who we are & what we stand for
About Merge CPA
Business is changing. The economy is changing. And the global economy has changed the way we do business.
We’re here to listen and help you navigate the financial and tax landscape. We’re here to get into the small details, while looking a the bigger picture. We’re here to help grow your dreams into your reality.
building trust from the start
We believe in the value of relationships, and view every client transaction as a partnership. We’re there to celebrate your successes right along with you!
keeping up-to-date with the field
We remain engaged all year round in gaining further insight and expertise in taxation, assurance and business best practices so that we can provide you with service excellence.
harnessing the power of technology
We have built everyday technology into our business model because we know that time matters and sometimes a quick text message can get the job done.
growing your business... together
We know that business is always personal, and we strive to provide that personal touch. We look forward to meeting you and being a part of your business journey.
the merge philosophy
Our Mission & Vision
At Merge, we’re clear on our goal: bringing clarity, understanding, and confidence to your accounting and tax needs.
We are committed to providing close, personal attention to our clients. We strive to give you the peace of mind that comes from years of advanced training, technical experience and financial acumen. Our continual investment of time and resources in professional development, state-of-the-art computer technology and extensive business relationships is indicative of our commitment to excellence.
hello, and happy to be here!
Meet the Merge Team
Tina Tory, CPA
[email protected]
604-308-7528
Say hello (and how do you do… taxes?) to our Merge CPA founder. Tina has spent many years in a public practice setting, and has experience ranging from boutique to big four.
Tina is a professionally designated accountant and a member in good-standing of CPABC. She completed her LLM-Taxation at UBC, finished her CPA In-depth Tax Program, and takes pride in working as a tax specialist. Tina also has a unique passion for assurance work, including audit and review engagements. She values community involvement on both local and international levels, actively volunteering with the CPABC Financial Literacy program, leading seminars and educational sessions for organizations across BC, and sitting as the Treasurer on the board for World Housing.
Tina’s passionate about helping her clients thrive, and cultivating a great team culture. Outside of work, you’ll most likely find Tina running, cycling, skiing, and climbing trees.
Melissa Warkentin
Need a small business specialist? Melissa digs deep into the financial details, while keep the bigger picture in mind so you – and your business – come out on top every time.
Melissa joined the team at Merge with five years of public practice experience to her name. She has a passion for details and meticulously serves our clients to ensure that they have deeper financial understanding regarding their business, in order to make decisions quickly and effectively.
Melissa graduated from the BBA program at the University of the Fraser Valley in 2015 with a major in accounting.
When she’s not working you will find Melissa at the gym, on any hiking trail, playing guitar and spending time with friends and family.
Natalia Duarte
Natalia has been blessed with a diversity of experience: she has worked in the corporate sphere, private practice, and forensic auditing (and she even did a wonderful stint as a university lecturer). Experience in all of these areas has solidified how accounting and auditing truly are her passion! Natalia obtained her Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in 2005 in South Africa. As an immigrant to Canada, she’s looking forward to achieving her Canadian CPA, CA designation under the leadership of Tinaand as a part of the Merge CPA team.
When not in the company of her laptop you’ll find Natalia with her family and anywhere where animals are! She lives by the motto “When you know better you do better” – we live, we learn!
Janet Rowsell
Janet is our client relationship whiz kid; excellent client experience and care is her number one priority at Merge CPA.
Janet is professionally trained as both a Chef and an Engineering Drafting Design and Technology. This combined with an insatiable appetite for knowledge and her unparalleled attention to detail make her perfect for our newest role, entirely focused on ensuring our clients feel well cared for.
When she isn’t tackling every new thing that we send her way, she is outside on her cross-country skis, her road bike, or cruising around her frosty home city in her bright red jeep with her amazing daughter, husband and giant dogs. Janet is a family-first and we love this because after all, the light that shines the furthest, shines the brightest at home.
Burton DeGroot
Meet the guy who keeps our IT and admin systems running. With a background in small business and automotives, Burton is a seasoned entrepreneur, a technical expert, and a solutions guy through-and-through.
Burton got his start as an Automotive Technician, before his entrepreneurial drive prevailed. Most recently, he had his own business restoring classic cars and providing strategic counsel to clients around the globe, including car owners, classic car restoration shops, and high end car brokers. Burton’s background includes tech work with networks, electronics, and website development. At Merge CPA, we deeply appreciate his tech and administrative skills (even on a part-time basis) and wonder how we made do without him.
Burton thrives on finding solutions and understanding how things work. It’s no surprise that outside of work, he plays with lasers, 3D printing, CAD design and Excel spreadsheets for fun.
Our Services
What We Do
Start-up. Growth. Expansion. Succession. No matter the phase your business is in, having the right team of accounting professionals around the table is one of the most important decisions you can make.
business accounting
Tax services
audits & engagements
in-house consulting
Client Reviews
Tina and her team give me great support. It’s not just about preparing me to file my year-ends, but also strategizing about how to best take out salary or dividends from my company to optimize taxes. Tina is very knowledgeable and helpful on this. She’s also super practical — she’ll give me the quick answer, but also has the (sometimes boring!) details available if I dig further.
David Kandestin practicewrks consulting
I have been working with Tina and her team for many years. I feel like they are always spotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. I feel like they care about me and my family. I also feel and have seen them give back to their community. I highly recommend Tina, Melissa and the team. You cant go wrong when you have high character and a strong team mentality in your corner.
Matt Henry, Personal Real Estate Corporation
Having Merge CPA as my accounting firm has been one of my smartest business decisions. They care about their clients and are experts in their field. With them on my team, I am free to focus on growing the business because I know that the finances are in trusted and reliable hands.
Amanda Carasco, Harmony Homestay
Chat With Tina & the Team Today
