations
At the Annual Consultants Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, New Orleans, June 25, 2015
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations
Webinars sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts,
December 2, 2016, September 24, 2014, July 29, 2014, July 15, 2014, July 16, 2013
Normalizing Owner Compensation in Business Valuations
At the Annual Consultants Conference sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Las Vegas, June 19, 2014
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