Dark Horse CPAs
Education
Northwood University Bachelor's Accounting and Business Management, 2009 
Credentials
Fractional CFO & Financial Advisory from your Nashville CPA
Nashville’s booming economy makes Music City a top destination for entrepreneurs and creatives. Whether you are scaling a business in Davidson County or managing personal wealth, your dedicated Nashville CPA, Wendy Wessel , provides the high-level expertise required to thrive in this fast-paced market.
As a Dark Horse Principal, Wendy delivers proactive tax strategy and accounting advisory tailored to Middle Tennessee businesses. She offers more than simple compliance by focusing on long-term growth and financial clarity. Partner with a trusted advisor invested in your success across the Nashville region.
Tax Strategy & Accounting Solutions for Nashville Businesses
The Problem: Many Nashville business owners fly blind without timely, accurate financial data. Operating in a fast-paced market like Davidson County without clear numbers creates unnecessary risk for your company.
Even worse, missing proactive tax planning leaves significant money on the table. In a city powered by Music City innovation, stagnant financial insight eventually stalls your ability to scale.
The Solution: At Dark Horse CPAs, we combine bookkeeping , tax compliance , and proactive tax strategy. We deliver the financial clarity needed to scale your business across the Middle Tennessee region.
From managing federal requirements to Tennessee Franchise & Excise Taxes, we focus on reducing liability. Our Advisory-First approach ensures you make tax-smart, growth-focused decisions all year long.
Wendy Wessel, CPA, Principal
My clients deserve more than once-a-year tax prep. I take an advisory-first approach—digging into your numbers, spotting risks and opportunities, and building a strategy so every decision supports growth instead of surprise tax bills.
Tax Strategy & Compliance for Nashville Locals
The Problem: Many residents in Music City don’t realize the true cost of taxes until they file their return . Whether it is an unexpected balance due or the realization that you missed critical opportunities to save, the sting of a reactive approach is real. Navigating complex Tennessee state rules alongside federal mandates can quickly become overwhelming for families across Davidson County without the right strategic guidance.
The Solution: At Dark Horse CPAs, we live by a No Surprises philosophy to keep you ahead of the game. We work proactively with individuals across Middle Tennessee to minimize liability through forward-looking strategies. From multi-state filings and retirement planning to real estate tax strategy and wealth preservation, every engagement includes personalized planning with your CPA so you are always prepared, never reactive.
Wendy Wessel, CPA, Principal
There are many ways to educate and strategize with clients on tax liabilities, it all starts with a conversation. Meeting with each client throughout the year is critical to provide the proactive tax guidance I believe makes the biggest impact. That is why I love working at Dark Horse where planning comes first and is a requirement of every engagement from the onset.
Fractional CFO Services in Nashville, TN
Nashville's rapid growth has created a new class of mid-market businesses - healthcare companies, music industry firms, real estate developers, and professional services practices - all of which need senior financial leadership but are not yet ready to hire a full-time CFO. Dark Horse CPA provides CFO advisory services built for Nashville's growth stage companies.
Our Nashville fractional CFO team provides monthly financial oversight, strategic modeling, lender and investor reporting, and CFO-level counsel on business decisions. We've helped Nashville companies navigate fundraising, ownership transitions, and rapid scaling with financial infrastructure that matches their ambition.
Nashville's business landscape is unusually diverse - from healthcare and music licensing to construction and hospitality. Our fractional CFOs in Nashville have cross-industry experience that allows us to benchmark your business against relevant comparables and apply best practices from adjacent sectors.
Yes. Fundraising preparation is a core use case for our CFO services. We help Nashville companies build investor-ready financial models, define their unit economics narrative, and prepare the financial data room that institutional investors expect.
Dark Horse CPA provides fully remote CFO advisory services to companies throughout Middle Tennessee, including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and surrounding areas. Geography is not a limitation for our CFO engagements.
A fractional CFO provides Nashville businesses with the full spectrum of senior financial leadership: monthly financial reporting, cash flow management, KPI development, strategic modeling, and advisory for business decisions requiring financial judgment. For Nashville companies not yet ready for a full-time CFO hire, this provides executive-level financial oversight at a cost-effective retainer.
Fractional CFO engagements in Nashville are structured as monthly retainers priced by scope and complexity. The cost is a fraction of a full-time CFO hire. We size engagements to current business needs and scale as the company grows - contact us for a scope-specific estimate.
I’m very satisfied with the service provided by Mark Kuca. I don’t usually leave business reviews (I’m basically a review hermit), but their effort and professionalism were exceptional. If you’re a small business owner looking for honest, reliable, high-quality service, I highly recommend him.
After years of feeling underwhelmed by every tax professional I worked with, we finally found Chris Ries at Dark Horse. We did a wide search for a CPA who could handle both our business and personal needs. Chris stood out from the start. He's not just deeply knowledgeable about tax law - he's genuinely thoughtful and strategic in how he applies it to your specific situation. What truly sets Chris apart is how responsive and engaged he is throughout the entire year. Our strategy sessions allowed us to get ahead of issues long before tax season, which made the whole process significantly smoother and less stressful.
You won’t find a more reliable, honest, or trustworthy CPA to work with than Mark. I would give this company more than five stars if I could. Highly recommend him and his services.
Chris is exceptional. He is far more professional, clear in his communication, and knowledgeable than any CPA I’ve worked with. He has expertly managed both my personal and business tax needs and consistently goes above and beyond—helping me make informed, strategic decisions well in advance of future tax filings. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Earlier this year, I was presented with the opportunity to purchase a company in San Francisco and needed a highly qualified business and tax accountant to guide me through the process. After many interviews, I was introduced to Chris and the Dark Horse team—and I’m extremely glad I was. Chris has been consistently responsive, deeply knowledgeable in corporate taxes, and generous with his expertise. He’s taught me a great deal, always looks out for my best interests, and approaches his work with both professionalism and integrity. I am 1000% satisfied with his services—and on top of that, he’s genuinely a great human to work with. My experience with Dark Horse was so positive that I also hired a fractional CFO through them, Susan Snowden, who has been equally impressive. I highly recommend Chris and the Dark Horse team. If you’re looking for smart, trustworthy professionals who truly know their stuff and care about their clients, you won’t go wrong with Chris or Susan.
Provides great service. Very professional. Very responsive to questions and inquiries. Very punctual, I would highly recommend their services.
I’m very satisfied with the service provided by Mark Kuca. I don’t usually leave business reviews (I’m basically a review hermit), but their effort and professionalism were exceptional. If you’re a small business owner looking for honest, reliable, high-quality service, I highly recommend him.
After years of feeling underwhelmed by every tax professional I worked with, we finally found Chris Ries at Dark Horse. We did a wide search for a CPA who could handle both our business and personal needs. Chris stood out from the start. He's not just deeply knowledgeable about tax law - he's genuinely thoughtful and strategic in how he applies it to your specific situation. What truly sets Chris apart is how responsive and engaged he is throughout the entire year. Our strategy sessions allowed us to get ahead of issues long before tax season, which made the whole process significantly smoother and less stressful.
You won’t find a more reliable, honest, or trustworthy CPA to work with than Mark. I would give this company more than five stars if I could. Highly recommend him and his services.
Chris is exceptional. He is far more professional, clear in his communication, and knowledgeable than any CPA I’ve worked with. He has expertly managed both my personal and business tax needs and consistently goes above and beyond—helping me make informed, strategic decisions well in advance of future tax filings. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Earlier this year, I was presented with the opportunity to purchase a company in San Francisco and needed a highly qualified business and tax accountant to guide me through the process. After many interviews, I was introduced to Chris and the Dark Horse team—and I’m extremely glad I was. Chris has been consistently responsive, deeply knowledgeable in corporate taxes, and generous with his expertise. He’s taught me a great deal, always looks out for my best interests, and approaches his work with both professionalism and integrity. I am 1000% satisfied with his services—and on top of that, he’s genuinely a great human to work with. My experience with Dark Horse was so positive that I also hired a fractional CFO through them, Susan Snowden, who has been equally impressive. I highly recommend Chris and the Dark Horse team. If you’re looking for smart, trustworthy professionals who truly know their stuff and care about their clients, you won’t go wrong with Chris or Susan.
Provides great service. Very professional. Very responsive to questions and inquiries. Very punctual, I would highly recommend their services.
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