Tax Rep Network with Eric Green

You started your own accounting firm for freedom, flexibility, and financial success. So why are you working harder than ever?In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with Roger Knecht, CEO of Universal Accounting, to tackle one of the biggest obstacles preventing tax professionals from growing their firms: the inability to get out of the day-to-day work.If you're still preparing every return, reviewing every bookkeeping entry, and handling every client issue yourself, you haven't built a business. You've created a job you can't escape.Roger explains how to break that cycle by developing a team that can handle the work without requiring you to become a full-time trainer. From turning inexperienced hires into productive tax preparers to helping existing employees become Enrolled Agents, Eric and Roger explore how investing in your staff can unlock higher-value IRS representation, advisory services, and real practice growth.Discover how structured training, smart delegation, and just one hour a day of employee development can help you build a firm that operates without depending on you for everything.The goal isn't just to make more money. It's to build a business that gives you your life back.Learn more about Universal Accounting's training programs at https://universalaccountingschool.com or call 801-265-3777.

What if your highest-earning clients could put away more money, grow it tax-deferred, and potentially access it tax-free in retirement—even when they make too much to contribute directly to a Roth IRA?Eric Green sits down with Rick Wells and Doug D’Andrea of Baystate Financial to reveal one of the most overlooked tax planning strategies available: using Variable Universal Life (VUL) insurance to create what Eric calls a “Super Roth.”They break down how the strategy works, why high-income earners and business owners should know about it, how to avoid the Modified Endowment Contract (MEC) trap, and what can go terribly wrong if a policy isn't properly structured and maintained.Eric even shares the story of a client whose collapsed policy resulted in a massive tax liability—and how explaining the situation to an IRS Revenue Officer led to an unexpected outcome.For CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals, this episode is about more than insurance. It's about bringing sophisticated planning ideas to your clients, strengthening relationships, and uncovering new revenue opportunities.PLUS: Join Tax Rep Network and Baystate Financial on November 9 and 11 for a FREE six-hour estate planning webinar series, with up to 6 hours of CE/CPE.Register for free: https://taxrepnetwork.com/programs/estate-planningThis episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. VUL policies involve fees, investment risk, underwriting requirements, and potential tax consequences.Contact Rick Wells here: [email protected] Doug D’Andrea here: [email protected]

What if the secret to making more money in your accounting practice was actually working less?Burnout has become a way of life for too many accountants and tax professionals. Long hours, demanding clients, endless deadlines, and the belief that success requires sacrificing everything else. But what if we've been doing it all wrong?In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with Lauren Baptiste, CPA, founder of Acheloa Wellness and former Big Four professional, to challenge the culture of overwork and explain why working harder may actually be holding you and your firm back.Lauren shares how she helps professionals escape burnout, reclaim their time, and build more profitable practices without sacrificing their health, families, or happiness.They discuss why accountants struggle to set boundaries, how to stop letting clients dictate your life, and why delegation, automation, better pricing, and a different mindset can completely transform your business.Lauren also shares a remarkable example of a firm owner who increased annual revenue by approximately $200,000, improved profitability, and reduced her workweek to just three days.The bottom line: You don't have to choose between making money and having a life.If you're tired of working nights, weekends, and every tax season wondering whether there's a better way, this episode might change how you think about running your practice.Connect with Lauren Baptiste: [email protected]

Your clients trust you with their taxes—but who is asking them the questions that could protect their family, their business, and their financial future? In this episode, Eric Green sits down with financial advisors Rick Wells and Doug D’Andrea to discuss the planning conversations every tax professional should be having with clients. From life and disability insurance to retirement planning, buy-sell agreements, long-term care, and estate planning, these are issues clients often overlook until it’s too late. They also explore why these conversations represent a major opportunity for tax professionals to move beyond compliance and into higher-value advisory services—without necessarily becoming financial advisors themselves. Plus, Eric shares real-world examples of what happens when clients fail to plan—and how tax professionals can help make sure those conversations happen before there is a crisis. Download the free “10 Estate Planning Questions Every Tax Professional Should Ask Every Client” resource and learn how to start these conversations in your own practice. Register for the free webinar series “What Happens When a Client Dies” here: https://taxrepnetwork.com/programs/estate-planning Download our free Guide “The 10 Estate Planning Questions Every Tax Pro Should Ask Every Client” here: https://taxrepnetwork.com/resources Contact Rick Wells here: [email protected] Doug D’Andrea here: [email protected]

What if the biggest thing holding back your tax or accounting practice is the way you’ve always gotten new clients?In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with James Donovan, founder of Accounting Leads Now, to challenge one of the profession’s most deeply ingrained assumptions: that referrals are the best way to grow.James explains how tax and accounting professionals can create a predictable pipeline of high-intent prospects by getting in front of people at the exact moment they are searching for help. They break down Google Local Services Ads, why they can outperform traditional pay-per-click advertising, what a qualified lead can actually cost, and why being visible in your local market matters more than ever.But generating the lead is only half the battle. Eric and James also dig into “speed to lead,” why the firm that answers the phone first often wins the client, how to calculate the lifetime value of a new client, and why marketing should be viewed as an investment rather than overhead.They also discuss a mistake many firms make as they move into advisory and higher-value services: trying to sell prospects services they don’t understand. Sometimes the smartest path to a high-value advisory client starts with solving the simple problem they are already searching for.If you want to stop hoping the phone rings and start building a system that makes it ring, this episode is for you.In this episode:• Why relying solely on referrals can limit growth• How Google Local Services Ads work• Why high-intent inbound leads are so valuable• The importance of “speed to lead”• What a new client is really worth over their lifetime• Why marketing is an investment, not overhead• How to dominate your local market• Why bookkeeping and tax work can be the front door to advisory• How to market what clients actually want—not industry jargonJames Donovan is the founder of Accounting Leads Now, a marketing firm focused exclusively on helping accounting, bookkeeping, and tax firms generate new business. You can contact James at https://accountingleadsnow.com/

What if the key to growing your tax or accounting firm isn’t working harder or hiring more people—but eliminating the work you shouldn’t be doing in the first place?Eric Green sits down with JC Franzen, Director of Product Sync & Integrations at BILL, to explore how AI, automation, and a smarter technology stack are changing the economics of running a tax and accounting practice.They discuss how firms can automate time-consuming back-office work like accounts payable, receivables, expense management, invoice processing, approvals, and data entry—and use that newfound capacity to serve more clients, expand into higher-value advisory services, and increase profitability without proportionately increasing overhead.JC also explains how AI is helping identify unusual transactions, reduce costly human errors, and automate tasks that once consumed hours of staff time.Eric and JC also tackle the ROI question: if technology can turn hours of administrative work into minutes, the opportunity isn’t simply to save money—it’s to build a more scalable and profitable firm.If you’re still writing checks, manually entering invoices, chasing payments, or paying staff to perform repetitive administrative work, this episode may change the way you think about your practice.Check out Bill.com here: https://www.bill.com/TRNWant to contact JC Franzen? She is on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaunice-franzen/

More than 11 million taxpayers have been identified as non-filers—and for tax professionals, that represents a massive opportunity to solve serious problems, deliver tremendous value, and build a highly profitable representation practice. In this episode, co-hosts Eric Green and Dawn Brolin break down why non-filer cases are among their favorite tax resolution engagements and why practitioners may be leaving significant money on the table by overlooking them. Eric and Dawn explain the IRS six-year compliance rule, why blindly filing every missing return can be an expensive mistake, and how strategic decisions involving filing status, state voluntary disclosure programs, bookkeeping, and collection alternatives can potentially save clients tens of thousands of dollars. They also walk through the economics of a typical non-filer engagement—from reconstructing years of bookkeeping and preparing delinquent returns to resolving the final IRS and state balances—and show how a single case can become a 20,000–30,000 engagement.Just as important, they discuss how to price the work in stages, communicate the value you are providing, avoid taking on the client's financial problems as your own, and recognize when a difficult prospect simply isn't worth taking.And once the crisis is resolved? That former non-filer may become one of your most loyal—and valuable—long-term clients.If you handle IRS representation, or want to grow that side of your practice, this episode will show you why non-filers should be on your radar—and why you should talk to the client before they file anything.

The IRS has fewer employees. Artificial intelligence is taking on a bigger role. Enforcement is becoming more targeted. And the way cases are selected, worked—and appealed—may be about to change dramatically.So what does that mean for taxpayers and the professionals who represent them?Tax Rep Network Founder Eric Green sits down with former IRS SB/SE Commissioner Darren Guillot. Now on the other side of the table, Guillot offers a rare insider’s perspective on where the IRS is headed.They dig into the impact of the dramatic reduction in the IRS workforce, why enforcement revenue matters far beyond the dollars actually collected, and how the agency may use AI and massive amounts of taxpayer data to identify the cases most worth pursuing.Guillot also explains why AI could fundamentally change IRS audits—allowing the agency to spot risk earlier, select better cases, automate routine collection work, and concentrate experienced revenue officers and agents on higher-dollar and more complex taxpayers.Is the Independent Office of Appeals really independent? Why are some cases sitting in Appeals for years only to result in a “take 15–20% or go to court” settlement? And has Appeals drifted away from what Guillot himself helped design through the Appeals Judicial Approach and Culture (AJAC) initiative?If you represent taxpayers before the IRS, this is a conversation you’ll want to hear. The IRS of the next five years may look very different from the IRS you know today.Want to contact Darren? Email him at [email protected]

IRS Letter 11 is one notice you—and your client—cannot afford to ignore.In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Attorney Eric Green breaks down exactly what to do when a client receives an IRS Letter 11, the Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Collection Due Process Hearing. With automated IRS enforcement ramping up, understanding this notice—and acting before the deadline—is critical.Eric walks through the 30-day deadline for requesting a Collection Due Process (CDP) hearing, how to properly file Form 12153, and why being able to prove timely filing matters. He also explains what happens if the 30-day deadline is missed and when an Equivalent Hearing may still be available.You’ll also learn why taxpayer compliance is essential, what to request on Form 12153 when you haven’t yet determined the best resolution strategy, and how to prepare for Appeals. Eric explains the practical differences between Forms 433-A, 433-F, and 433-H, including which financial statement to use when dealing with ACS.Letter 11 means the clock is running. This episode gives tax professionals a practical roadmap for protecting their clients from levies, preserving appeal rights, and moving the case toward resolution.The same procedures generally apply to CP90 and Letter 1058.Want to master IRS representation and build your tax resolution practice? Visit Tax Rep Network and join the growing community of tax professionals mastering IRS representation: https://TaxRepLLC.comIf you're ready to stop piecing the finances together and have complete control over your money coming in and going out, check out bill.com.Turn sales tax complexity into a new revenue opportunity for your firm. Visit Zamp.com to see how.Stop referring IRS problems—and the revenue that comes with them—away. Join TRN Essentials for just $37/month and start building IRS representation today. https://taxrepnetwork.com/essential

What separates the tax professionals who struggle to find clients from those who seem to attract them effortlessly? In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with Gabe McManus of Influential Advisor Media to discuss the power of authority marketing and why your message matters more than your marketing budget.Eric and Gabe explore how books, podcasts, storytelling, and strategic content can position you as the trusted expert in your market. They explain why clients buy confidence—not technical details—and how the right message can pre-sell prospective clients before they ever schedule a consultation.Whether you're building a tax representation practice, launching your own firm, or looking to grow your influence, this episode is packed with practical strategies to help you stand out, attract better clients, and communicate your value with confidence.Contact Gabe at: https://influentialadvisor.com/gabe/