Staff
W. Kent Early, EA, ATA is an Enrolled Agent and Accredited Tax Advisor. He has over 33 years of experience in the field of accounting and taxation with an emphasis on individuals and small businesses. He specializes in complicated Real Estate transactions and Estate and Trust planning and administration. Kent attended the College of Hampton Roads where he received his associates degree and finished his accounting, tax, and finance studies at Christopher Newport College and Saint Leo University. He started his career in accounting and taxation with a local CPA firm, Hall, Cotman, Garrison and Roseberry,as a staff accountant. He eventually started and managed an office in Gloucester, Virginia until he left to join Richman Steel and Fabrication, Inc. as comptroller and chief financial officer. In August 1986, Kent started W. Kent Early Accounting & Tax Service and has grown the business to one of the most successful accounting and tax practices on the Middle Peninsula. The practice offers a full array of Accounting and Tax Services to include tax preparation and planning for Individuals, S-Corps, C-Corps, Partnerships, LLC's, Estate and Trusts. They also offer monthly write-up services, financial statement preparation, QuickBooks training, full payroll services and estate and trust planning and administration. Kent is a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents, National Association of Public Accountants and the National Association of Tax Practitioners.
In addition to being a Tax Accountant, Kent has been a licensed Registered Representative and Registered Investment Advisor for the last 23 years. He specializes in investment and retirement planning, estate and trust planning and wealth preservation and management. He is also the sole and managing member of Early Financial Services, LLC.
Kent is one of the founding members of the Gloucester Boys and Girls Club and has been a major contributor of both time and financial resources to the Club since it's inception and has been a major financial sponsor of the Gloucester Youth Football League. He also served on the Small Businesses Advisory Board of Chesapeake Bank advising the bank on issues related to small businesses.
Kent is married with three children and resides at Gloucester Point.
Email address: kearly@wketax.com
Debbie Bartos, EA is an Enrolled Agent with over 35 years in the field of accounting and taxation. She graduated from Christopher Newport College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in May 1988. She started her career with Eason, Lawson & Westphal, PC as a staff accountant in Hampton, VA. She began working with W. Kent Early Accounting & Tax Service in June 1993 and is currently the firm's tax manager. Her experience includes complex individual tax returns and accounting and tax services for manufacturing, construction, retail and service based small businesses to include preparation of write up work, compiled financial statements and business tax returns. She is a member of the Virginia Society of Tax & Accounting professionals. Debbie is a member of The Church of Saint Therese and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Debbie is married with two children and resides in Gloucester.
Email address: dbartos@wketax.com
Matt Stewart, CPA is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Virginia. He earned a Master’s Degree in accounting from Old Dominion University in 2011. Matt began working with W. Kent Early Accounting & Tax Service as a Senior Accountant in 2015. He has been providing tax compliance and tax planning services for corporations, partnerships, and individuals. Matt is also well-versed in Quickbooks, payroll issues, as well as preparing compilations. Prior to 2015, Matt worked as a financial statement auditor with a large accounting firm in Virginia Beach.
In his free time Matt enjoys traveling and playing tennis.
Email address: mstewart@wketax.com
Joyce Clarke came to W. Kent Early Accounting & Tax Service in 2014 as a Tax Preparer with over 25 years experience preparing individual tax returns. She also has more than 15 years of experience working in all aspects of bookkeeping including accounts receivable, accounts payable, preparing payroll and QuickBooks. Joyce is a Notary Public for the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the Virginia Society of Tax & Accounting Professionals. She is an active member of Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church and, in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her family.
Email address: jclarke@wketax.com
Krista Kirkley began working with W. Kent Early Accounting & Tax Service in 2022 as an Administrative Assistant. She graduated from Rappahannock Community College in 2010 and studied Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University. In her spare time, Krista enjoys traveling and going to the beach.
Email address: admin@wketax.com