Amanda Han, CPA – 37
Managing Director, Keystone CPA, Inc.
Fullerton, CA
What is the name of one book that has been a great influence to you?
Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. This book has really opened my eyes on how to proactively plan for ways to build wealth and put money to work for you instead of simply working for your money. By embracing the concepts within that book, we have built our firm to apply the same principles when creating proactive tax saving strategies for our clients.
In what ways have you contributed to your firm/company to make it better?
I am a big believer of implementing systems to create efficiency and uniformity. In the past several years I have been the office champion to collect input from our team members as well as clients on changes and ideas that can create efficiency and effectiveness in our process. I feel that has helped to make things easier and more efficient for both our internal and external clients.
In what ways do you participate in the professional community to change/improve the accounting profession?
To share the benefits of working with a tax advisor rather than do-it-yourself software, I spend a significant amount of my time in the education arena. I do a lot of community teachings and content contribution both in print and online for tax and financial strategies. The education content I share is designed to present tax strategies in a format that is easier for taxpayers to understand so they use it to reduce their tax burden.
In what ways do you participate in your local community to help others?
My partner and I founded Animals for Armed Forces, a non-profit organization that raises money and host events to assist shelter animals in finding loving homes with members of the armed forces.
What changes do you foresee in the accounting profession of the near future (3-5 years)?
One of the major changes I anticipate in the near future in our accounting profession is with respect to technology. I anticipate that we will soon be able to work with a lot more automation and integration as it relates to accounting, taxes, and research.
How do you see yourself participating in shaping the future of the accounting profession?
I hope to inspire others in our profession to focus more time on proactive planning related services. Even though compliance and accounting are the bread and butter of a lot of smaller firms, I believe that by dedicating more time to consultative services, these proactive strategies may significantly benefit our clients’ financial circumstances and improve the firm’s bottom line.
What is your career philosophy?
I believe that our career in the accounting industry is one of the most challenging yet rewarding. In the tax field, there are hundreds of tax changes that occur every year and it is exciting to learn of the new changes and create new strategies. As an accountant, it is extremely rewarding for me when I get to meet with clients and their families where I can see a true impact I have made on their financial well-being.
Describe one person who has been an important mentor to you and how that person helped change your life.
One of the most important mentors for me in my business has been my business coach David Finkel. He helped me to learn at an early stage in my career that I can take the steps needed to create the firm that I truly envisioned. David taught me ways to grow my practice rapidly by becoming an expert in the real estate industry. David also taught me ways to put systems in place for my firm so that I can scale my business as it grows and to leverage the expertise of my team.
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See all of the “40 Under 40” honorees for 2015.
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Tags: Firm Management, Technology
