Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shay Bachelder. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shay, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
It took me until I was in my early 40’s to truly develop a sense of self confidence and worthiness. I discuss the details of why that journey took so long over on my personal blog, but for the sake of this interview, I’m going to focus on the things that needed to happen in order for me to feel confident and successful in my business as a tax advisor.
The first thing that stands out to me is time. For me personally, it wasn’t until I had been preparing tax returns for about 16 years that I finally began to feel like an expert. It can take time to develop your self-esteem.
The second thing that has really helped me have confidence in my professional field is continuing education. My licensing requires 30 hours per year but most years I surpass that. I enjoy learning and feel that especially in the field of taxation, it’s important to stay up to date.
The third thing that I would attribute a large part of my self-esteem and confidence to is my faith in Jesus. I know that he loves me, forgives me, guides me, and cares for me. Knowing who I am in Christ and that he loves me no matter what has changed my life.We are our own worst critics, am I right? I can be way too hard on myself, which can really destroy my confidence and self-esteem. But when I instead choose to focus on how Christ sees me, and try to live by his principles and example, it’s amazing how everything about my perspective changes.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hi! I’m Shay, and I’ve been helping people like you save money on taxes for 20 years! My areas of expertise are individuals, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and real estate investors. In addition to being a Licensed Tax Consultant in the State of Oregon, I am also an NTPI Fellow and Enrolled Agent with the IRS who can represent you in the case of an audit, assist you in collections negotiations or installment agreements, and just generally make your life easier if you have tax situations that need to be addressed. I’m here for you and will work on your behalf to get you the best possible outcome. I founded Casler Financial in 2006, and have grown consistently over the years by way of referral only.
I love helping people find creative ways to save money on taxes. I am currently in the process of learning how to scale and grow my own small business so that I can help more amazing people like you, and I’m hoping to share that knowledge with you along the way also.
My goals:
1. Help everyday people turn their side hustle (or their struggling small business) into an asset that can generate revenue for you even when you are not working in the business.
2. To educate you on the value of owning real estate.
3. To save you money (and reduce stress!)
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the three things that have been most impactful in my career have been:
1. Going to college and getting a Bachelors Degree despite being a high school drop out.
2. Deciding not to use my Bachelors Degree and instead getting on-the-job training in accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation.
3. Getting my Tax Consultant license with the state of Oregon, which allowed me to start my own tax preparation practice back in 2006.
My advise for anyone that is thinking about a career in tax? You don’t need to be a CPA to become a tax expert. In fact, unless you are interested specifically in accounting or auditing at a large firm, I think it’s unnecessary. And with the price of college these days, the career path I took might be a welcome alternative. I’m in Oregon, which believe it or not is one of the few states that requires licensing in order to prepare tax returns for a fee. You can take an 80 hour course at many of the chain tax preparation retailers and then pay and take an exam to become licensed. With that license, you can prepare tax returns under the supervision of a Licensed Tax Consultant. (sidenote, as far as I know you can work for a CPA preparing tax returns without being licensed, as long as the CPA is the one reviewing and signing off on the returns. This can be another great way to get experience in the industry without going to college.)
In order to obtain the Licensed Tax Consultant designation, you must have 1100 hours of experience working in the field of tax preparation over a two-to-five-year period. Once you pass that exam, you are allowed to be self-employed and have licensed tax prepares work under you.
If you live in a state that doesn’t require licensing, you can skip all that, and go straight to becoming an Enrolled Agent.
An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a tax advisor, who is a federally authorized tax practitioner which is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Enrolled Agents represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax issues that include audits, collections, and appeals.
To become an Enrolled Agent, you must take and pass a rigorous three part exam covering individual taxation, business taxation, and ethics. You must also obtain a p-tin number from the IRS, and pass a suitability check to ensure you are personally in compliance and up to date with tax filings and do not have a criminal record.
It may sound like a lot, but spread out over the course of 4 years let’s say for example, not only would you be earning money working, you could gradually study for and take the exams while gaining the necessary hours of experience. The total cost for everything would probably be under $5k. I’m guessing here, but it would be interesting to figure it out accurately.
How would you describe your ideal client?
I love helping small business owners. It’s my passion. As a small business owner myself for almost two decades, and with just as much time in the tax planning and preparation world, I bring a unique perspective and guidance that will get you to your goals faster and with less headaches and hiccups along the way. In a world where AI is taking over, and there is excellent software out there to prepare your own tax return or draw up your own business formation documents. wouldn’t it feel better to consult with an expert first? Start off on the right foot, getting your questions answered and choosing the right business structure for your unique situation. Understand the tax implications of having a single member LLC vs. a partnership. If you have questions about anything mentioned here or anything income tax related, I try to make myself available. It’s more difficult during “tax season” (January – April) so my consulting rates do go up slightly, but still, the value you get from peace of mind, having someone to talk to who has your back and will give you honest, easy to understand answers to your questions.- it’s worth it! Plus, if you are in business for yourself already, consulting with me is a tax write off for you! See there, I’m saving you money already 😉
You can book a consultation with my by visiting www.caslerfinancial.com/scheduling
Contact Info:
- Website: www.caslerfinancial.com
- Instagram: casler_financial_llc
- Facebook: Casler Financial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shay-bachelder-301b1a75?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ShayBachelder?si=W8dcgsQajTINyHmy
Image Credits
Becca Jean Photography Portland, Oregon
