Meet One Of The Faces Behind Bible Harris Smith P.C.

I’m Sean W. Brewer, a CPA Shareholder and the Director of Taxation at Bible Harris Smith P.C.

I look forward to sharing my story. I hope that you will enjoy getting to know me better.

When I was a kid, my father insisted I take a business class in high school, and I chose accounting. When I joined the class, everything just clicked as I enjoyed every minute of it. Once I finished school, I decided to pursue my studies in accounting, and began to look for a university with a quality accounting program. To my good luck, I had one in my backyard as the University of Tennessee was so close by.

After completing my Masters of Accountancy, I took a full-time job in 1997 at a local accounting firm where I spent the first seventeen years of my career. At that point, I was approached with an opportunity to come to Bible Harris Smith (BHS) and take over as their tax partner, which I ultimately did. After years in the accounting industry, I felt like it was time to take on a new and more challenging role, so I jumped at the opportunity presented to me and took on my current position in August 2014.

2021 happens to be my twenty-fifth year as an accountant, and it has been a long journey. Since the time I first started my career, the technology used in our industry has come a long way. The outgoing software when I started my first job was DOS-based. Luckily, I didn’t work in that software too much as the Windows version has progressed significantly. Additionally, I spent the first decade of my career working primarily with paper files and was involved with the transition of my previous firm to “less paper,” before changing firms and stepping back to paper files. I’ve been back through the transition now, and we’ve brought BHS to almost being paperless.

I enjoy reaching a resolution of a client’s tax problem or even just finishing up a relatively large or challenging tax return. There is definitely a sense of accomplishment. Moreover, being an owner of a small firm has allowed me to have a significant influence in the decision-making process to transform the firm to where it is today.

Our clients are the lifeblood of what we do, and we need to keep them happy. We also need to adhere to the rules and regulations imposed on us. Our staff is the body of our work, and we cannot be successful in servicing our clients without their tireless efforts. We operate as a unit to continue as a successful business, and this approach has worked well for us through the years. 

We want to be fair and flexible with our staff so they become dedicated to our firm as we do ask a lot from them. At the same time, we recognize that they have lives outside of the firm that they need to tend to appropriately.

Besides this, we are open and honest with all of our clients. That way, they know what we can and cannot achieve. We always want to search for the desired result, but there are times where we will not be able to achieve it. And, when this happens, we let our clients know, so they are prepared to take the next logical step.

Being honest and helpful has made our business really stand out over the years. But, it is the efforts of those in this company before me and those still involved, like Leroy Bible and Shirley Harris, that have built this company into the success it is today. As a part of this company, it is my ongoing duty to continue contributing to this success through timely, quality customer service.

I am incredibly proud of our efforts when we can help clients going through an IRS audit for one reason or another. Doing this brings our clients relief and that leaves us feeling good.

When I’m not helping clients break free from their trials with taxes, I love spending time with my family. So much of my time for the last ten years was spent chasing my kids around the southeast and even further at times for band and soccer. But, now that they are off to college, my wife and I are finding new hobbies. I’ve always loved sports and still enjoy watching and participating whenever possible. My wife and I recently purchased Can-Am Rykers, and we plan to spend a lot of time on the road after the busy season.

I have enjoyed sharing my story about the things which matter to me and how they influence the way I do business.

If you or someone you know could benefit from our firm of Certified Public Accountants in Knoxville, TN, I invite you to get in touch. Please visit our website at www.bhspc.com.

Sincerely,

Sean