We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashlee Hall. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashlee below.
Ashlee , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best advice you ever gave to a client? How did they benefit / what was the result?
In advising any legal client, but especially tax clients prospectively on ways they can either take advantage of tax credits or make changes now to reap tax savings in the future, I always try to think in terms of “what’s the worst that can happen?” before giving the advice. As a lawyer, it’s my job to prepare my clients for all possible scenarios. There are many taxpayers who think it’s unlikely for the IRS to audit them, so I have to be sure I prepare them for that very scenario! Recently when evaluating a client’s situation to determine whether they were eligible for the Employee Retention Credit, a COVID-era tax credit designed to reward business owners for keeping employees on the payroll despite hardships, I advised a client that although they likely were eligible, they did not have enough operational metrics to demonstrate the eligibility to the IRS. The client was not happy to hear that they had more work to do before they could claim the funds, but they begrudgingly gathered the very metrics the IRS ended up asking for when the business owner was later audited. It was an easy task to provide the information to the IRS agent because thankfully the client had followed my advice months prior and had the data readily available.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I am a tax attorney by training but a connector at heart. I love people, their stories, relating to others, introducing those who are like-minded or whose skills compliment each other, and coming up with creative ways to solve problems. From owning my own business straight out of law school by necessity (2008 recession, anyone?) to being an unlikely experienced hire at a Big4 public accounting firm and finally a practice leader at a tax credit startup, my 17-year legal career has been anything but boring. Being raised as a farm girl in a small town in Oklahoma and getting my start at age 16 at the local tractor dealership, I can talk to just about anyone. Thanks to these varied experiences, I have developed a knack for digesting information quickly (these days usually the tax code), rapidly becoming an expert, and converting complicated concepts into something a layperson can understand and apply to his or her business, practice, or everyday life. My company specializes in finding often under-utilized business tax credits to help small business owners find money to which they are entitled but either didn’t know about or didn’t know how to claim.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
At the beginning of 2022, I made the decision to leave a Big4 accounting firm (what I had previously thought of as my dream job) to accept what turned out to be my REAL dream job at a tax credit startup where my opinion is always valued and my thought leadership became crucial to the success of the organization. A few months into the job, however, I received the shocking diagnosis of stage 3 colorectal cancer. I had no family history, and I was 40 years old. To say this interrupted my plans would be an understatement. No one plans for cancer, family history or not. Not to mention, per usual I had made big personal and professional goals for 2023 (forgive me, Enneagram 3 vibes. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you should!). Funny how that works. Fast forward 15 months later, and it turns out you can fight cancer (and win!) and still accomplish your goals. The pivot came when I received the staging and treatment plan. It would involve almost exactly a year of treatment, which included 12 brutal rounds of chemotherapy, 28 rounds of radiation with a chemo pill, and two major and life-altering surgeries. Needless to say, I spent the entirety of 2023 re-evaluating and reprioritizing. This meant consistently putting my health and my family above all else, including my career. As a high achiever from a young age, this was a foreign concept to me but one that was necessary in order for me to find my true purpose, true passion, and true joy in life. Because of the battle, I am a stronger person, a better wife and mother, and still kickass at my job. It turns out when you have less time because of something like a cancer diagnosis and all that comes with it, you are more efficient with your tasks and selective about who and what gets a slice of your calendar. Saying “no” suddenly became an artform, and one that I am proud of. I could have wallowed in the “why me’s” and “why now’s” (let’s be honest, something like cancer is never convenient) but instead chose to face it head on, with my family and my village in tow. Looking back on the lessons learned and changes made, now I can’t wait to see what 2024 holds.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
What has helped me the most is making an intentional effort to quickly learn new material as it is released and immediately converting it to something a layperson can understand relatively easily. As new tax legislation or guidance comes out, I devote time to learning the nuances of it so that I can educate others. I usually do this in the form of a LinkedIn post, but I also offer to speak to any relevant group that will let me, such as local bar associations, CPA societies, and other financial groups. It’s hard to find people willing to be speakers, so leaders of these groups almost always say “yes.” The worst I’ve gotten is a non-response. and I simply moved on. Quickly digesting new material – not to mention staying on top of the updates – sometimes means putting other “urgent” tasks on the backburner (at least for a minute), with a goal of consistently using straightforward language and including only what is relevant to the reader or listener. Before posting anything, I try to step in the shoes of the audience, typically either fellow tax practitioners or small business owners, to include content and application that is relevant to their practice or business. I imagine, if I were them, what information would I want to be able to apply to my daily work? If this means using plain language rather than sounding like a lawyer, so be it. Edit, edit, edit. Finding your voice and authenticity are also key. For example, I get the most likes, comments, and reshares on posts that include either an original (versus stock) photo or that show a bit of humor and personality. Be willing to say what everyone is thinking but no one else is willing to point out, as long as it’s not offensive. Finally, being both consistent and timely with updates has helped create an expectation from followers that they can look to me for the latest information on complicated tax issues while at the same time being a source that helps them understand the information in a straightforward yet meaningful way. As a tax attorney and former business owner myself, I have an entrepreneurial mindset and have found that I am in a unique position to know my audience. Everyone has something to offer. To be successful and set yourself apart from others, you have to be able to see how the information you are conveying will be received by the audience while at the same time offering your own unique perspective.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.figurefinancial.com
- Instagram: @thetaxcreditlawyer
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlee-hall-55177725/
- Twitter: @taxcreditlawyer
- Other: TikTok: @thetaxcreditlawyer
Image Credits
Jennifer Junkins