Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dede Wells, MBA. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Dede, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

I was very fortunate to have already laid the foundation for a Virtual Tax Preparation Firm before the start of Covid. But, with the majority of businesses shifting to virtual work after Covid, the clients were a lot more receptive to it. I was able to implement an on-boarding process developed by QwantelLatay, LLC that automated everything, saving me time and I never have to physically meet up with my clients. The process included client access to a secure online portal with bank grade security so that my clients can upload all of their tax documents directly to their file and find comfort in knowing their information is protected.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was in high school, I knew I would end up in a career that dealt heavily with numbers. I had a love for numbers because the understanding of mathematics came easily to me and that was reflected when I graduated high school with a distinction in math. After high school, I joined the Air Force but I went to school at night. I ended up getting my undergraduate degree in Accounting while serving in the Military. I decided to go work for a local CPA while I was going to school and that is where I was introduced to the world of Taxation.

Every job that I had in Corporate America, I made sure to absorb as much information as I could with the ultimate goal of bringing that knowledge back to my community. My goal in business today is to equip and empower small business owners with the knowledge necessary to succeed in creating and implementing a Tax Strategy that reduces their Tax Liability by as much as possible. Because I am not a CPA, I can charge more affordable pricing to small business owners. But, I am able to apply the same knowledge and strategies that most CPAs utilize because education and training is the most important pillar of the business.

I am an active member of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) where I have unlimited access to The TaxBook WebLibrary Plus. I receive the TaxPro Monthly publication that features new tax cases relevant to current trending tax topics. And I make sure to take multiple continuing education courses annually, to include the Annual Refresher Tax Course so I can be up to date on the latest changes to Federal Tax Laws. This is the foundation for the tax knowledge used and applied to my client returns. On top of all of that, my tax mentor, Mr. Tim Jones, is a Veteran in the Tax Industry and he receives calls quite frequently from me regarding unique tax scenarios where I rely on his guidance.

I am most proud of the fact that I was able to build a business with my family. Everyone that works with the company is a close family member with my next in line being my brother, Devon Thames. It just so happens that my brother is an Accountant as well and we share a love for numbers and the Tax Industry. He works very hard to ensure the business assists as many clients as possible and I would not be able to run the business without him. The business and who it assists is vital, but more important is who it represents. Master Tax Service was born after the loss of my first born son, Master. I wanted to keep my son’s name alive so I decided to name the tax business after him. THAT is who and what I want people to remember when they hear Master Tax Service. And because it is important that I build a strong legacy for my son, I strive to provide quality service and tax savings to every client we work with.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

A large percentage of our new clients come from word of mouth. It has been my preferred marketing strategy because it allows for new clients to come in with some level of trust for the process because of the referring client. We work with people from all over the country because a lot of military veterans support the business. With clients coming to us from different states and not physically meeting us, it helps them to trust us and the process when they know someone personally who has worked with us and has been repeatedly satisfied with our services.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What has helped me to build a reputation in my community is consistency. With the ability to learn so many new trades and skills at our fingertips, people are starting and changing careers every year. It is important to stick with something as vital as Tax Preparation. It is hard as a client to truly feel comfortable with someone that has only been in an industry 1-3 years. You want someone that has been doing this a while and has a proven effective system. I started doing taxes in 2013 when I was working for a local CPA in California while working on my degree. I am coming up on 10 years in the industry and I am proud of the fact that I have built a business where I can help as many businesses in my community as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mastertaxservice.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/mastertaxservice
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MasterTaxServiceLLC/

Image Credits
Michael Martin and Kreative Digital Media