We were lucky to catch up with AZ Moyer recently and have shared our conversation below.

AZ, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is to make taxes easy from A to Z! The tax code is WAY too complicated, and it was created that way for a reason. The more complicated a law is, the more ways that people in power, or those with enough resources, can get around them. You might hear in the press that certain notable individuals pay no income tax, and that is true to some degree, but it is not entirely true. Those individuals simply have the knowledge, or people around them, who can make sure they are paying the least amount in taxes as possible. Because of the complicated tax code, simply filing your individual income tax return as a W2 employee can be confusing. Then, throw in a marriage, newborn baby, or a new home purchase, and things get even more complicated. Were you granted stock options from your company? Even more confusing!

It doesn’t help that there are a myriad of “experts” in this space who can help you save thousands on taxes, and promise you the world. But, too many times, those same individuals who take that advice end up on my doorstep asking for help.

My approach to tax planning and preparation is different than most. Rather than simply handing over your tax documents and trusting everything gets filed on time, and properly, I take the approach of educating my clients to understand their tax situations more closely. That way, they can make decisions throughout the year that will benefit them, tax-wise.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Growing up, I wanted to be a professional athlete. Once I realized my 5 foot 9 build was likely not going to make it, I had to make a quick pivot! I asked my dad what I should study in college, and he quickly responded with “accounting.” I had never thought of it before, but people will always need accountants. Even in this new AI world we are in, there will always be a human need as it relates to taxes and accounting.

I got my degrees, and CPA license, and was off to work as a new adult. Not even two and a half years into public accounting with Grant Thornton, I realized I wanted to be my own boss. That’s when azdoestaxes.com started!

I started AZ Does Taxes to make taxes easier for my clients. We’ve evolved over the years from simply preparing tax returns to providing accounting, payroll, and tax planning advice to our clients through different arrangements based on individual/company need. We want to work with clients who want to understand their tax situation more, and those willing to put in the work to make that happen!

If you are a business owner, it is already so much work to get your product or service off the ground that ensuring compliance with state and federal taxing agencies is just another stressor. I remove that stress from an entrepreneur’s day-to-day by implementing proper accounting processes and controls to ensure compliance, and maximize tax savings.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

AZ Does Taxes is my current side hustle, but it 100% going to be my full-time career once my time as being a controller for Nood.com comes to a close in the next 1-2 years.

I started AZ Does Taxes as a way to become an “entrepreneur”, but I didn’t really know what that entailed. I picked up my first retainer client in my good friend from college who needed bookkeeping and tax help. I dove in headfirst, and for basically no pay, did everything he needed. I started to learn the processes, and the confidence needed to become a consultant.

Fast-forward a few years, I had always maintained a full-time position, but kept AZ Does Taxes as my side-hustle that really peaked in workload during tax season each year.

Every tax season I tell myself I need to quit my full-time job, or hire more people, because it is always so stressful trying to manage a full-time job, prepare over 100 tax returns, and maintain a healthy social life. I knew something needed to change, and it was hiring help. I have since hired two accountants who take a ton off my plate. This was a key milestone for my business. The main thing I learned when growing the team was documentation is KEY! We have Standard Operating Procedures for everything now. As a solo-preneur, you must get everything out of your head onto paper, if you plan to grow a team and delegate responsibilities. Being in the consulting world, your overhead is low and your value is your brain. To scale your business, you must get that knowledge out of your brain and into those who you have trusted to help you. That is why documentation is so important.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’m not your typical accountant. I don’t tuck my shirt in, wear goofy glasses, nor do I part my hair with crazy thick gel. That is the profile that probably pops in people’s minds when they think of CPAs or accountants, and I want that to stop! There are plenty of fun, cool accountants, but we’re just too busy behind our computers to make an appearance!

I have taken a fun, lively, and energetic approach to accounting and taxes, and it has helped me build my reputation in the market and has separated me from the sterotypical accountant profile. My long hair, athleisure attire, and silly personality is not what you envision when thinking about working with a CPA, but my experience and industry knowledge quickly shows people that I mean business!

Sure I may throw smiley faces and lots of exclamation marks in my messaging, but I want to show people that I love what I do, and love serving them. The communications I have with clients are not always the most exhilarating topics, so I do my best to spruce things up when I do communicate to clients.

If you have ever been bored of your accountant, it is time to see what AZ Does Taxes can do for you!

Contact Info:

• Website: azdoestaxes.com

Image Credits
Hen’s Bread Productions in Austin, TX