New Tampa’s Your CBD Store Adapting With New Products

Your CBD Store New Tampa owners Deborah and David Curler promise their store is different from other CBD sellers. (Photos: John C. Cotey)

A lot has changed in the time since Deborah and David Curler opened their Your CBD Store in the Pebble Creek Collection just 15 months ago, back on November 29, 2019.

But, the biggest change was that Covid-19 happened. As fledgling business owners coming off a couple of good months, the Curlers were hit hard by the pandemic, forced to reduce their hours and having to fight for their survival. 

Keeping them going were their customers, who needed their help during the pandemic more than ever. While there were fewer of them, regular customers were still coming in or ordering for curbside pickup for Your CBD Store’s stress-, anxiety- and pain-reducing CBD products, which many consider miracle solutions.

A case in point is Mary Maloy, who  has rheumatoid arthritis, and was wary of taking prescription drugs, which her daughter, who works in the medical profession, said were very strong.

So, after some research, she drove from her Temple Terrace home to the Your CBD Store in New Tampa, and says she has been mostly pain-free ever since.

“David explained everything to me, he was so friendly and nice and what I really liked is they didn’t try to force anything on me,” said Mary, who now takes a non-THC oil twice a day. She says David helped her adjust her dosage until it was just right, at 33 milligrams.

As the pandemic raged, David delivered to Mary’s home so she wouldn’t have to venture out. “They really are like family,” Mary says — and she wasn’t the only one in need during the height of the pandemic.  

Deborah says a nurse from nearby AdventHealth walked through the doors one day. “I’ll never forget it,” Deborah says. “She came in and was in tears. She said to me, ‘What do you have for stress and anxiety? I can’t take this anymore.”

As Deborah assisted her, the nurse told her she had “zipped up three people today.” Deborah was stunned. She recommended a full spectrum water soluble — which takes effect in 7-10 minutes — and the nurse went on her way, only to return again a few weeks later.

“To know that we helped is very gratifying,” says Deborah, who adds that many of the regulars at her store are now  doctors and nurses at AdventHealth. Many of the nurses continue to share heart-wrenching stories, she says. 

“God bless them for what they are doing,” Deborah says.

Customer Service & Education

Debroah says that outstanding customer service is why Your CBD Store has a 4.9 (out of 5)-star rating on Google, where the Curlers and their employees are applauded for their knowledge, passion and sterling customer service.

Helping people is why Deborah says she opened her own Your CBD Store. She and David have studied and become experts on CBD products which, in many cases, provide relief for those suffering from all kinds of maladies — from insomnia to cancer to chronic pain and anxiety. 

The Curlers take great pleasure in educating new customers, and a flat-screen television and two chairs are positioned at the front of their store for those who want to learn more, although more and more people have become familiar with the products since CBD has become more normalized. You can even get a free sample if you want to try CBD.

“I would say 75 percent of the people who walk in already know about CBD,” David says. “But, 25 percent don’t, and they are curious. They have questions.”

The biggest usually centers around the relationship of CBD to marijuana and “getting high.” 

CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of more than 100 cannabinoids that grow on cannabis, of which both hemp and marijuana are varieties. Like “weed,” CBD originates from hemp, which contains less than 0.3. of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which causes the “high,” while marijuana has much higher levels of THC. 

So no, CBD products will not get you high. But, they will, in most cases, provide relief from pain, anxiety and stress. 

Your CBD Store, a chain with more than 500 stores nationwide, carries a wide variety of products containing CBD, which are made by SunMed. SunMed has its own farms in Denver, CO, where the company grows the hemp that is then processed in Florida.

Each product comes with a QR code on the bottle, which can be scanned to produce that product’s lab report. David says that’s a big deal, and few other CBD producers are willing to show their work to verify the purity of their products.

Cannabinoids, whether CBD, CBG (cannabigerol) and CBN (cannabinol), which are relatively new to the CBD product world, come in both full and broad spectrum. Full-spectrum CBD products contain 0.3% of THC, which is the legal limit, while broad-spectrum products contain zero THC.

Deborah says that full spectrum is considered stronger, and is the bigger seller. Full- and broad-spectrum products both come in a variety of forms to suit your preference, like pills, water solubles, tinctures, gummies and vapes, and range in dosages from 5 milligrams to 2,000 mg. 

Your CBD Store New Tampa also offers SunMed’s award-winning topical creams, which are effective in relieving joint pain. There also are CBD dog treats (above), which can keep your pet more relaxed and less anxious during stress-inducing events like fireworks and thunderstorms.

Newer cannabinoids now being sold at Your CBD Store include CBG, which provides a pick-me-up effect, and CBN, which is THC-free and is designed to promote nighttime relaxation and slumber. Both products are hot sellers at the New Tampa store, Deborah says.

And now, you can even purchase hemp in its raw form, as a flower, and use it in a number of ways.

“You can brew it in tea, sprinkle it on your salad and even smoke it,” David says. “But, you’re not going to get high off it.”

Your CBD Store New Tampa also sells CBD/hemp cookbooks, for the adventurous sort.

The New CBD Delta

However, creating the most buzz, pardon the pun, at Your CBD Store New Tampa is Delta-8, which is a close cousin to Delta-9, or THC.

The difference between the two is just one particular chemical bond appearing on the eighth carbon molecule instead of the ninth. The different chemical configuration makes Delta-8 less potent, and has been reported to provide users with a smoother “high” without the anxiety and paranoia associated with Delta-9/THC.

Dubbed “Weed Light” by some, it has nearly the same positive effects of Delta-9, but fewer of the negative effects.

Delta-8 is available at Your CBD Store New Tampa in tincture, gummy and spray form.

“Since Christmas time, the phone has been blowing up for Delta-8,” she says. “I can’t believe how big a seller it is. It is flying off the shelves.”

The Curlers hope the pandemic is on its way out the door, and business returns to its previous levels. Prices have been reduced by 20-30 percent per bottle by SunMed, as it combats consumer trepidation during these difficult times, but new products continue to flow into the store in hopes of a rebound. You also can receive $10 off your first purchase by joining the stores Loyalty Club, which can lead to other discounts and freebies.

“We’re surviving at this point,” Deborah says. “We’re praying for the best, so we can keep doing what we love, which is helping people. We feel close to our customers. They come to rely on you. And we want to be here.”

Your CBD Store New Tampa is located at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite B-1. It is open every day except Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 994-0599 or visit CBDRX4U.com/find-us/florida/new-tampa.

Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors Is A Tribute To A Great Dad

Brothers Brandon (left) & Taylor Gardner have re-branded Gardner Gutters (run for 20 years by their late father Ed, right) as Taylor Gardner Gutters.

Taylor Gardner never expected to take over the family business, essentially following in his father’s footsteps.

He says he never planned on it, never thought about it — pretty much figured it wasn’t in the cards for him.

“I thought I’d be a career military man,” the former U.S. Marine says. “Now, I can’t see myself anywhere else.”

Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors is the re-branded version of a family business that has been around for 20 years.

Back in 2000, Taylor’s father Ed started Gardner Gutters, a small business in the heart of Lutz, but also servicing communities and residences in the outlying areas such as Land O’ Lakes, New Tampa and at-the-time-fledgling-but-on-the-rise Wesley Chapel. 

Ed Gardner

Ed ran his gutter installation and repair company with poise and charm, honesty and dignity and even a down-to-earth goodness that was evident to every one of his customers, as the small business quickly became a multi-million-dollar operation.

“I don’t know how he did it,” Taylor adds. “He did it all and everyone loved him and always came back to him when they needed new gutters or more work done. It still impresses me to this day.”

Taylor describes his dad as a hard-as-nails tough guy, who was always in great shape. Ed was a hard worker and an even nicer fellow, one that just about everyone would approach to chat with at the local grocery store, as his other son (and Taylor’s business partner) Brandon explains.

“He had a great reputation and just a real knack for people liking him,” Brandon says. “I just remember as a kid, going anywhere, and people would always come up to him and just talk to him. There were so many people at his funeral that wanted to say something about how he was such a great guy.”

Tragedy Strikes

As with many self-made-businessman stories, this one also has its tragic side. Not because Gardner Gutters failed financially but because, 12 years ago, Ed Gardner was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

And, as with just about every cancer diagnosis, Ed’s world, and his family’s, was turned upside down. He started the treatments and lifestyle changes immediately. Taylor returned from his service with the Marines for a time.

“I really thought it was no big deal,” Taylor says, “because prostate cancer runs in our family and both my grandfathers had it and didn’t die from it. Granted, I’ve been tested as much as I can and so have my brothers, but I really thought it was no big deal because I knew my dad and figured he would beat it.”

Well, Ed did, to an extent. For about three years, Ed did all of the usual treatments and was moving along pretty well until 2011, when Taylor had just returned from being deployed in Iraq, and was told Ed had only three to nine months to live. 

No home is too big or too small for the professionals at Taylor Gardner Gutters. When you need exterior services, from gutter cleaning and installation to pressure washing & more, give them a call! 
(Photo from TaylorGardnerGutters.com)

At that time, Ed was told he was beyond Stage 4 cancer — “a dead man walking” is what Taylor said the doctors told his dad — and it was time to say his goodbyes to his family members.

However, Ed being Ed, he wasn’t about to quit. He moved away from traditional treatments and started trying holistic methods, including diets and different supplements and, miraculously, he lived for another 10 years. 

“Those things (treatments), they’ll make you look like you’re wacky, but he lived another decade after a death sentence,” Taylor says. “So, it’s hard to argue with (those results).”

Even so, Ed did pass away in August.

The holistic treatments, however, were not cheap. They drained Ed of a lot of what he made building up Gardner Gutters. He did still run it, with help from his family, because he could be gone for weeks at a time getting some “controversial” treatment in Mexico.

The business took a back seat to Ed’s survival. He worked hard to keep it alive, with help from Taylor.

Taylor had been around the business most of his childhood, even helping out as “free labor” as a teenager and such, until joining the Marines, which included that deployment in Iraq. But, he always found himself returning home. 

In 2015, Ed’s health deteriorated even more and once his uncle Rusty, who had been helping run it, retired, Taylor began taking over the business. 

In 2018 the transition from Ed to Taylor began, but it was 2019 when they re-branded it Taylor Gardner Gutters, for liability reasons, from the original Gardner Gutters, even though Taylor and his crew were doing the same work, for basically the same customers, as Ed.

“Just like dad, we don’t talk to customers like customers here,” Taylor says. “We talk to them like we know them personally because we usually do, so we take pride in that’s how dad did it and that’s how we plan to continue to do it.”

Never Forgotten

In addition to custom gutter installations and repairs, Taylor Gardner Gutters also provides gutter cleaning and leaf protection, pressure washing services, screen enclosure installations, soffit and fascia repairs and window replacements and is proud to be veteran-owned-and-operated. 

As partners in the business, Taylor handles sales and the day-to-day operations behind the scenes and off-site. Brandon is the project and sites manager, usually checking on the work about to be done, being done or that has been done, up to a couple of times a day.

“And, I’m just fine with that,” says Taylor, who has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, which he earned after completing his military service. 

“I help clean out gutters in a pinch, but my days of climbing on roofs are over,” Taylor says. “Brandon is the real gutter installation expert, where he can eyeball a house from the road while driving by and tell it was done all wrong (laughs).”

Meanwhile, Brandon says he’s revelling in the fact that the Gardner boys have truly come full circle. 

“It’s a great sense of pride now taking on the family business after dad is gone,” Brandon says, “and it’s neat for me because I was helping at the start of it and now I’m back here, getting it back up to what it used to be.”

Ed’s fingerprints will forever be on the business he started when his sons were just boys. He taught them not only how to install gutters, but also how to treat the customers. As Taylor and Brandon move forward in growing the business back to its previous level, they are adding more crews, new equipment and maybe even a new office. 

Brandon says the business is primarily focused on installing gutters — which divert rainwater rolling off your roof from accumulating next to your home’s foundation and damaging it — as well as gutter repairs and installing outdoor screen enclosures.

And, Taylor says he takes to heart all that he either directly or indirectly learned watching his father become a local celebrity business owner, one who will always be sorely missed by his family and his extended family members — the customers he treated with respect and kindness until his last day.

“Anyone can learn to install gutters,” Taylor says. “What my dad taught me was how to treat people. That was the biggest thing. I think when I was younger, I would listen to my dad talk to people and when someone would yell at him, my dad would still be nice to them. As a testosterone-filled kid, I would wonder, ‘How can you take that from anyone?’ But now, I get it.”

Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors is located at 19007 North U.S. Hwy. 41 in Lutz. Its business hours are Monday- Friday, 7:30 am.-5:30 p.m. For more information, call (813) 486-2730, or visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com. 

Noire Nail Bar Offers Peaceful Luxury & Safe Services

Walking into Noire Nail Bar, located just across S.R. 56 from Tampa Premium Outlets (near Mellow Mushroom), you immediately notice the quiet and relaxing ambiance and the lack of bustle. The serene, upscale décor (photo) is impressive.

John Nguyen, who owns Noire Nail Bar with his wife Vanessa, says the salon’s look and feel are intentional to cultivate a calm atmosphere.

“People come here to relax, because it’s very quiet,” John says. “Most salons are noisy and crowded, but Noire is peaceful and still.”

John and Vanessa opened Noire in 2018 and will celebrate three years in business later this year.

He says while Noire had to close temporarily during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (as did every salon), when it re-opened in May, clients eagerly returned. 

“They feel safe here,” he says. “We wear masks, wash our hands and keep our salon nice and clean.”

While cleanliness has always been a priority at Noire Nail Bar, John says the staff is now even more detailed and spends even more time on cleaning and making sure everything is completely sanitized for each client.

To serve clients safely, Noire asks that the following requirements are met: First, always wear a face cover, wash your hands when you arrive, and try to limit touching surfaces or objects as much as possible. They ask that all guests try to schedule their services during low-volume times, such as weekdays, whenever possible, and that you don’t bring any guests with you who are not receiving services. Finally,John says, please do not come in to Noire Nail Bar if you’re not feeling well.

“Especially with Covid, people want to avoid crowds,” John says. “If we get too busy, we ask people to come back at another time.”

Noire encourages appointments to be sure you’re not turned away.

Once you arrive, John says you will always be thrilled with the services you receive, which may include manicures, pedicures, massages, full sets, dipping powder, nail enhancements, eyelash extensions and waxing services for your face and body.

“We have a good team,” says John. “Our technicians make sure the customers are happy when they leave and they spend time taking care of them. We never rush.”

Lorraine Wiggins lives in Tampa Palms, where she says, “there’s a nail salon on every corner.”

But, she drives past all of them to get to Noire Nail Bar, often bringing her mom and/or her daughters along with her. “Noire has more space, and if we come in together, we can be in a little pod together,” Lorraine explains.

She’s referring to Noire Nail Bar’s separate area for pedicures, where chairs are grouped together. So, if you come in with friends or family, you can enjoy conversations with each other and you’re not spread out in a long line of salon chairs facing manicure stations.

This setup allows small groups privacy and intimacy in their time together.

“I loved finding this place,” Lorraine says. “It’s always so clean. I always get good service, and I love it aesthetically. It’s nice that there are separations between the pedicure chairs and the manicure stations.”

Lorraine owns a travel agency and says she has visited many spas all around the world.

“I recognize the level of luxury that’s offered here,” she says. “You can go to any strip mall and find a nail salon, but I come here because of the sense of calm and relaxation.”

She says that Noire’s prices also are comparable, especially because there are different levels of service to fit virtually every budget.

John explains that the range of different services includes everything from basic manicures and pedicures to Noire Nail Bar’s Signature Spa Pedicure and its unique Special Care Spa.

John says that the Signature Spa Pedicure is the “ultimate treat for your feet,” with a therapeutic lavender rub that exfoliates dry skin while citrus sugar relieves and moisturizes your tired feet. That is followed by an extensive moisturizing lotion massage and a hot towel wrap.

Meeting Your Special Needs

Noire’s Special Care Spa is designed to cater to clients with special needs, such as the elderly and those with diabetes who may have cracked heels, thick calluses, extra thick or ingrown toenails — anything that requires extra time, attention or precautions.

There also are additional services offered, such as hot stone and hot candle wax massages and special prices on manicure and pedicure combos. Prince and Princess manicures and pedicures are available for kids ages 12 and under.

And, Noire Nail Bar always offers its clients a glass of wine, soft drink or water with all services. 

“We have a great selection of colors, and top gel and dipping powder brands like OPI, SNS, DND and Chisel,” John says. 

Noire Nail Bar also offers all of its services for birthday parties, bridal showers and other events. Be sure to call ahead to reserve your time and services in a space just for you and your guests.

Noire Nail Bar offers 10% off all services every Monday through Wednesday, if you use the coupon from the ad on pg. 26 of this issue. A 10% discount also is offered on your birthday, with proper identification proving that it’s your birthday.

Noire Nail Bar is located at 25682 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz, and is open Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sun. For appointments or for more information, call (813) 536-0161. The ad, with coupon for 10% off every Mon.-Wed., is on page 26 of our upcoming New Tampa issue.

Despite Covid, Berkshire Hathaway Flourishes In Hot Market

As market president and managing Broker for the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills offices of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, Veronica Davidson leads 115 agents to serve all of your real estate needs.

While 2020 was a difficult year for many industries, real estate in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas experienced an unexpected boom that is continuing to flourish.

Nearly a year ago, as Florida shut down non-essential businesses, the then-80 agents of the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills offices of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group, located east of I-75 on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, left work and headed for their own homes.

“We were bracing for a downturn,” says Veronica Davidson, market president and managing Broker, explaining that the company acted quickly to set up video conferences and provide resources to its agents, such as prospecting tools. “But the opposite happened. Who would have thought it?”

In fact, the company has since grown to 115 agents.

While some of the new agents have come from other professions, Veronica says most are from other brokerages. “They are looking for more support,” she says, “and we provide that.”

The local Berkshire Hathaway office’s success can be measured in dollars, too. Veronica says that last year was record-breaking, with $23 million in sales closed in December 2020 alone — an increase of about $10 million over 2019.

“It’s wild,” Veronica says. “Most people’s homes are selling for at least 100% of the list price — or higher —within hours.”

She says local inventory is incredibly low, with less than one month of supply available.

With 16 years of selling real estate under her belt before she took on her current role in 2019, Veronica remembers the last time real estate was this hot. However, she says she does not expect this bubble to burst.

“It’s different because it’s people coming from out of state or wanting more space because they’re spending so much time in their homes,” she explains. “These are real people looking to move into the homes, not investors (like when the last bubble burst in 2008).”

She says the mortgage side is different, too, with more regulations than in 2008. With interest rates low, it’s a great time to buy, and there are a lot of buyers out there.

“Some of our agents are getting really creative to get an offer accepted,” says Veronica, noting that she’s been impressed with her agents’ tactics and the way they are working for their clients. “Buyers want the homes so bad and competition is so crazy.”

Veronica hopes to see the market balance out, which she expects will happen if more inventory were to become available. “More people selling will level out the demand,” she explains.

In fact, this is a crucial opportunity for people who may have experienced a job loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Most people have equity in their homes right now,” she explains. “Don’t let your home go into foreclosure if you’ve lost your job.”

Anyone with questions about the amount of equity they have in their home can call the agents at her office, who can help you understand your options for selling your home, and what it might be worth.

“Our agents have the experience in this incredibly competitive market to help market your home and get the highest price,” she explains. “And, for buyers, we can help you get your offers accepted.”

Alison Ward now lives in Country Walk in Wesley Chapel. When she previously lived in Meadow Pointe, she wanted to downsize, so she reached out to a friend of a friend to help her sell her current home and buy a new one.

That acquaintance was Kendra Wilson, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway, and Alison says working with her was an incredible experience.

“She came in and told me everything I needed to do to pretty my house up to sell it,” Alison explains. “When we went live, I had three or four offers within a day or two, then closed just a few weeks later.”

Alison appreciated how prepared Kendra was, understanding the market, and backed with research.

“She was knowledgeable,” says Alison. “She was also easy to contact, always available, and made me feel like no question was dumb.”

Alison says a house in her former neighborhood had the same layout as hers and had been on the market a few months when she listed her home.

“I was in and out in a week and they were still on the market,” Alison says. “It could have been any number of reasons why that home didn’t sell, but I think mine did because I listened to Kendra’s advice, even about things like if there are too many pictures on the wall sand how the home smells.”

She adds that Kendra made the process incredibly easy. “I was super stressed, and she helped with every facet, from financing to finding people to do work around the house, such as flooring,” said Alison. “She was able to provide resources to get done what we needed to get done.”

Name Recognition

If the name Berkshire Hathaway seems familiar beyond the real estate business, it’s because it is derived from the holding company Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., which is chaired by billionaire financier and company CEO Warren Buffett.

The local Berkshire Hathaway office is part of HomeServices of America, Inc., which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group makes it a priority to serve the community. At this year’s “Be The Sunshine” event, agents supported The Thomas Promise Foundation, creating and stuffing backpacks with nonperishable food and school supplies for Pasco County children.

In fact, what is now called Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group was originally founded in 1959 as Tropical Realty. Dewey Mitchell and Allen Crumbley acquired the business in 1984, then aligned with the Prudential Real Estate Network in 1988. In 2012, Berkshire Hathaway purchased that group, including the local Prudential Tropical Realty office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) at S.R. 56.

The current Berkshire Hathaway office opened in March of 2018. 

The New Tampa/Wesley Chapel office is one of 20 offices under the Florida Properties Group umbrella. Veronica says the agents are committed to an exceptional culture, where they practice the company’s mission statement of teamwork, integrity, passion and excellence.

They know the area and the market, and Veronica says all of her agents share sincerity and a true desire to help people. They do so using all of the resources of their global company.

“We are solution providers for all of people’s real estate needs,” Veronica explains, “including every aspect of property management, commercial real estate, insurance and title.”

Serving The Community

The agents of the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel Berkshire Hathaway office also are committed to serving the community around them. They hold a food and toy drive for Metropolitan Ministries during the holiday season, which collected more than 7,000 pounds of food last year, and they also support the Berkshire Hathaway Florida Property Group charity, called Sunshine Kids, which gives children who have terminal diseases a week in Orlando to go to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

At the office’s annual “Be The Sunshine” event, agents take the day off to serve a charitable organization. This year, the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel agents chose to support the Thomas Promise Foundation in Zephyrhills, creating and stuffing bags with nonperishable food and school supplies for Pasco County children in late February. 

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group is located at 26771 S.R. 56, in the same shopping plaza as Buffalo Wild Wings. For more info, visit BHHSFloridaProperties.com or call (813) 907-8200. To browse properties available for rent or learn about property management services, visit the Berkshire Hathaway online portal at RentAHomeWithUs.com.

Murtha & Murtha Handling Covid Fallout This Tax Season

Kyle Flischel (left) and Tom (not pictured) and Patrick Murtha take on every tax problem, big or small, at Murtha & Murtha, LLC. (Photo: Charmaine George)

Every tax season is different.

Some are busier than others, some are upended by new tax laws or bills, while still others are a mad scramble.

This tax season, however, is almost indescribable, says Patrick Murtha, who along with his father Tom and new partner (but longtime senior accountant) Kyle Flischel run Murtha & Murtha, LLC, in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 (across from Sam’s Club).

Due to Covid-19, nothing about this tax season seems normal, Patrick says. Everyone was impacted, with some people losing their jobs and collecting unemployment, others receiving PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans and many  people having to borrow money from their retirement plans in order to survive. 

Some people moved away from Florida, but many others moved in. And, not everyone struggled, Patrick says, noting that some clients had their most lucrative years ever  in 2020.

Either way, Patrick says 2020 was the year of “major life changes,” and clients need more help now than they ever have as they navigate through tax season waters that are now murkier than before.

“This has been amazingly busy,” says Patrick. “The average return is a little more complicated, and we have a lot more clients coming in. It’s crazy.”

That means thousands of tax returns between Murtha & Murtha’s two offices (the Murthas recently merged with another office in Zephyrhills, which is now called Henson & Murtha, CPAs.)

Luckily for clients new and old, Tom, Patrick and Kyle have more than 60 years of combined experience in handling taxes on behalf of their accounting clients.

Because of Covid-19, the Murthas have adapted to the new reality. They started last year, when Covid hit right at the annual March peak of tax season, and now have a well-oiled virtual online machine to help them assist clients.

“We pivoted pretty quickly,” Patrick says. “Right when Covid hit last year we made that move, making virtual appointments, video calls, phone appointments. We bolstered that a lot more in the offseason. Now, we’re a full, web-based client center.”

Clients can sign in, upload their tax documents and any other paperwork the Murthas may need to complete their taxes. “We created a really convenient way for us to work, and for our clients, too,” Patrick says.

He adds that about half of Murtha & Murtha’s clients are handling this tax season online. The other half still prefers to come in to the office, where CDC guidelines are strictly followed. As the pandemic passes, there may be less of a need for an online exchange of tax forms and paperwork, but the firm plans to keep the online option in their arsenal.

That arsenal is quite full as it is. Murtha & Murtha consults, advises and deals in complicated and intricate tax laws, providing business valuations and due diligence while also running the successful Murtha & Murtha Mergers and Acquisitions, LLC.

Tom is fond of saying “we do it all,” which isn’t too far off. And, while taxes are a huge part of what Murtha & Murtha does, Tom says consulting with clients throughout the year is often just as valuable.

A Little Background

Tom Murtha, CPA, earned his B.S. degree in Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976, and his M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree in Accounting from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, in 1981. He has been doing mergers, acquisitions and business valuations since the 1990s.

Patrick, who grew up around tax codes at his father’s business, graduated from the University of South Florida in 2009 with Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in both Finance and Accounting. He joined his father in opening a firm in Tampa in 2010, focusing on mergers and acquisitions.

Meanwhile, Kyle Flischel, CPA, is practically family, having gone to school with Patrick at USF.  

Murtha & Murtha offers a popular “CFO Retainer Package,” which helps businesses (and those who are self-employed) who might need a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) but who don’t have the budget to hire a full-time manager or accountant for that job.

For a fraction of the cost of a full-time CFO, the Murthas operate in an advisory position and can handle everything from accounting and bookkeeping to setting up payroll and ensuring that all of a client’s income and expenses are classified correctly.

They also will put together a budget, which Patrick says hardly any other companies do. The Murthas are big on budgeting, which helps their clients make decisions in real time, instead of waiting until the end of the year.

And of course, they will take care of all of your tax preparation and planning.

“The CFO program is growing just as quickly as our tax business is,” Patrick says.

Since starting the CFO program, Patrick says they’ve only lost two clients, but both were due to capital acquisitions. “In both cases, the companies were successful,” he says.

If using Murtha & Murtha sounds daunting and exorbitantly-priced, the Murthas promise that it’s not. The firm handles just about every kind of client, from rich businessmen to small business owners to regular W-2 workers, and the prices are comparable to other tax firms like H&R Block. And, every client gets the same personal treatment. It is that personal touch that differentiates Murtha & Murtha from others, Patrick says. 

While they handle the taxes of some large companies, Patrick says that individual returns account for about two-thirds of Murtha & Murtha’s billings — and that number may be growing this year with the influx of new clients.

During Covid-crazy 2020, Patrick says the firm still grew but not at the rate they originally anticipated. However, he says this year could be record-breaking.

“Whatever we should’ve gotten last year we are getting this year,” Patrick says, “(in addition to) what we would have normally gotten this year. It’s going to be the busiest season we’ve had by an order of magnitude.”

Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101. For more info, visit TampaTaxFirm.com. To schedule a free consultation, call (813) 991-1120. 

Henson & Murtha, CPAs, is located at 5315 8th Ave. in Zephyrhills. For more info, call (813) 782-0580.