By Jon Call, EA — Enrolled Agent & NTPI Fellow • CLAW Tax Group
Originally published in the NAEA EA Journal, May/June 2022, Vol. 40 No. 3.
About 12 years ago I landed what I thought was the perfect job for me at a company I had long admired.
It was not a high-profile job at one of the “Big Four” accounting firms. This company was not even in the top 1,000 accounting firms — because it was not an accounting firm at all. It was a very distinguished business, but it was a marketing agency. And after nearly 10 years in marketing, I had finally secured the job I longed for, or so I thought.
After one year, about one-third of my coworkers and I were laid off.
While I was stunned, the pity party I threw myself was a short one. I took the involuntary sabbatical to reevaluate my professional desires. I did a lot of self-reflection, chatted with several mentors over coffee, and read a few books. I was not overly certain about the direction of my career, but one aspect was clear: my next step would be as an entrepreneur. I was wired for it — and getting laid off was a sign from God to pivot.
My brother had also become an enrolled agent and started a tax business around that time. He suggested I look into starting a tax preparation or tax representation business.
At first, I thought he was nuts for suggesting it. Me, doing tax and accounting work? I had spent the last decade running creative meetings and managing marketing budgets. I had no business preparing tax returns or providing tax advice. That was my initial reaction, and I sort of rolled my eyes at the idea.
Yet there was this nagging feeling I needed to investigate the option more thoroughly.
It did not take long to realize why becoming an enrolled agent — and starting a career in the tax industry — was a perfect fit.
Dollars and cents. I always had a deep interest in personal and business finance. In my roles at marketing agencies, I was tasked with managing the efficacy of marketing budgets. My sole focus for clients was maximizing return on investment. As an enrolled agent, clients rely on me in a similar capacity. Part of the value I deliver is measured by the dollars I help clients save.
Tenacity and initiative. My professional successes in the marketing world were tied to both. Enrolled agents must be willing to take initiative on murky tax issues and follow through with tenacity — especially when the IRS’s “service” is, shall we say, suboptimal.
Tangible and meaningful results. In direct marketing, my team measured impact using the inputs. Could we prove our value to clients? Did we positively impact their top or bottom lines? The best enrolled agents deliver the same thing. This is especially true in representing taxpayers before IRS Collection and Examination. I have had the chance to deliver life-changing results through accepted Offers in Compromise, and on many occasions convinced an IRS examiner of a reasonable position resulting in a taxpayer paying significantly less tax.
Making the decision to become an enrolled agent was, professionally speaking, the best decision I have ever made. Like most industries, it has had its ups and downs. The last several years have been especially challenging.
But as the saying goes: the juice has been worth the squeeze.
I became an enrolled agent in 2012. I have represented thousands of taxpayers before the IRS since. I have a proven track record of success working with IRS Collection and the Independent Office of Appeals. I am passionate about one thing above all else: helping good people in bad situations.
That is why CLAW Tax Group exists.
Jon Call, EA, is an Enrolled Agent and NTPI Fellow. He is a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS). He is a graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and lives in North Oaks with his wife and two sons.
Learn more about Jon’s credentials →
This article was originally published in the NAEA EA Journal, May/June 2022 (Vol. 40, No. 3) under the “My EA Journey” column.