Think Advisors said Thursday its R&D Tax Credit Services practice has joined Crete Professionals Alliance, bringing the tax consulting firm’s specialized work under a national partnership of accounting and advisory firms. The move also includes the R&D Tax Credit Services practice of Black Line Group, LLC, Think’s wholly owned subsidiary.
David Mayer called the deal “a great opportunity” and “an exciting new chapter” for the practice, saying the firm is joining Crete with “an eye on the future” while keeping the culture, values and personalized service that have defined the business for the last two decades. Think, founded in 2005, said it serves more than 400 clients nationwide and provides federal and state tax credit services to industries ranging from manufacturing and software to life sciences, agriculture and food and beverage.
The deal matters because the R&D tax credit market depends on technical expertise as much as accounting experience, and Think said its team includes attorneys, engineers and CPAs who work across qualifying industries. Crete, founded by Jake Sloane and Frank Zhang and backed by Thrive Holdings, said it delivers enterprise-level support, global service delivery and AI-driven innovation to more than 25 firms across the country.
Steve Stagner said Crete is “intentionally building a platform” that brings together firms with deep specialized expertise, and called Think Advisors a leader in R&D tax credit services whose capabilities will add value for partner firms and their clients. The combination points to a broader push in the accounting world: local firms keeping their entrepreneurial independence while plugging into a larger network for technology, scale and back-office support.
For Mayer and his team, the next step is not a reinvention but a handoff into a larger system built to extend the same service model to more clients. For Crete, the question is how well it can turn specialist practices like Think’s into a national engine without diluting what made them successful in the first place.