Savannah, Georgia-based Hancock Askew Co. LLP is expanding to Tampa, Florida, through a merger with Brand Tax Group.

Brand Tax Group was founded in 2009, and has a staff of eight and revenue of approximately $1.2 million. Managing director Kristen Brand will be joining Hancock Askew as managing partner of the firm’s Tampa office.

“The Brand practice adds to our capabilities with a suite of next-gen technology and a cloud-based monthly accounting and business services platform,” Hancock Askew managing partner Michael McCarthy told Accounting Today. “Brand is ahead of the curve in this area and we look forward to capitalizing on their great work and upgrading the technology and approach of our accounting services in this area across our firm. Hancock Askew has a great tax client base and our affiliation with the BDO Alliance USA will allow Brand to expand tax service offerings. Brand’s tax clients are very compatible with Hancock Askew’s current client base of businesses, partnerships and high-net-worth individual tax clients.”

“We are excited to join Hancock Askew to provide our clients with expanded value and services while maintaining our signature approach of excellent client service,” Brand said in a statement.

Brand Tax Group provides tax, accounting and payroll services and specializes in Florida Certified Sales Tax audits and franchise business services.

Hancock Askew, which was founded in 1910, provides audit, tax, accounting, internal audit, SOC examinations, IT risk assurance and advisory, business valuations, and other business consulting services to a range of business clients. It has over 100 professionals and 11 partners, and ranked among the Top 20 firms in the Southeast on Accounting Today’s Regional Leaders list, with $14.5 million in 2017 revenue. It has offices in Savannah, Georgia, Atlanta, Miami, and now Tampa.

“Georgia and Florida are both consistently getting notoriety for growth and being great states to do business in,” noted McCarthy. “We have had a presence in Georgia for over 100 years and we are actively expanding our Florida footprint with our Miami office in 2016 and now Tampa in 2018.”