Key Takeaways
- Purpose‑built support for CPA firms, EAs, and accounting practices serving media, streaming, gaming, broadcasting, and telecom operators.
- White‑label offshore staffing for bookkeeping, close, revenue recognition, and tax, aligned to your firm’s playbook and review cycles.
- ASC 606 and IFRS 15 revenue policies for subscriptions, ad‑supported, usage‑based, and bundled device‑service‑content models, with audit‑ready documentation.
- IRS and GAAP compliant workflows, cash basis where needed, plus SOC 2 certified processes for security and continuity, so you can scale with confidence.
- Federal, state, and multi‑state tax support across 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120‑S, 1041, and 990, along with payroll, property tax, sales and use, and workpaper packages ready for your review.
Who We Serve
You lead the client relationship, and we work behind the scenes in your brand.
- CPA firms and EAs that manage media and telecommunications portfolios.
- Boutique and mid‑market firms building a sector practice without adding fixed costs.
- National firms seeking a reliable offshore bench that understands ASC 606, ad‑tech metrics, and OSS/BSS data flows.
Why Accountably
- We partner, we do not replace. You stay client facing, we execute the offshore work.
- We operate under IRS compliance and GAAP standards, and we support cash basis accounting when appropriate.
- Our processes run on SOC 2 certified controls, with documentation that fits your audit trail.
- You get consistent capacity during busy season, and a pricing model that helps your margins on fixed‑fee engagements.
Service Highlights
- Revenue recognition under ASC 606 and IFRS 15, including policy drafting, SSP frameworks, variable consideration methods, and bundled allocations.
- Month‑end close and reconciliations, ad‑tech, DRM, OTT and OSS/BSS tie‑outs, and audit‑ready rollforwards for ARR, churn, LTV, and deferred revenue.
- Tax compliance and preparation, federal, state, and multi‑state returns, 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120‑S, 1041, 990, payroll and property tax, and workpapers you can sign off on.
- SOC and ITGC evidence support over subscription billing, ad platforms, and revenue systems, packaged for your auditors.
- Clean handoffs into your cloud ERP and workflow tools, with checklists and SLAs that match your deadlines.
What We Handle Day to Day
- Contract reviews, performance obligation mapping, and SSP studies for subscription and ad‑supported products.
- Usage‑based accruals and true‑ups, commission capitalisation, and campaign reconciliation.
- AP, AR, bank and merchant reconciliations, and revenue subledger tie‑outs.
- Sales and use tax, nexus monitoring, and informational filings for multi‑state operations.
- Workpapers that align with your review notes, named and indexed the same way every month.
Example Deliverables, White‑Label Ready
Deliverable | What You Receive | Where It Helps |
ASC 606 policy and memo pack | Five‑step model write‑ups, SSP approach, variable consideration methods, examples | Audit reviews, SEC‑style support, consistency across clients |
Revenue rollforwards | Monthly ARR, churn, LTV, and deferred revenue schedules with source ties | Board decks, audits, forecasting |
Ad‑tech and subscription reconciliations | Impressions or entitlement to billing to cash checks with exception logs | Cut revenue leakage, speed fieldwork |
Tax return packages | Signed forms, e‑file sets, state schedules, and indexed workpapers | Partner review, IRS and state compliance |
SOC and ITGC support | Control matrices, evidence pulls, access reviews, and change logs | SOX readiness, external audits |
Recognition Built for Media and Telecom
Subscription. Ads. Usage. Bundles with devices. Each model changes revenue timing and disclosure. We help you set policies that hold up under scrutiny, and we put the evidence in your files.
Practical 606 and IFRS 15 Support
- Identify contracts and distinct performance obligations, including content, access, devices, and support.
- Determine transaction price, estimate variable consideration using expected value or most likely amount, and apply a constraint when needed.
- Allocate price to stand‑alone selling prices, using observable data when available, or consistent estimation methods.
- Recognize revenue over time for access and services, and at a point in time for right‑to‑use licenses when criteria are met.
- Capitalize incremental customer acquisition costs and amortize over the expected period of benefit.
Model‑by‑Model Snapshot
Model | Common Pitfalls | What We Do |
Subscriptions | Free trials, upgrades, downgrades, and credits | Ratable recognition, contract modification rules, and clean rollforwards |
Ad‑supported | Gross versus net, make‑goods, rebates | Principal versus agent analysis, delivery‑based recognition, exception tracking |
Usage‑based | Metering gaps, late data, caps and overages | Accrual methods, constraint application, and true‑up routines |
Bundled device plus service | Subsidies, SSP allocation, returns | Observable or estimated SSP, clear allocation, and return reserves |
We document the judgment calls, so your audit trail tells the same story every time.
Close Acceleration With Cloud and Automation
We plug into the cloud ERP you already use, and we keep the close moving with simple, reliable routines.
- Centralised master data and consistent mapping reduce rework.
- Auto‑matching on cash and revenue events clears low‑risk items so you only review exceptions.
- Continuous checks catch unposted journals and aged reconciling items early, which cuts late adjustments.
What You Can Expect
- Faster month‑end close, often 20 to 50 percent quicker once routines are stable.
- 90 to 95 percent auto‑match rates on high‑volume transactions where data quality supports it.
- A standard naming convention for folders and schedules, making reviews faster across your team.
Tax, Compliance, and White‑Label Preparation
Your clients operate across states and sometimes across borders. We help you keep filings current and consistent, under your brand.
- Federal, state, and multi‑state returns for entities and owners, 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120‑S, 1041, and 990.
- Payroll and property tax filings, estimated payments, and calendars that we maintain for you.
- Sales and use tax support, with revenue mapping that reflects subscription, ad, and data products.
- Workpapers that tie back to trial balances and revenue schedules, indexed for partner review.
Security and Quality Assured
- SOC 2 certified processes underpin our delivery.
- Role‑based access, MFA, and quarterly access reviews protect client data.
- Checklists and second‑review steps ensure quality before anything reaches your desk.
Internal Controls, ITGC, and Cyber Alignment
Media and telecom accounting depends on systems that process events at scale, from OSS/BSS to ad servers and DRM. We align financial controls to those realities and create evidence that is easy to review.
Risk Assessment That Links Finance and Tech
- Map COSO control objectives to real systems, billing, ad delivery, OTT entitlements, and data pipelines.
- Tie incidents to revenue recognition risk, for example, outages that affect usage metrics or entitlement checks.
- Track metrics like time to detect and time to remediate, then route exceptions into your control testing plan.
Segregation of Duties That Works in Practice
- Maintain SoD matrices for revenue and cash processes, and assign at least two people to each critical step.
- Use role‑based access controls in ERP and content systems, require MFA for privileged accounts, and review access quarterly.
- Automate provisioning and terminations where tools allow, and route violations to finance and security within agreed timelines.
Continuous Monitoring
- Log ad impressions, subscriptions, and usage events alongside billing and cash.
- Reconcile key counts and values in near real time, then push exceptions to a queue your reviewers can clear quickly.
- Use dashboards to track OTT entitlement checks, license to play versus bill, and network capacity billing accuracy.
The goal is simple, fewer surprises at quarter‑end, and clean tie‑outs your auditors can follow without long calls.
Advisory Support for Transactions and Readiness
Your clients will buy, sell, launch, or prepare to go public. We help you give confident advice without expanding your bench.
- M&A diligence that looks at revenue quality, cohort health, and vendor or cyber risk.
- IPO readiness support focused on ASC 606, software capitalization, subscriber KPIs, and control design.
- Restructuring models that connect network costs, content amortization, and contract changes to EBITDA and cash.
How We Work With Your Firm
- We keep it simple, transparent, and aligned to your process.
Onboarding
- Discovery and scope. We confirm entities, systems, deadlines, and templates.
- Secure access. We set up users, roles, and vaulting for credentials.
- Pilot month. We run one cycle, gather feedback, and lock the playbook.
- Scale. We add capacity for close, revenue, and tax work as your needs grow.
Tool Stack We Support
- Cloud ERP and GL, Oracle, SAP, NetSuite, Workday, and QuickBooks Online for smaller subsidiaries.
- Billing and event platforms, common OSS/BSS, ad servers, OTT, and DRM.
- Workflow and documentation, Asana, Monday, Smartsheet, and your firm’s preferred review tools.
- Secure file exchange and data rooms per your policy.
Outcomes You Can Take to the Partner Meeting
- Close cycles shortened, often 20 to 50 percent once steady state is reached.
- Late adjustments, exceptions, and audit notes reduced as reconciliations move earlier in the cycle.
- Cleaner ASC 606 and IFRS 15 support, with memos and schedules that read the same across clients.
- Tax calendars that run on time, with indexed workpapers that speed partner and manager review.
FAQs
How does Accountably work as a white‑label extension of our firm?
We embed a trained offshore team under your brand and follow your templates. You assign work, we prepare the files, and your reviewers approve and deliver to the client. Security, naming, and timing all align to your firm’s standards.
What media and telecom specifics do you handle under ASC 606 and IFRS 15?
We support subscriptions, ad‑supported sales, usage‑based billing, and bundled device plus service offers. That includes SSP frameworks, variable consideration, gross versus net assessments, and contract modification rules with clear memos and examples.
Which tax returns and filings can you prepare?
We prepare federal, state, and multi‑state returns across 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120‑S, 1041, and 990. We also support payroll, property tax, and sales and use tax, and we deliver indexed workpapers ready for your review.
How do you manage security and compliance?
Our delivery runs on SOC 2 certified processes with role‑based access, MFA, and periodic access reviews. We follow IRS and GAAP requirements and can support cash basis accounting where suitable for the client or entity.
Can you help with SOC and ITGC evidence?
Yes. We organise control matrices, pull evidence, and package logs for subscription billing, ad‑tech, and revenue systems. The result is a clean set of schedules your auditors can test without long chases.
What You Get When You Partner With Us
- A steady offshore bench that understands media, streaming, gaming, broadcasting, and telecom.
- Consistent workpapers and schedules that match your standards every month.
- Room to take on more clients, without sacrificing quality or your evenings.
Ready to Talk?
Let us carry the back office while you focus on client strategy and growth. Book a short scoping call with Accountably, and we will show you how our Media and Telecommunications Accounting and Taxation Services fit your firm, your tools, and your deadlines.
