It’s Tax Time, Baby!

It’s Tax Time, Baby!

Welcome to the official blog of Brittany Lanphier, managing partner of Lanphier LLP based in Denver, Colorado!

Any tax guidance in this blog is intended for informational purposes only and is not guidance on which Lanphier LLP intends for you to rely.  All tax issues specific to your business or family are largely facts-and-circumstances based and you should consult your tax advisor (or Brittany directly) to discuss how this might relate to you.

February 7, 2015

Well, I have resurfaced on the blog after a one-year hiatus.  I’ll be perfectly honest…2014 was a bit of a blur for me.  Can I still blame that on having a baby?  What is the statute of limitations on that excuse?  I need answers.

Don’t get me wrong.  2014 was a great year, both for the firm and for our family.   Our youngest daughter, Addie, is now just over a year old, and she is SO much fun these days!  She is a little terror–constantly running around, climbing on the kitchen table, and messing with big sister’s toys.  She definitely keeps us busy, but her gigantic, toothy smile makes it all worth it a hundred times over.   Brooklyn is almost 4, but going on 24.  I think she is going to be smarter than Dennis and I combined, and we regularly shake our heads in amazement at the things that come out of her mouth.

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For our firm, 2014 was another year of wonderful growth.  In retrospect, I think I will look at 2014 as a very pivotal year for us, one that required me to grow a lot as a manager and business owner.   This may be surprising (to no one), but I am a bit of a control freak.  I have had to learn how to truly delegate–not just pass along a task here and there, but really empower my staff to serve clients with the focus and dedication that I would myself.  As I am sure any other business owner can attest, this takes a lot of effort and feels risky when you are doing it.  I worried that if I passed along too much, I would lose my connection with my clients, that I would have less opportunity to serve them.  Guess what?  It was the opposite!  Now that I have transitioned much of our recurring, day-to-day tasks to my staff, I have MORE time to serve my clients.  I am more available to respond quickly to emails, to take phone calls, and maintain relationships, rather than feeling constantly overwhelmed by a to-do list.

So…now we find ourselves on the front end of tax season.  I find myself more energized than I have been in several years.  Instead of feeling a bit of impending dread for the next few months, I feel excited…excited to see how far we have come this year, how much our processes have improved, and to have the opportunity to serve new clients.   Will it be hard?  Will we be tired?  Sure!  But that comes with the territory.  I feel extremely blessed to be as busy as we are, and I am more committed than ever to giving our clients the best possible tax preparation experience.

Hopefully, my new-found freedom this year will result in a few more blog posts.  In any case, see you on the other side of 4/15!

Brittany