Dark Horse CPAs hires Mark Kuca as principal

Dark Horse CPAs has hired Mark Kuca, CPA, as a principal to expand advisory support for service-based small businesses. The move adds an owner-operator perspective to the firm as it pushes more structured financial guidance and tax planning for clients growing out of reactive decision-making.

Why it matters: - Dark Horse CPAs is adding advisory capacity as more small, service-based businesses look for help with growth, profitability, cash flow and tax efficiency. - The hire reflects demand for CPA support that goes beyond compliance work and into year-round decision-making.

What happened: - Dark Horse CPAs announced July 9, 2026, that it hired Mark Kuca, CPA, as a principal. - Kuca joins the Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California-based firm after running his own practice in an independent-firm environment. - The firm positions the hire as a way to deepen support for small businesses across the U.S.

The details: - Kuca brings experience advising business owners on financial decisions tied to growth, profitability, cash flow and tax efficiency. - Kuca said the appeal of Dark Horse was its mix of autonomy, operational support and professional community. - Kuca said the firm’s platform lets him spend more time with clients and less time on administration, operations and infrastructure. - Kuca’s service model centers on helping owners interpret financial statements and tax data and decide what to do next. - Kuca said most business owners already receive enough reports and data, but need clearer direction. - Dark Horse sees opportunity with lower middle-market, service-based businesses that have reached an inflection point. - Those companies often need more structured financial guidance and tax planning as they shift from reactive decisions to strategic growth. - CEO and co-founder Chase Birky said Kuca needed a more robust inbound pipeline of qualified clients to build his team with confidence. - Birky said Kuca had $60,000 in recurring revenue lined up from Dark Horse’s inbound pipeline before he started and signed that business on day one. - Birky said the firm’s pre- and post-onboarding planning focuses on the highest-impact areas to help new principals build their ideal practice. - Dark Horse says its “Firm-as-a-Service” infrastructure is designed to help principals scale practices more quickly. - The firm says Kuca will use that infrastructure to build a practice that serves both him and his clients for years to come.

Between the lines: - The hire shows how accounting firms are competing on operating model as much as on technical expertise. - Dark Horse is pitching a path for experienced CPAs who want to keep client-facing work while reducing the burden of running a solo or small practice. - Kuca’s emphasis on interpretation over reporting suggests clients want more advisory value from their accountant, not just bookkeeping or tax filing.

What's next: - Kuca is expected to help Dark Horse serve more service-based businesses that need advisory-led tax and accounting support. - Dark Horse will likely continue using its inbound pipeline and onboarding process to recruit principals who want practice growth with more operational support. - More information is available in the company's announcement.