Every return at Mercer Flanagan is reviewed by a licensed CPA who knows your name, not a seasonal preparer, not software, and not someone working overseas. Since 1971, we've provided tax preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, QuickBooks support and small business accounting to individuals and businesses across Frederick County, backed by personal CPA meeting and review process.
Our mission is to deliver exceptional accounting services while maintaining the personal touch that builds lasting relationships and client confidence.
We believe every client deserves to be known by name, not as an account number. We take time to understand your unique situation and build genuine, lasting relationships that go beyond tax season.
With decades of combined CPA experience and our dual-review process, we ensure accuracy and expertise in everything we do, from simple returns to complex estates and trusts that other firms won't touch.
We're here when you need us, not just during tax season. Whether you have a quick W-4 question or need complex financial guidance, we respond promptly and treat every inquiry with care.
We look forward to working with you!
Roy Cogliandolo is a CPA based in Frederick, MD with 29 years of experience in tax compliance and planning, financial reporting, business advisory services, and corporate financial leadership, including work as a controller and CFO.
Roy received his B.S. in Accounting from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1997.
He began his career as an auditor with CliftonLarsonAllen, then worked as a Senior Accountant with American Express Tax and Business Services, now RSM, before serving as a controller and CFO for companies across multiple industries. Roy and his wife Mishelle live in Olney, MD with their three children.
Zhen Huang is a fractional CFO at Mercer Flanagan with a background in corporate finance across GE, Fannie Mae, TerraForm Power, TerraForm Global, and Amtrak, in senior finance roles spanning financial planning and analysis, audits, mergers and acquisitions, and forecasting.
He graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1999.
Zhen and his wife Ani live in Potomac, MD with their two sons.
Jo Ann Cashman has been with Mercer Flanagan for 40 tax seasons, joining the firm in 1985 when it was known as Mercer Eubank, a name that has changed a few times over the years. She specializes in individual and business tax preparation.
Jo Ann received her bachelor's degree in accounting from Messiah College in Pennsylvania in December 1983 and obtained her CPA license in 1985. She grew up in Frederick, just a few miles from our office, and graduated from Heritage Academy in Hagerstown, MD. She volunteers with several local organizations, including the Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair as treasurer of the livestock sale, the New Windsor Lions Club, the Marine Corps League, and Job's Daughters.
Jo Ann also has worked at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, MD, where her husband Andy was the general manager for many years until his recent retirement. Jo Ann and Andy have been married since 1987; they have two sons and four grandchildren.
Lorraine Nagy is a CPA at Mercer Flanagan in Frederick MD who specializes in estate and trust tax preparation, high net worth individual returns, and fiduciary and non-profit filings, with over 30 years of overall experience in individual and business tax preparation.
A native of Pittsburgh, Lorraine is a magna cum laude graduate of Robert Morris University and became a CPA in 2000. She operated her own bookkeeping and tax preparation business in Pittsburgh before relocating to South Central PA, where she worked for public accounting firms specializing in small business accounting and income tax preparation for individuals, LLCs, partnerships, and corporations.
Lorraine has been with Mercer Flanagan since 2025 and especially enjoys the client service and personal touch found only in a small, regional firm. She is a widow with three daughters and eight grandchildren and resides in Laytonsville, MD.
Steve Biggs is a licensed CPA and has been a tax professional for 50+ years; he has been with our firm since 2016. Steve is a life-long resident of Frederick County - he graduated from Frederick High School in 1968 and attended Frederick Community College, where he received his A.A. in Accounting, then moved on to Mount Saint Mary’s College for his B.S. in Accounting.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1968 – 1971. He and his wife Paula have been married for 53 years; they live in Middletown, MD. They have three children and three grandchildren. They are active members of Faith Presbyterian Church.
Mark De Berardinis is a Staff Accountant at Mercer Flanagan with over 8 years of experience in individual and business tax preparation. He holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland and has been with the firm since January 2024.
Mark was raised in Frederick, MD and now lives in Thurmont. Clients know him for making taxes feel approachable, walking through returns clearly and without the intimidation that often comes with tax season.
We've perfected a simple process that makes transitioning to personal tax service completely painless. Our systematic approach has successfully helped hundreds of clients make the switch, and we'll ensure your experience is smooth from the very first conversation.
Contact us to discuss your tax situation and specific needs. During this meeting, we'll learn about your tax history, current challenges, and goals while explaining how our personal approach will improve your tax experience.
See how we handle taxes differently with genuine personal attention. We'll explain our process including personal CPA interviews, dual review system, and year-round support, answering any questions about how we'll serve you.
Let us handle your taxes with the personal attention you deserve. We'll prepare your return using our proven dual CPA review process, getting to know your situation personally and ensuring everything is accurate and optimized.
Get clear answers to the questions most clients ask before making the switch to relationship-based tax preparation.
At Mercer Flanagan, we believe in transparent, upfront pricing, no surprises. Individual tax returns start at $450. Business tax returns are priced based on several factors that can raise or lower the cost, including business complexity, bookkeeping status, revenue size, and number of state filings. We publish our pricing because we have nothing to hide — see full pricing.
We combine personal relationships with professional expertise. Every client gets a personal CPA interview annually and their tax return is reviewed by a CPA. We don't offshore our tax return preparation like the larger firms do and we provide year-round access for your tax questions.
No, we offer flexible service options. You can choose between digital convenience and traditional in-person service based on your comfort level.
We specialize in complex tax and accounting situations and seamless transitions. In addition to individual and business tax return preparation we can help with estate taxes, trust tax returns, non-profit organizations and complicated scenarios that other firms often avoid.
Yes, we provide year-round support. We're here to answer questions, help with tax planning, and provide guidance whenever you need it.
At Mercer Flanagan, every return is reviewed and signed by a licensed CPA, not a seasonal employee, not software, and not someone working overseas. We interview every client personally, we know your situation year after year, and we're available year-round when questions come up. Tax software and chains work fine for simple returns. We're built for people and businesses whose situations are more complex
Yes. We serve clients throughout central Maryland including Hagerstown, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Damascus, Mount Airy, Thurmont, and beyond. Most of our work is done remotely, so location is rarely a barrier. We have many clients in Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and many other states.
Absolutely and we'd encourage it. When one firm handles both, we can coordinate your personal and business returns to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, entity structure is optimized, and you're not getting conflicting advice from two different preparers.
Yes. We work with clients who have unfiled returns, back taxes, or IRS correspondence that needs a response. If you've received a notice or aren't sure where you stand, the first step is a free consultation so we can review the situation and tell you honestly what needs to happen next.
Yes. We're currently accepting new clients for both individual and business tax services. The best first step is an initial consultation where we'll learn about your situation, tell you honestly whether we're the right fit, and give you a clear sense of what it would cost.
We'll work to lower your taxes and bring order to your business.
