THE TAX SHACK INC

Gig Harbor, WA (253) 858-1553
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   THE OWNER
 
My name is Tara.  I started with the Tax Shack back in 1998 working as a receptionist for my parents after school.  My mother told me then that I had found my niche, but I was convinced that I was going to go on to do bigger and better things.  Then, in 1999, I started to become frustrated with the dead-end job I was in and my parents convinced me to go to tax school.  So I took the 3 month training course and came to work full-time for the Tax Shack in 2000 as a tax preparer.  Tax school couldn't prepare me for the crazy tax returns that we see here at the Shack, but my parents did a good job of it and I soon realized that maybe my mother had been right all along.  Go figure.  Eventually I needed to branch out a little bit.  I went to work as a bookkeeper for a very renowned flooring company and only worked at the Tax Shack during tax season.  I did this for 3 years and I was able to learn a lot about bookkeeping and payroll along the way.  I also went back to school in 2004 and in December of 2005, I graduated with honors as valedictorian with an Associates degree in Business and Administration.  Meanwhile, my parents decided that they had worked long and hard and that they deserved a bit of a break.  So they sold me the business and I took over as owner on January 1st of 2006.  I am currently Vice President of the Tacoma Chapter of the Washington State Tax Consultants.  I am continually educating myself to improve my skills for my clients.  I am working to use my bookkeeping expertise to expand the services of the business and to reach more people in the community.  However, no matter how much I can help the business to grow, I will always strive to keep that small-town, personable feeling that my parents worked so hard to maintain while they owned it.  We like our casual, comfortable atmosphere and we enjoy working with our clients because, after all, we're just like them!

THE BRAINS BEHIND THE OPERATION

 

My mother, Kathy, started doing taxes out of her home in 1987. She thought that she could save money by learning how to do her own taxes and taking a loss on the business each year. Little did she know that she would MAKE money her first year in business! So my father made her a nice office in our basement and started helping her by scheduling appointments. He was then promptly fired because he scheduled the appointments on top of each other and my mother realized that you can't keep a secretary just because you think he's good looking! So the little tax service grew and grew until it was too big for our house. After having moved out of state and then having moved back, my parents decided that this time they were going to get a real office. So they found the Tax Shack. Her business grew even more and clients began coming to her with new requests So she started to dabble in bookkeeping and payroll and contract collections. Her brains and know-how have really been the backbone of what the Tax Shack is and what it continues to become today!

 

THE TAX SHACK CEO

 

My father, John, has always had his hands in the business. He does budgeting, comes up with marketing ideas, does all of the fixing, repairing, and maintaining, and even made an attempt to be a receptionist. It was no big shock when he eventually got sucked in and went to tax school. My mom needed help at the office She couldn't handle the work load alone. So my dad, who worked a full-time job already, came and helped her before, between, and after shifts. This is when it all began. He would get tired and when it was slow, he would prop his feet up on the desk and take naps. Of course, he would never admit to it. He claimed it was "future planning." We jokingly began calling him the Tax Shack CEO. The title, of course, went right to his head. Now he always jokes about being in charge and never lets me forget who the CEO is! Eventually he left his other job and worked only for the Tax Shack during tax season. My father's hard work and dedication set a high standard for me and his example has helped me to get through when I think running my own business is a bit overwhelming!