I am excited to announce that after two years proudly carrying the Certified Tax Coach (CTC) designation, I have earned the next level: Certified Tax Planner (CTP)! This is through the American Institute of Certified Tax Planners (AICTP), and is achieved with a combination of real world of experience as a CTC, and from preparing & completing tax plans for clients.
You may be wondering, what is a certified tax coach\planner? If I had to summarize it in one word, I would say it is all about mindset. Most people think “taxes” mean filing forms each spring—but that’s just tax prep. Tax prep is reactive: it reports what already happened. Its goal is compliance. And while compliance matters, looking backward rarely saves you any money.
Tax strategy, on the other hand, is proactive. It’s about planning ahead to legally reduce your taxes and align your finances with your goals. It involves running scenarios, asking deeper questions, and identifying savings opportunities before the year ends.
Tax prep can be done by anyone (or software). Tax strategy requires expertise & a dedicated focus. And that is where the CTP designation comes in. I love being a part of a community of tax pro’s who are looking to the future and discussing strategies for saving money, and in taking continuing education classes that are about saving money.
In short: tax prep looks backward. Tax strategy looks forward. If you’re ready to move beyond tax prep and start using planning & strategy to lower your taxes and save you money, let’s start a conversation!
