We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lea Simpson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lea, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on?

I give my tax clients the same 2 pieces of advice that helps them each time when preparing their taxes.

1. Have the proper documents on hand: W-2 forms from employers or 1099 forms for contractors, for example. Keep in mind dependent tax credits require dependents to have a social security number, not just U.S.- eligible. Also, come with your previous year’s tax return and make sure your business shows a profit and loss statement (this is the most important). Bring any other forms you have such as tuition paid or charitable donation amounts as well as 1098 Mortgage interest & property taxes form, interest paid/earned and capital gains forms.

2. Please make sure that your most current residential address is on file with your current/prior employers and the IRS. This helps with ensuring there are no delays in receiving tax forms or receiving tax return checks.

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

My name is Lea Simpson. I started a tax preparation company that has thrived for the past 4 years. Signature Tax helps small business owners organize, prepare, and file correctly during tax season. Signature Tax stands out among most firms because it’s a boutique style firm that is client based only. This year, Signature Tax is offering free tax preparation for people who made more than $100k during 2022 and are filing as single or head of household. I want to be able to help relieve some of the financial burden for these people.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

You know how I remember pivoting in life? It was about 4 years ago, I was interested in to developing multiple streams of income. So, I took a tax prep class at H&R Block, found myself really interested in the course, and then started my own business. Here we are 4 years later, I’m grateful I invested in myself and took a risk.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the past, teams I’ve been a part of in the corporate world were either all-male or have one female and one person of color. Maybe a few people under 30. I’ve never felt unworthy of sitting at those tables. In fact, I’ve felt grateful to be in those rooms and honored that others wanted to teach and help me along the way. I would not be a part of this article nor would I have taken the opportunity to expand outside of marketing if I’d been insecure about myself and my abilities.