Victor joined Taxfyle this year. He previously worked for the IRS for six years and now has his own practice that focuses primarily on taxes.
“Even though I have my own practice now, I will say this about the IRS: my experience there was invaluable. With all the knowledge and experience I gained there, I should have paid them.”
Taxfyle: How did you get interested in accounting and, more specifically, in becoming a CPA?
Victor: I grew up in Jamaica where accounting is one of the career tracks. I’ve been learning about accounting since the 10th grade and majored in it at college. After that, my story gets a bit convoluted. I worked in accounting for six years and switched to IT and did that for eight years. Then, I realized I didn’t like IT and got my MBA in health administration because at the time I was working with a health care provider. I was relocated to Atlanta where my friend was taking his CPA exam, so I thought: why not? I passed the CPA exam and that’s when I began working with the IRS. Even though I have my own practice now, I will say this about the IRS: my experience there was invaluable. With all the knowledge and experience I gained there, I should have paid them.
T: How do you build and maintain effective relationships with your clients?
V: I show my clients that I listen to them by advising them on what their best course of actions are, based on what they tell me. A simple follow up goes a long way as it creates a personal touch, and people really do appreciate that.
T: What advice would you give to small businesses that are just starting off?
V: Make sure your paperwork is in order. I can’t tell you how many times I have audited a small business that couldn’t differentiate between their costs. That will come back and bite them.
T: What do you like to do in your free time?
V: I read a lot, and I listen to music. I’ll listen to pretty much anything, but Reggae comes first. I like R&B, jazz, and of course, the classics. My favorite composition is Puccini’s Nessun Dorma.
T: What is something your clients don’t know about you?
V: That I’m learning Spanish. I do need to be more disciplined, but I have seen improvement from when I first started learning in February.
T: Is there anything else you would like to add?
V: I just want to add one more amendment regarding startups. A lot of startups use a bookkeeper rather than a CPA. Don’t do that. If they need a loan, they will need someone to do a compilation on their books and only a CPA can sign off on that.
Victor Aldin CPA, Music Lover.
