Mariana Vale

When I received my accounting degree in 2014, I immediately started working at a CPA firm as a tax accountant. It was supposed to be everything I ever wanted from a career, intellectually rewarding and professionally challenging, with the ability to help people. Except, I didn’t feel that I was helping.

I worked with dozens of small business owners (including real estate agents), and telling them that they owed thousands and thousands of dollars every year didn’t make me feel good about what I was doing. Yes, I was helping them by filing accurate tax returns and staying compliant with tax laws but I knew how extensive the tax code was, and there had to be a better way.