Spotlight On The Middle Place Accounting & Clean-it!

Donna Ray of The Middle Place (photo provided by Donna Ray) 
The Middle Place Accounting 

Donna Ray, the owner of The Middle Place Accounting & Consulting Services, and I have a friend in common — Paula Nuñez, the owner of the Tampa City Dance Center and the founder of the Tampa City Ballet. 

“I used to be the executive director of Tampa City Ballet,” Donna says, “and they are currently still one of my clients. I still handle their bookkeeping and accounting.” 

Donna says she first launched The Middle Place during the pandemic, “while I was still the executive director of the ballet, because I have two children and their school was closed, so I needed to home school them and work from home. I also was taking care of my father, who has since passed away, so it just made sense to be as independent as I could be based on the needs of my family.” 

She adds, “I sent out a big email blast at that time to people I’ve known around the Tampa Bay area for a very long time that my services were available and that seemed to be all that it took.” 

The idea for her company didn’t just come out of nowhere, however. Donna has a total of 30 years of experience working in accounting. 

After a decade of working in the Cayman Islands as an IT director with Cox Lumber Co. and Senior Accounting and later as project manager with Fidelity Group of Companies, she returned to the U.S., which was still recovering from the financial crash of 2008. She enrolled at the University of South Florida and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Women’s and Gender Studies. 

After that, Donna says, “I found myself working for nonprofits for the first time. I accepted a job at the Helen Gordon Davis Center for Women as director of the Women’s Business Center in Hyde Park, where I worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs at all levels of experience and with a variety of needs — from writing business plans and building financial projections to accessing capital. That’s where the Tampa City Ballet found me.” Both nonprofits also extended Donna’s skills with grant writing, reporting and building relationships with community stakeholders and corporate partners, as well as with city, county, state and federal funding authorities. 

She adds that since then, she has served, “a lot of female entrepreneurs, helping them either launch or with their business. But, my focus was on finance and accounting, and that was sort of my specialty, helping people build business plans, financial statements and projections.” 

A Diverse Range Of Experience 

She brings all of that experience with her to The Middle Place, “and I’ve been really lucky because I have a wide variety of clients. Some are in for-profit industries, some are nonprofit. I also work with a law firm and some retail companies.” 

Donna says she provides a professional level of service that goes beyond just bookkeeping. 

“I focus a lot on software implementation,” she says. “One nonprofit contract [I have] right now was implementing seven different unique technology stacks for them, and implementing Quickbooks Online and payroll and basically automating their entire organization.” 

Originally from Chicago, Donna moved to the Tampa Bay area in the 1980s. She grew up as an aspiring young dancer, “but I had a very practical father who said, ‘If you break your leg, you need to have a backup.’ So as a teenager, she started out in business administration and, at age 19, as a legal secretary at a law firm in Clearwater. 

While her extensive professional career was focused on accounting, IT, project and nonprofit management, Donna continued to study and dance with a local Tampa dance company and also performed with the Cayman Islands National Dance Company, where she also taught ballet and Gyrokinesis, a movement therapy specifically designed for dancers. After returning to Florida, she taught at the Patel Conservatory for Next Generation Ballet summer program. 

Donna was thrilled when Paula Nuñez approached her needing help for the Tampa City Ballet. “I thought, ‘This is a perfect opportunity to work in an industry I love and provide my business expertise to help TCB grow and to help professional dancers in Tampa,’” she says. 

She also works with Diaz Shafer, P.A. an immigration law firm in Tampa that was on Quickbooks Desktop but wanted to switch to Quickbooks Online, “so I did that for them.” 

Donna also has done contract work for Davis College in Rwanda, Africa, as well as for Drong Ngur Jangchubling, a Tibetan Buddhist Center in Wesley Chapel, and Skate Park of Tampa: She’s also the Board treasurer of Dance Tampa Bay, led by Shana Corrada, E.D. 

Donna provides full-service monthly accounting services for businesses of all sizes and industries, including payroll, sales tax filing and software integrations. “A lot of clients first come to me to handle their bookkeeping,” Donna says, “But I also do software implementation, financial projections and can help you grow your business by offering financial advice from a unique perspective. For more info, call (813) 391-6890 or visit TheMiddlePlace.com.—GN 

Celly De Freitas Of Clean-It! 
Photos by Charmaine George

Clean-it owner Celly de Freitas has been cleaning homes and businesses in the New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas for the last 26 years. 

But, she says, that wasn’t always the plan. She was a teacher in her native country of Brazil and planned to continue that career when Celly and her husband, RogĂ©rio Buchner de Freitas, moved to the Tampa Bay area, “but it was very hard for me to go to college (USF) here, because I didn’t speak English as well then as I do now,” she says. “I ended up leaving USF to go to school for the skin care business.” 

In order to help pay for that schooling, she started cleaning houses and, even though she did end up opening a skincare spa, “I was making a lot more money cleaning houses, so I let the spa go after about two years,” Celly (above left) says. 

Today, not only does this Wesley Chapel resident speak and understand English (as well as Spanish, Italian and her native Portuguese) fluently — despite still having a fairly thick accent — she has a team of twelve Brazilian women working with her, all of whom also speak and understand English, Spanish and Portuguese. 

“I tell everyone who works for me that they have to be able to communicate with clients in English,” Celly says. “You have to be able to understand what the clients want and do whatever they ask when it comes to cleaning their homes.” 

She says she usually uses a “team” approach, sending at least two and sometimes three members of her team to each job. “It’s much more efficient this way,” she says. “We can clean a lot more places when we work together.” 

Celly, who has been an American citizen for about 20 years, isn’t usually actually working with the teams — she’s the one coordinating the schedules and checking up on all of her employees to make sure they are getting to each location on time (and calling or texting the clients when one of “my girls” is running late). “But, when I have someone out sick or they’re stuck someplace, I will still go and help out,” she says. “And, I try to be as flexible as possible when a client needs to change their schedule, too.” 

The Covid-19 pandemic definitely took a toll on Celly’s business, but says she was able to survive because she received a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan from the government, “and continued to pay all of my employees who didn’t go back to Brazil, even though they weren’t able to work for several months. Without that money, I might have lost all of my clients.” 

Clean-it offers (and is licensed to provide) residential and commercial (“We are licensed to do medical and dental clinics, but not hospitals,” Celly says) cleaning services, including monthly, bi-weekly and weekly services, one-time cleans and move-in and move-out cleans. “We have amazing references, too.,” she says. 

Most of Clean-it’s clients are in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Lutz and Land O’Lakes, she says, “but we do travel a little further for some clients, especially those one-time cleaning clients.” 

She adds, “We really specialize in those move-in cleans. We usually end up getting the [new homeowners] as clients because we do such a great job.” 

For more information about Clean-it and/or a free job quote, call (813) 505-0431. — GN 

Murtha & Flischel — New Name, Same Great Accounting & Tax Services! 

The friendly, professional staff of Murtha & Flischel, LLC, is led by co-managing partner Kyle Flischel, CPA (in lighter blue jacket), Tom Murtha, CPA, and co-managing partner Patrick Murtha. (Photo provided by Captured by Arlene Photography) 

New year, new tax returns to file — and a new name for a trusted staple of the local community. 

As of Jan. 1 of this year, the well-known local Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm known as Murtha & Murtha, LLC, has been operating under the name of Murtha & Flischel, CPAs, as the firm’s long-time senior accountant Kyle Flischel is now a named managing partner with fellow managing partner and co-founder Patrick Murtha. 

Thomas Murtha, CPA, Patrick’s father, is still at the firm, located in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56, as a co-founder and senior partner, working with his core clients and providing expertise in complex situations. Also, the firm’s second office in Zephyrhills, which was formerly known as Henson & Murtha, CPAs, also is being rebranded under the new name. 

The trio of Patrick, Kyle and Tom, with more than 60 years of combined experience, can handle accounting, bookkeeping, mergers and acquisitions, taxes and other related services for their clients. 

Coming Full Circle 

Before Murtha & Flischel, it was originally Kyle’s dad, Raymond Flischel, and Tom Murtha who started working together as Flischel, Murtha & Associates in 1997 in Englewood, FL. Ray became a CPA in 1978 and worked for more than 40 years in the profession before retiring. 

Tom Murtha also is a CPA and he earned his Bachelor of Science (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 business valuations, mergers, acquisitions and taxes since the 1990s and also taught accounting courses at Hillsborough Community College and the American Institute of Banking for more than 15 years. 

Patrick and Kyle may have gotten the tax and accounting “bug” from their fathers, but they became friends and colleagues all on their own. They both attended the University of South Florida (USF), where Patrick received Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in both Finance and Accounting in 2009 and 2015 and Kyle obtained a B.S. in Accounting in 2011 and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Accounting with a tax concentration in 2017. 

During 2009 and 2010, Patrick helped sell Tom and Ray’s Englewood firm and opened a new firm with Tom — Murtha & Murtha, LLC, in Tampa. Then, in 2015, the Murthas moved to Wesley Chapel, where Kyle joined them. 

When you work with Murtha & Flischel CPAs, you get the benefit of more than 60 years of experience with 
(l.-r.) Patrick Murtha, Kyle Flischel & Tom Murtha. (Photos by Captured by Arlene Photography) 

Since then, the business and its staff have grown steadily over the years. The Wesley Chapel office has expanded in size over time to a full building in the same office park to accommodate two additional senior accountants as well as new bookkeepers and receptionists, who help with clients across the state, as well as day-to-day administrative tasks. 

Patrick and Kyle have both taken on another challenge recently — getting their pilot’s licenses. Patrick has his already and Kyle is working on getting his soon. 

While Patrick admits this endeavor is “90% hobby,” becoming pilots has already proven beneficial to their business, too. 

“We consult with clients statewide,” shares Patrick. “So, we were recently working with a client on a business acquisition on the east coast of Florida and it took us only 45 minutes to fly there versus the usual three hours or so driving on I-4.” 

Complicated Tax Returns? Murtha & Flischel Can Help! 

Tax season, which just began, is undoubtedly the firm’s busiest time of year. While there are many tax software and online tax services available to use at home, people with complex situations — such as needing to file in multiple states due to moving, working or owning properties in other states, etc. — may find that doing their own taxes at home isn’t so easy. 

“We’re well-versed in helping clients file in multiple states, along with their federal taxes, if they have income or assets from multiple states,” says Patrick. 

What separates Murtha & Flischel from TurboTaxÂź software or nationwide firms like Jackson Hewitt is the firm’s personal touch and responsiveness. Patrick and Kyle insist on meeting clients “eyeball to eyeball” and Patrick says the person who meets with you will be the same person who files your tax returns, and will return your calls throughout the year. 

“We believe in building long-term relationships, so we can answer questions year-round, not just during tax season,” Patrick says. “A lot of clients who come to us from another practice say they liked who they were working with, but that they didn’t return calls or answer emails. Our primary goal is to communicate well with our clients.” 

Potential clients who worry that hiring a tax professional may be too costly shouldn’t hesitate to call Murtha & Flischel. The initial consultation is always free and the firm’s rates are similar to those of national tax preparation companies. Plus, they will look at your tax paperwork for the current year and tax returns for the previous three years to better understand your financial situation — as well as look for opportunities to submit for missed savings — and ultimately put more money back into your pocket. “Kyle is excellent and we have been using his services for over three years,” shares client David Ernst. “I only wish I had found him sooner. Kyle has helped not only with our taxes, but also with audits and making amendments to prior years.” 

Business Owners — Take Note! 

New this year, Patrick and Kyle are reaching out to all business owners to inform them of an important new federal requirement that went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. 

Under the U.S. Department of the Treasury is a group called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which is now requiring many businesses to register all beneficial ownership information (BOI) or decision makers. 

According to FinCEN.gov, this requirement comes as a result of bipartisan legislation called the Corporate Transparency Act, which was passed in 2021 to “make it harder for bad actors to hide or benefit from their ill-gotten gains through shell companies or other opaque ownership structures.” 

“This requirement can apply to limited liability corporations (LLCs), other corporations and partnerships, and even rental property owners,” says Kyle. 

If your business was created prior to 2024, you have until the end of the year to report BOI, but for businesses newly established in 2024, owners will only have 90 days. 

It’s free and relatively simple in most cases to register BOI online through the BOI e-filing system, but the penalties for not registering or registering incorrectly are steep — “civil penalties up to $500 for each day the violation continues” and possibly “criminal liabilities of up to two years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000.” 

If e-filing your BOI independently seems daunting, Murtha & Flischel can guide you through the e-filing process or help you determine if your business falls within the 23 exempted groups. And, while the FinCEN requirement is new, helping business owners is something the firm has been doing for a long time. 

A popular service Murtha & Flischel offers is the “CFO retainer package.” With this package, the firm helps businesses and people who are self-employed do monthly accounting and bookkeeping as well as budgeting for the future. Murtha & Flischel also offers advice for tax planning, mitigating tax bills and about health insurance or retirement plans. 

“Patrick Murtha did my business’ taxes from 2022 forward,” shares a client named Khaled. “Great knowledge. Very responsive to all my questions. He is beyond just a regular CPA, he is a tax strategist. I highly recommend Patrick Murtha for small business owners, particularly doctors.” 

Additionally, if you’re considering selling your business, Patrick says the firm can help you understand the current and potential future value of your business with the principals’ expertise in business valuations and appraisals. 

“If you have a publicly traded business, you can estimate your piece of the business’ worth by multiplying the number of shares you own by its current trading value, but small businesses can’t do that,” explains Patrick. “We help businesses estimate their worth by looking at their budgeting, financial statements, sales and cash flow, which can help to set realistic goals and benchmarks for growing or selling your business in the future.” 

The Wesley Chapel office of Murtha & Flischel, CPAs is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101. The Zephyrhills office is at 5315 8th St. For a free consultation or tips on tax filings, call (813) 991-1120, or visit TampaTaxFirm.com today.Â