Continuing Education Instructor
Do your tax staff know the tax law in theory but struggle to apply it in practice?
Many firms have talented staff. Staff who can quote code sections but don’t know how it actually applies to a tax return. Staff who can discuss tax regulations but don’t know how to use the rules to answer a client question.
Most continuing education is focused on teaching tax law, which is helpful, but when staff leave the training, they still didn’t know how to do their job any better. Sound familiar?
I designed my curriculum to be different. To be trainings. Not just sessions on tax law but courses that position a staff to perform better at their job.
Positioning Your Staff To Be Exceptional Accountants
My three step process ensures your staff leave training, not just with enhanced knowledge of tax law but with the ability to apply the law to the client’s overall financial health.
Step 1: Build the Foundation
A good tax accountant knows the tax law. For each section, I start by teaching the actual tax law for that code section. What was the motivation for the law? What does the law actually say? When staff truly understand the logic of a law, they don’t have to memorize as it becomes intuitive.
Step 2: Apply the Law
A great tax accountant can apply the tax law so client situations. I incorporate faux client emails and phone calls so staff practice applying the law to answer client questions (and learn soft skills!). Also, by including real tax forms in the material, staff learn how a return should look once the law is applied correctly.
Step 3: Consider Non-Tax Impacts
An exceptional tax accountant recognizes the tax situation for a client is just one aspect of their holistic financial well being. As a CPA and CFP®, I teach staff how to communicate with other disciplines to ensure we maximize the client’s overall financial health.
Attributes Of A Trained Staff
- Increased Productivity
- In training, staff are exposed to tips and tricks to save time when preparing a return, increasing capacity with the saved time.
- Enhanced Efficiency
- Staff are shown situations and fact patterns during training so they can replicate it on a tax return during busy season, saving time as they will have seen a similar fact pattern before.
- Amplified Impact
- After being instructed on the law, staff are taught common client questions related to the law and learn to navigate draft responses for their manager to send, saving the reviewer time.
Why Choose Me?
Expertise
- Industry voice with 10+ articles in national magazines
- Former Instructor and curriculum designer for Thomson Reuters TaxWatch University
- Adjunct faculty
- Enhanced Perspective – both a CPA and CFP®
Engagement
- Average 9.5/10 instructor satisfaction score
- Include interactive activities, such as escape rooms and Jeopardy games in instruction
- Dynamic speaker (former state public speaking winner)
Experience
- Seamless experience (one contact for scheduling, training, and CPE certificates – no call center approach here!)
- All courses are in-person to maximize effectiveness
- Ongoing support provided to participants
Published Works
It is a privilege to contribute to the tax community’s discussion of taxation. Please enjoy a few of my published articles.
Shepherd Peak Tax Solutions, PLLC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy
have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: http://www.NASBARegistry.org.