Dave Haase sits down with Brad Wooten, CPA and owner of a growing Orlando practice, to discuss the realities of building and scaling a tax-focused firm. Brad shares his journey from launching in 2019 with low fees and a take-any-client approach to developing a focused practice serving individual and S corporation clients through 3-tier value pricing.

The conversation covers Brad's practical approach to staff development, moving his brother and sister from administrative roles into tax preparation and review positions without formal training programs. They explore the challenges of implementing AI technology in tax practices, including Brad's initial skepticism about Juno and how feedback-driven product development changed his perspective. Dave and Brad also discuss the importance of solid processes before automation, the economics of AI versus human staff, and why both believe AI will enhance rather than replace tax professionals.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[01:25] Building a Solo Practice from Scratch

[03:49] 3 Tier Pricing Strategy Implementation

[07:50] Growing Team with Family Members

[11:07] Training Staff Without Formal Teaching

[13:14] Tax Dome Automation Impact

[14:05] Becoming the Review Bottleneck

[16:41] Moving Staff from Preparer to Reviewer

[18:17] Initial Juno Demo Feedback

[19:32] Cost vs Human Labor Analysis

[23:15] Tax Practice as Data Stream

[24:32] 50% Margin Increase Breakdown

[27:51] Schedule A Processing Challenges

[30:16] Ideal Juno Implementation Strategy

[32:00] Target Market for AI Tools

[34:01] Data Training and Security Concerns

[35:46] AI Limitations in Tax Prep

A candid look at small firm growth, family staffing, and the practical realities of adopting new technology in tax practices.

The Modern Tax Pros Podcast is brought to you by Juno, AI tax prep software built for tax pros who are sick of 60-hour weeks.

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Dave Haase, Founder of Juno, reveals why the tax industry is decades behind in technology adoption and what it's costing both practitioners and clients. From 20-year-old software to manual data entry from image files, discover the inefficiencies that are keeping tax professionals trapped in outdated processes.

Dave shares his journey from buying his first firm in 2015 to starting an AI automation company focused on modernizing tax preparation and review. Learn why the current technology landscape makes it harder for tax pros to work efficiently, get paid well for their expertise, and ultimately leads to burnout.

This episode kicks off a series dedicated to improving processes, adopting new technology, and bringing the tax profession into the modern age. Whether you're a firm owner, work in a tax practice, or are involved in tax technology, this conversation explores the path forward for the industry.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[00:27] Why tax software remains 20 years outdated

[00:40] Manual data entry costs clients more

[00:54] Technology traps firm owners daily

[01:10] Breaking free from inefficient processes

[01:26] Moving beyond compliance to advisory services

[01:39] Guest lineup spans firm owners to tech leaders

[01:54] Community driven topic suggestions welcome

Subscribe to Modern Tax Pros for insights on improving tax practice efficiency, adopting new technology, and transitioning to advisory services.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.