About Scott Nissen
Going the extra mile comes second nature to Scott Nissen, the founder and CEO of Nissen and Associates. Prior to starting Nissen and Associates, Scott worked at Bruton and Schellberg, tax and accounting specialists. In this role, he filed taxes for businesses, non-profits and individuals in addition to supervising day-to-day accounting tasks for businesses. This included the wearing of many hats including doing payroll, invoice processing, and reporting financial statements to senior-level executives.
Scott’s experience includes income tax planning and preparation, bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll, payroll taxes, business management, accounting software-installation and setup, and the development and implementation of succession plans. His attention to detail and problem-solving ability has provided him with much success since he started in the tax and accounting industry in 1995. However, where Scott really shines is in his ability to communicate complicated tax situations in terms that the average individual can understand.
A native of California, Scott received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BA) with an emphasis in Accounting degree from CalState University, Fullerton – an AACSB accredited program from one of the largest accredited business schools on the West Coast. After college, Scott began his career working with US Search as an accountant. He quickly worked his way up and eventually became the Manager of Finance and Accounting working with the executives.
Scott moved to Bellingham in 2010. He joined an established tax firm in Bellingham, eventually becoming a partner of Bruton, Nissen and Schellberg (aka BNS Tax). After John Bruton’s retirement, Scott purchased office space at 2118 James Street and Nissen and Associates was established in August 2019. After an extensive remodel the office opened for business February 2020 – just in time for the new tax season.
Scott enjoys giving back to the Bellingham community. He volunteers at the annual Bluegrass festival to raise money in support of parks, trails and recreational opportunities for Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation. And he has participated in numerous fundraising events in support of his non-profit clients.
Scott also has a soft spot for animals, donating monthly to a variety of local non-profits dedicated to improving the lives of dog and cats.
When not crunching numbers, Scott enjoys hiking and adventuring with his wife in their teardrop trailer. You may also find him fishing from his kayak, tasting the local breweries wares and driving his ’66 Mustang.
Education
- Business Administration in Accounting, BA (AACSB accredited program)
- IRS certified Enrolled Agent (EA)
- Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor
- Certified QuickBooks Desktop ProAdvisor
- National Association of Enrolled Agents Member (NAEA)
- National Tax Practice Institute™ (NTPI®) Fellow
