Benbush Business Service is entering into its second decade of tax preparation work in Tucker County. Frances Shupp opened the business in 1996 when she moved to Tucker County from Preston County.
“I’ve always been an accountant, I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” Shupp recalled. She moved to the area after she married her husband, so they could be closer to his work.
Reflecting on the trajectory of Benbush Business Service, Shupp said, “It’s been great, it’s grown every year.” When she first opened the business, every form of accounting work was handled. “We did a little bit of everything,” she said.
In 1999, Preston Business Service asked Shupp to work with them during tax season. After that tax season was completed, the business asked Shupp to take over. “I purchased their business and combined it with mine,” Shupp said. “I’ve just built it up from there.”
Last year, Shupp “semi-retired.” She closed the satellite office in Parsons and cut the accounting services back to solely tax preparation. “I semi-retired so I could spend more time with my husband and my grandchildren.” When I spoke with Shupp, she had just welcomed a new grandchild into the world the previous night.
Benbush Business Service employs three to four employees during tax season. Her clients are equally split between families and businesses. “You would be surprised to see how many people have their own side business,” Shupp said. “We have everything from stay at home moms who are day care operators to general service people to million dollar corporations and partnerships,” she said.
“I have clients who have moved from Tucker County as far as out west, and they still mail me their stuff,” she said. Pamela Perando is one of those clients. Perando lives in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee but still relies on Shupp to handle her taxes. “Frances is the type to go the extra mile, even if she doesn’t make the extra money,” Perando said. “She is honest and fair.”
Shupp estimated that the business handles approximately 700 returns each year.
Pricing for a normal tax return starts at $80. Benbush Business Service opens full time on January 22. For inquiries, either call the office at (304)-463-4701 or visit the office, which is the first house on the left as you turn onto Pierce-Benbush Road.
