Dave Haase sits down with Rocky Lippold, founder of Freedom Tax Accounting & Tax, who has an unusual story of retiring three times and coming back stronger each time. Rocky just acquired a practice with 850 clients, adding to his existing 400 clients, and is eyeing another acquisition before tax season. His approach to growth centers on personal relationships and face-to-face meetings, even driving hours to meet clients in person for onboarding sessions.

Rocky shares how he built his practice with family members including his accountant daughter, retired brother, and wife who worked as a paralegal for 26 years. He discusses managing 200 Amish clients with extensive Schedule F returns, implementing Tax Dome and Juno for efficiency, and his belief that AI will actually make tax work more human by handling data entry while accountants focus on client relationships. Rocky emphasizes the importance of admitting mistakes to clients and taking time to truly understand their businesses rather than just processing returns.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[01:37] Military tax beginnings and multiple retirements

[03:23] Building practice back up through acquisitions

[05:38] Growth mindset despite retirement attempts

[08:33] Training remote family staff members

[09:40] In person client onboarding preference

[10:08] Detailed client onboarding process

[12:00] Acquiring 200 Amish farming clients

[15:19] Tax Dome and Juno integration goals

[18:10] Going paperless after RV lifestyle

[20:31] Future of tax profession with AI

[22:21] S corp conversion saves $17000 annually

[23:07] Human element remains crucial with AI

[27:50] Growth advice and owning mistakes

[31:48] Just do it philosophy

Rocky's philosophy is simple but powerful - the human element in accounting cannot be replaced, and the best tax professionals will spend more time with clients, not less, as technology handles the routine work.

The Modern Tax Pros Podcast is brought to you by Juno, AI tax prep software built for tax pros who are sick of 60-hour weeks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave Haase sits down with Paul Whelan, EA and Founder of Whelan Advisory Group, to discuss building and scaling a modern solo tax practice. Paul shares his journey from working at a local firm to starting his own practice 2 years ago, focusing on small businesses under $5 million in revenue. He explains how he provides comprehensive services from bookkeeping to tax planning, positioning himself as a single point of contact for local business owners who prefer face-to-face relationships over virtual-only firms.

Paul dives into the technology stack that enables his solo practice to compete effectively. He discusses implementing Canopy for practice management, Ignition for proposal automation, and Stanford Tax for document collection. The conversation explores how modern tax professionals handle misinformation from social media, stay current with changing tax laws, and manage the seasonal demands of tax work while maintaining work-life balance. Paul also addresses pricing strategies in an industry where practitioners have historically undercharged for their expertise.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[01:08] Paul's accounting journey and firm foundation

[02:29] Local small business focus strategy

[04:19] Full service approach benefits

[07:57] Biggest challenges facing tax professionals

[10:26] Managing tax law changes effectively

[12:17] Essential practice management technology stack

[14:44] Adopting new technology successfully

[16:01] Full tax automation vision

[20:06] Work life balance during tax season

[24:04] Integrating multiple software systems

[30:22] Five year practice growth plans

[32:04] Strategic pricing and capacity management

[36:19] Practice management software evolution

[38:17] Future of tax professional services

This episode offers practical insights for tax professionals looking to modernize their practices and build sustainable solo operations in today's competitive market.

The Modern Tax Pros Podcast is brought to you by Juno, AI tax prep software built for tax pros who are sick of 60-hour weeks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave Haase sits down with David Blain, the CFA and founder of BlueSky Wealth Advisors, to explore how combining tax preparation with wealth management creates superior client outcomes. David shares his unconventional path from West Point graduate and military special ops to building a practice that integrates tax compliance with comprehensive financial planning. He explains why clients benefit from having one trusted advisor handle both their investments and tax strategy, rather than coordinating between separate professionals.

The conversation dives deep into how AI automation is transforming tax practices and freeing professionals to focus on higher-value advisory work. David details how his team uses Juno's computer vision technology to extract data from tax documents, allowing administrative staff to participate meaningfully in the tax process while tax preparers focus on strategic planning. He also shares his systematic approach to advisory workflows, using CRM automation to ensure no planning opportunities are missed based on client income and complexity levels.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[01:43] Military to wealth management journey

[04:23] Combining tax and wealth management

[06:59] Adding value beyond compliance work

[11:21] Future of tax preparation industry

[14:43] Building advisory workflows and systems

[19:47] AI transforming tax strategy identification

[23:03] Data integration challenges and solutions

[28:13] Human judgment in tax decisions

[34:29] AI limitations in complex scenarios

[40:01] Structured vs conversational AI outputs

[44:45] Team transformation with automation tools

[47:25] Staff happiness and job elevation

This episode offers valuable insights for tax professionals considering advisory services and firm owners looking to leverage AI for better client service and team satisfaction.

The Modern Tax Pros Podcast is brought to you by Juno, AI tax prep software built for tax pros who are sick of 60-hour weeks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.