Rachael A. Rizley, C.P.A.

Rachael is a Principal at the firm, and over her 10 years in public accounting has specialized in valuation, estate planning, financial analysis, and taxation including preparation of federal, state, and local tax returns, including gift, trust, estate, generation-skipping transfer, business, and individual tax returns. Specifically, as part of the comprehensive process of preparing trust, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT) returns, Rachael has performed complex inclusion ratio calculations, and assisted clients in tax and estate planning resulting in a zero inclusion ratio, meaning not subject to any GSTT. In addition, she performs a variety of business valuations, litigation support services, forensic accounting, cost segregation studies, and other accounting services for the firm. Rachael graduated Summa Cum Laude from Eastern Washington University (EWU) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting.

As part of her ongoing education, Rachael has attended the well-known Annual Estate Planning Seminar in Seattle, Washington, along with the Hawaii Tax Institute, both of which provide premier level continuing education for estate planning, tax, and wealth transfer professionals. With this knowledge and experience, together with working alongside the licensed attorney at the firm, she has executed probate in the State of Idaho, and helped many clients with multigenerational wealth transfer and estate planning.

Rachael has worked on valuations for a variety of purposes, including business valuations, contract and employment disputes, dissolutions, asset valuations, and other litigation and non-litigation support purposes, such as trust and estate tax returns. These projects include preparing extensive written reports for many types of cases including forensic, financial, and valuation engagements. Additionally, she has significant experience assisting clients in successful resolution of U.S. Treasury audits, as well as examinations by state agencies including the Washington State Department of Revenue.

With a background in banking, regulatory compliance is also an important area of Rachael’s practice, including foreign tax reporting with experience preparing and filing FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, and Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets. These projects involve foreign monetary conversion calculations and research. Other proficiencies include tax planning and reporting for real estate transactions, such as Like-Kind Exchanges under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 1031 and administration and certification of Qualified Opportunity Funds under IRC § 1400Z.

Within the firm, Rachael is an integral participant in the organization’s current and long-term strategic direction, including recruiting, personnel, staff management, technology and network oversight, as well as administration of the firm’s billing, budgets, and internal financial statements. Rachael supervises the firm’s recruiting process and as the primary recruiter, has conducted hundreds of interviews for accounting prospects. Rachael also oversees the firm’s technology and network security plans, as the firm has grown to a multi-location model, requiring expansion of existing servers and other technology improvements.

Rachael’s passion is in serving people of all backgrounds using her natural and learned talents and knowledge.

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA)

University of Washington Beta Alpha Psi

Eastern Washington University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Business Administration, Accounting, summa cum laude