Cynthia McLagan

Q: How do I contact her?

Call 651-379-5749 or email cmclagan@jakcpa.com.

Services Offered

Individual Tax Preparation & Planning

Individual tax preparation and proactive planning, deduction and credit optimization, residency issues, multi-... Read more

Trust & Estate Tax Services

Trust and estate income tax return preparation, trust tax compliance, trustee consulting, and coordination wit... Read more

Estate & Gift Tax Planning

Estate and gift tax planning that maximizes exemptions and transfers assets tax-efficiently — lifetime gifting... Read more

Tax Planning & Projections

Proactive, year-round tax planning with projections that forecast obligations before they land — so filing sea... Read more

Specialties

Individual Tax Planning & Preparation

JAK's individual tax practice covers preparation, proactive planning, IRS and state controversy representation... Read more

Trust & Estate Tax Planning

JAK's trusts-and-estates specialists help clients put comprehensive estate plans in order: revocable living tr... Read more

Client Types Served

High-Income Earners and Professionals

Retirees and Fixed Income Individuals

Estates and Trusts

Individuals

Industry Expertise

Construction

For more than 100 years JAK has helped general contractors, subcontractors, and construction-related businesse... Read more

Real Estate

JAK helps real estate professionals, investors, building owners, and commercial and residential developers nav... Read more

Retail

JAK works with brick-and-mortar and online retailers in the pharmaceutical, building supply, grocery, liquor,... Read more

Manufacturing

JAK's manufacturing clients range from structural steel manufacturing and assembly to steel coating, printing... Read more

Employee-Owned Companies (ESOPs)

JAK serves companies at every stage of employee ownership — from owners exploring whether an ESOP is right for... Read more

Wholesale & Distribution

Wholesalers and distributors juggle seasonal demand, commodity pricing, and thin margins across a lot of movin... Read more

Professional Services

JAK works with business owners and professional services providers — lawyers, dentists, chiropractors, and oth... Read more

Restaurants & Hospitality

Restaurant owners are pulled in more directions than almost any other retail operator — IT, HR, purchasing, an... Read more

Nonprofit Organizations

JAK's assurance team serves nonprofit organizations with the audits, reviews, and compilations that boards, gr... Read more

Languages Spoken

English

About Cynthia McLagan

Cynthia, a Tax Director at John A. Knutson & Co., PLLP, specializes in trusts, estates, and individual tax returns. She has a passion for transparent communication and for making the complexities of estates and trusts become simple for her clients — the go-to person for projects that require tedious attention to detail.

After moving back to Minnesota in 2013, Cynthia was recruited into a full-time position after inquiring about seasonal tax work, bringing years of experience from a Florida CPA firm and 16 years of tax season work. She became Director in 2023. After helping her own family work through a complicated estate, she realized her strengths were best used guiding others through this life-altering event.

A unique background: she holds a Master of International Management from Thunderbird and lived and worked in China for over 15 years — she still collects Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain.

Areas of expertise:
• Estate and gift tax
• Estate planning
• Individual tax
• Tax planning
• Trust tax

Education

Master of International Management (MIM), International Business and Accounting

Thunderbird School of Global Management, 1986

Bachelor of Arts, International Relations / Chinese Language

University of Minnesota, 1985

Certifications & Licenses

Enrolled Agent (EA)

Internal Revenue Service

Professional Memberships

Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants (MNCPA)

Member

Minnesota Society of Enrolled Agents (MNSEA)

Member

National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA)

Member

Twin Cities Estate Planning Council (TCEPC)

Member

Availability

Available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. Please contact for appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cynthia McLagan specialize in?

Trusts, estates, and individual tax — estate and gift tax, estate planning, trust tax returns, and tax planning. She is the firm's go-to for detail-heavy estate work.

What is an Enrolled Agent?

An EA is a federally licensed tax practitioner with unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Cynthia earned the credential in 2017 and belongs to both the national and Minnesota societies of Enrolled Agents.

Why did she focus on estates and trusts?

After helping her own family work through a complicated estate, she realized her strengths were best used guiding others through that life-altering event — with transparent communication that makes complex matters simple.

How do I contact her?

Call 651-379-5749 or email [email protected].