How to Set Up a Tax Business
Written by Kimberly Fowler

Starting your own professional tax business can be a detailed process, especially when you consider the rules, regulations, and constantly changing IRS legislation. Whether you're looking to become a solo practitioner or grow a larger practice, here’s an overview of the steps you can take to successfully start your professional tax practice.

1. Register Your Tax Business with Your State

Consult a professional for guidance

Before you start operating, you need to register your business with your state. This involves choosing the type of entity for your company. You can either file a Doing Business As (DBA) name or form a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or corporation. The structure you choose will affect your taxes, liability, and overall business operations, so it’s essential to consult a professional to ensure you make the right choice.

2. Obtain Your PTIN and Apply for Your EFIN

If you plan to charge for tax preparation...

3 Ways Your Mindset Affects Your Life
Written by Kimberly Fowler

Are you building your own tax business or balancing a job while growing your entrepreneurial dream? If so, let’s talk about how shifting your mindset can completely transform your success. It all starts in your mind. The results in your business are a direct reflection of what you believe and think every day.

If you prefer to listen instead of read, click here to listen to the audio version.

Let’s explore three common ways your mindset directly impacts your life and business success.

1. A Negative Mindset Can Affect Your Confidence

How do you react when things don’t go as planned? Maybe a client gives you feedback, or you make a mistake. Does it completely throw you off, or are you able to quickly correct and move on? If your mindset focuses on perfection, you’ll likely be discouraged by even the smallest missteps.

Here’s the key: mistakes happen, and that’s okay. The most successful people understand that failure...

Build Trust by Being Consistent with Your Marketing
Written by Kimberly Fowler

Consistency is a key element to your business success. While other factors like quality and customer service are important, it's consistency that creates name recognition, builds your tribe, and showcases your expertise to new followers. Without consistency, you risk losing the trust you've worked hard to earn.

The Power of Consistency: A Real-World Example

Imagine this: you go to your favorite restaurant, order a dish you love, and are blown away by how great it tastes. A few weeks later, you take a friend to the same restaurant, order the same dish, but this time it doesn’t taste as good, so you send it back. Now, doubt creeps in about the restaurant’s quality and service. You wonder if that dish—or the restaurant as a whole—is as good as you once thought.

This is exactly what happens when your marketing isn’t consistent. A client may love your work, but if they experience inconsistency—whether in yo...

Build a Business... Not Another Job
Written by Kimberly Fowler

Many people dream of working for themselves—being their own boss and having the freedom to take on only the clients and projects they love.

However, there’s a big difference between building a business and being self-employed. Let me break it down for you:

• Business owners scale their income.

• Self-employed people trade dollars for hours.

• Business owners leverage the skills and talents of others.

• Self-employed people rely solely on their own skills.

Feeling discouraged? Don’t be! Every successful business owner started out self-employed. The key is to make sure you don’t stay stuck there. These tips will help you shift from simply running a job to building a scalable, sustainable business.

1. Don’t Try to Do It All Yourself

Building a successful, sustainable business means you need to leverage others’ talents. At first, it may seem like the most cost-effective option to do everything yourself, e...

The Ultimate Guide to a Smooth Tax Season with a Tax Preparer
Written by Kimberly Fowler

Tax season can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Working with a professional tax preparer can turn what feels like a daunting task into a breeze. In this guide, I’ll walk you through each step of working with a tax preparer to ensure your tax season is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Step 1: Online Scheduling

Say goodbye to long hold times and back-and-forth calls. With online scheduling, you can easily book an appointment with your tax preparer at your convenience. Simply visit their website, choose a time that works for you, and you're all set to go!

Step 2: Pre-Appointment Questionnaire

Before your appointment, you’ll complete a pre-appointment questionnaire. This is essential for your tax preparer to understand your unique situation and gather the necessary info to prepare your return. Take your time to fill it out carefully—it’s a simple step that makes the whole process...

7 Key Tactics for New Business Owners
Written by Kimberly Fowler

Hey there, future tax moguls! It's Kimberly Fowler, your tax business coach, and I'm here to help you start, run, and grow your own independent tax business.

Starting your own business can be overwhelming—especially with the endless courses, gurus, and advice floating around. It’s easy to feel lost in all the information and make the journey longer than it needs to be. But don’t worry! With the right focus and strategy, we can turn that overwhelm into actionable steps that lead to financial and time freedom.

I want to help you get there faster. In this post, I’m sharing 7 essential marketing tactics that you can start using today to elevate your tax business and make it a success from the get-go. While this advice is tailored to tax pros, it’s applicable to any new business owner.

Let’s dive in!

1. Create a One-of-a-Kind Selling Point

To stand out in the crowded tax space, your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is ...