A full-service CPA firm for South Florida.
For thirty-one years, S.L. Gardner & Company P.A. has handled the accounting, tax, payroll, and advisory work behind charter schools, nonprofits, small businesses, and the families who run them.
Four practice areas, one relationship.
Accounting & Financial Reporting
Monthly statements your board can read and your auditor can trust, compiled on a schedule you can plan around.
- Balance sheet, revenues and expenditures, changes in fund balance
- Monthly bank reconciliations
- General ledger, AP and AR schedules
- Annual unaudited financial and cost reports
Tax Preparation & Planning
Returns filed accurately and on time, with planning conversations that happen well before the deadline.
- Individual and family returns
- Small business and partnership filings
- Exempt-organization and nonprofit reporting
- Year-round planning and notice resolution
Audit Support & Internal Controls
Thirty-one years of financial statement audit experience with governmental and non-profit entities, on your side of the table.
- Audit readiness and procurement assistance
- Liaison with your external auditor
- Internal control design and monitoring
- Segregation of duties and fiscal compliance
Payroll & Business Consulting
The operational finance work that keeps an organization running between reporting cycles.
- Bi-monthly payroll processing and posting
- Annual budgets and budget-to-actual monitoring
- Cash flow analysis and projections
- Monthly review meetings with leadership
Steve L. Gardner, CPA
“Effective service is built on a deep understanding of each client’s business and industry.”
Steve founded the firm on that principle. He holds a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Miami and is a licensed CPA in Florida and Georgia.
His practice spans federal, state, and local governments, not-for-profit organizations, charter schools, and small businesses, with particular strength in financial statement audits of governmental and non-profit entities.
A year-round relationship, not a filing season.
We learn the organization first
Every engagement starts by identifying what you actually need, then building a service plan around it rather than a standard package.
We meet monthly
Leadership reviews the records, the performance, and the budget alignment with us on a set cadence, or more often when something needs attention.
We stay available
Your staff and your board can reach us with a specialized accounting, tax, or consulting question any month of the year.
Common questions
Do you work with organizations outside Florida?+
Yes. Steve is a licensed CPA in both Florida and Georgia, and the firm serves clients across the region. Most engagements are handled remotely with monthly on-site or virtual review meetings.
Can you serve as our school's accountant and also handle the audit?+
Professional standards keep those roles separate. When we handle your accounting, we assist with audit procurement and act as your liaison to the independent external auditor rather than performing the audit ourselves.
How are fees structured?+
Ongoing accounting engagements are quoted as a flat monthly fee agreed in advance, so there are no surprises on the invoice. Work outside the agreed scope is pre-approved before it begins.
What reporting standards do you follow for charter schools?+
All charter-school reporting complies with the Florida Redbook, GASB 34, and applicable governmental accounting standards, alongside the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and SSARS for compilation-level services.
Do you take individual tax clients?+
We do. Individuals and families are a long-standing part of the practice, and many came to us through the businesses and schools we serve.
Let’s talk about what your organization needs.
Schedule a consultation with Steve to review your current books, reporting requirements, and where the firm can help.