Category: Wesley Chapel

David Cruz says that when he was a little boy in Puerto Rico, he always liked math. While other kids wanted to be firefighters, he says his dream was to become an accountant. 

When David was 17, he joined the U.S. Army and served more than 20 years before retiring in 2000 from Fort Knox in Kentucky as a master sergeant. 

Wanting to live somewhere warm that reminded him of Puerto Rico, he moved to the Tampa Bay area and, at 38 years old, he was ready to start a new career. 

That’s when he first started working to make his childhood dream come true. 

David finished the last couple of classes he needed for a Bachelor’s degree at Hillsborough Community College, then went on to complete his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Nova Southeastern University, based in Ft. Lauderdale. Then, he decided to complete two more Master’s degrees — a Master of Accounting (MACC) and then a Master of Taxation (MTAX), both also from Nova Southeastern. 

While going to school, David worked at AutoZone and took a side job working in accounting to learn the trade. After a couple of years, he began to pick up his own clients. 

In 2003, he decided to open DC Accounting, P.A., as a full-time career, leaving his other jobs and focusing full time on his own clients. 

Today, he’s been serving his community in accounting, taxation, and budgeting for more than two decades. 

As an enrolled agent of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), David holds the highest credential awarded by the IRS. He says he didn’t pursue becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), because his education more than qualifies him to work with local individuals and small businesses. CPAs are generally required to have a four-year degree and an additional two years of accounting experience, but David has surpassed those qualifications. In addition, David says CPAs can sign off on financial statements for large publicly traded companies, but that’s not something he needs to do in his practice. 

“I even do taxes for some CPAs,” David says. “Like lawyers, they have their own concentrations, such as forensic, corporate, accounts payable or accounts receivable. They don’t do everything I do.” 

David says he focuses on small businesses and their needs — in areas such as bookkeeping, income taxes, audits, sales tax and workers’ compensation. He even helps businesses with licenses and zoning, including when site plans and surveys are needed. That includes representing his clients before the county when zoning and licensing hearings are held. 

In addition, he handles personal taxes for small business owners and individuals. 

“I don’t tell people, ‘I don’t do that,’” he says. “If I don’t know how to do something, I go and learn it and make it happen for my clients.” 

He often represents clients who are faced with an IRS audit or if they owe money. He says he has even gone to court for his clients. “I’ll do anything for my clients,” he says, “anything that’s legal.” 

Back in the early days — 20 years ago — David was newly divorced and working out of his home. He said his staff worked in spare bedrooms upstairs. His living room served as his reception area and his clients were welcome to help themselves to water from his kitchen. 

In 2008, he opened an office in Lutz, where he practiced for nearly 15 years. 

In 2022, he purchased a larger building on Crystal Grove Blvd., renovated it and moved in. He says the office has room to grow, and he shares the space with the other business he and his wife Cindy co-own, the popular restaurants Rice N Beans Puerto Rico and Rice N Beans Express. 

David and Cindy were married in 2017, blending their families. David has three adult children from a previous marriage, while Cindy has two who are now 16 and 19. The couple also has adopted a child, who is now 10. 

When they married, Cindy owned two food trucks. David says she would get up every day at 3 a.m. and work until 9 p.m., seven days a week. They sold the trucks and opened Rice N Beans Puerto Rico (which is now located on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Wesley Chapel), and the newer Rice N Beans Express on S.R. 54 in Lutz. 

“Cindy handles all of the operations,” David explains. “She runs Rice N Beans, manages the people, comes up with ideas, does the marketing. I handle the books, do the budget, the forecasting — all of the money.” 

The building they share has offices for Cindy and for her assistant to run the restaurants, while DC Accounting has offices for David and his staff, which includes an office manager, bookkeeping manager, two bookkeepers and a receptionist. 

“My staff is a great staff,” David says. “They all do their jobs very well.” 

He says the staff works together to ensure that every client’s problems are dealt with in a timely manner. David says the company’s policy is that every question is answered within 24 hours. 

“I’m available for my clients 24/7,” he says. “They can call my cell phone and if they have issues or questions after five p.m. or on the weekend, they can reach me.” 

He says his favorite part of the job is the challenges that arise. “When I’m dealing with clients’ problems, their problems become my problems,” he says, “and I have to solve those problems.” 

Carmen Vazquez from Lights & More in Carrollwood says her business has been working with David for about six years. The family-owned business hired DC Accounting to handle all of its company accounting and the owners’ personal accounting, as well. 

“They take care of everything that is required for the federal and state level,” says Carmen. “David takes a very personal approach. He’s always available, always makes us feel welcome when we come in to his office, and always returns our calls.” 

She says the most important thing to her is knowing that David and his staff’s personal values align with her own. 

“The key word is trust,” she says. “We’re giving all this personal and business information to another person, so the trust has to be solid. We only want to work with someone who thinks about ethics as a priority, and that’s David.” 

DC Accounting (219 Crystal Grove Blvd., Lutz), is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., and after hours by appointment. For more info, call (813) 345-8503, visit DCAccountingPA.com. Be sure to mention the ad or this story for a 10% discount on personal tax preparation for 2023.