Adjunct professor of business Brian Klintworth enjoys sharing love of tax accounting with students

Brian Klintworth is an adjunct professor in the business department at Concordia Nebraska, where he teaches a course in tax accounting every other fall semester. He says that taxation is a “fascinating topic” with which he enjoys working, both in the university setting and in the professional world.  

Klintworth graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2015 with a bachelor’s in business administration and majors in accounting and finance. He also minored in mathematics and economics. He also worked on his master’s degree in taxation through the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law while working and graduated in 2019. Since then, he’s spent time working in the field of taxation and training others to do the same.  

“Taxation can seem very clearly defined,” he said, “but it’s actually a much more nuanced process, and getting to share those insights with students is always very enjoyable.” 

Concordia’s been really great in the way that it’s helped me to think more about the meaning of a vocation and a higher calling in the work that I get to do. While it’s not necessarily easy to think of accounting as a faith-based role, the opportunities to use my God-given skills to help others is really a key to what I get to do every day.

Klintworth’s Tax Accounting course primarily enrolls upperclassmen accounting majors at Concordia, many of whom are just months away from entering the workforce. As a result, Klintworth sometimes runs into his past students at his full-time job with HBE, a Nebraska-based Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm.  

“I have really enjoyed getting to know the students – it's especially enjoyable as they begin to enter the career field, and I get to engage with them professionally, too. My firm has two full-time employees who were students of mine in class, as well as one intern!” he said. “I always love when I get to see them getting involved in the accounting profession after they graduate.”  

At HBE, Klintworth is a tax partner and head of the tax department. He’s been with the firm for about 10 years, working on tax consulting, tax planning, preparing tax returns and many "unique tax situations,” as he puts it. In addition, he serves as the chairman of the Nebraska Society of CPAs, which represents nearly 3,000 CPAs across Nebraska.  

He also enjoys spending time teaching at Concordia, especially when it comes to sharing his love of the disciplines of accounting and taxation with his students.  

“I love being able to bring real-world application of the information into the classroom,” he said. “I love getting to work with students and help them understand and learn about a topic that I’ve always been passionate about. Bringing in real world examples does a lot to help reinforce the topics that we cover, and it gives a way to show how to apply it and think critically!”  

Klintworth’s younger sister Ellen is a sophomore at Concordia studying chemistry, and he said that he enjoys seeing her on campus on occasion. He also appreciates the university's emphasis on its faith foundation.  

“[Concordia’s] been really great in the way that it’s helped me to think more about the meaning of a vocation and a higher calling in the work that I get to do. While it’s not necessarily easy to think of accounting as a faith-based role, the opportunities to use my God-given skills to help others is really a key to what I get to do every day,” he said.  

Klintworth has lived just outside of Seward for much of his life, apart from seven years spent living in Lincoln after he graduated from college. He lives on an acreage just outside the town, having moved back earlier this year, next door to his parents. He praises Concordia’s longstanding commitment to faith and community.  

“Concordia’s Christian roots are a strong differentiator for the university,” he said. “In addition, the passionate staff and students make a real difference, and I think the focus on community has a strong impact! The university is also constantly making improvements to the offerings for its students, buildings and everything!”  

Klintworth said that taxation is one of his favorite hobbies; however, he also enjoys spending time with family, golfing, traveling and working on his family’s acreage. He’s also looking forward to getting married in January; his fiance, Amanda, lives in Lincoln but will move to Seward after the wedding. Klintworth also has two siblings: a twin brother, who lives in Lincoln, and younger sister Ellen, who attends Concordia.  

The accounting major at Concordia University, Nebraska prepares its graduates for employment in the financial sector as public or private accountants, government employees and more. Students will learn the foundational theories and skills they’ll need to understand taxation, finance, auditing and related topics. Learn more about the accounting major here.