behind the scenES
Meet Your Salary Sherpas
David Korpel
Founder & CEO
I’ve spent over a decade in the tax trenches helping small business owners navigate the ever-changing landscape of S-Corp compliance. As the COO of ENGAGE CPAs and a tax preparer and advisor to hundreds of S-Corp owners, I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is to overlook one crucial thing: paying yourself a “reasonable salary.”
I’ve personally prepared over 2,500 federal tax returns — and closer to 10,000 total returns when you count all the state and local filings. That’s a lot of coffee-fueled late nights (shoutout to Wawa and Panera Bread).
That’s why I created Salary Sherpa — to make compliance simple, clear, and actionable. No fluff. No fear. Just the right tools and guidance to help you keep the tax savings you’ve worked hard for.
Whether you’re a seasoned S-Corp owner or just made the election, I’m here to walk the trail with you — one smart salary decision at a time.
Laura Stout, MS HRM, SHRM-CP
Director of Compensation & Compliance
Laura brings deep expertise in HR strategy, compliance, and compensation design to ScorpEase. As the founder of Stout HR Solutions and a certified HR professional (SHRM-CP) with a Master’s in Human Resource Management (MSHRM), she’s known for helping organizations navigate the complex world of wages, recruiting, and pay structure design.
After spending more than a decade in the startup world, Laura learned firsthand that building teams and systems often means figuring things out as you go; an experience that gives her a practical, real-world edge over the typical HR expert. Now, as a business owner herself, she brings that same resourceful mindset to every ScorpEase project.
At ScorpEase, Laura ensures our “Scorpion Science” is grounded in real-world HR best practices, compliance standards, and compensation strategy, aiming for each pay recommendation to be practical, defensible, and data informed.
She’s also my wife, which makes our partnership at ScorpEase one more thing we’ve built together.
🧭 Our Services
At ScorpEase, we specialize in simplifying S-Corporation compliance for small business owners. Whether you’re climbing your first mountain or halfway up the trail, our tools are built to make the journey smoother—no jargon, no detours.
🏔️ Salary Sherpa
At ScorpEase, we built Salary Sherpa because too many S‑Corp owners hand-wave ‘reasonable compensation’ and hope for the best. You deserve clarity—not the IRS’s surprise questions. Our process is fast, transparent, and built so you can own your payroll decisions with confidence.
🔭 What’s Ahead
We’re always thinking a few steps ahead. Soon, you’ll see new features like secure document storage and done-for-you templates to help you stay organized, compliant, and focused on the summit.
💡 Our Mission
Our mission is to empower S-Corp business owners in the U.S. by giving them the right tools (and the right coffee-fueled guidance) to confidently handle compliance and keep more of what they earn.
🦂 Why Choose Us?
Because S-Corp compliance doesn’t have to feel like scaling a mountain in the dark.
ScorpEase gives you clear, actionable tools to make smart salary decisions and stay on the IRS’s good side — no legalese, no fluff, no fear. Just real solutions built by real tax pros who get what you’re dealing with.
📬 Contact Us
Need help or have questions? Whether you’re confused about reasonable comp or just not sure where to start, we’re here to walk you through it — calmly, clearly, and without judgment.