Ep #8: Rocky Lippold on Why AI Will Make Tax Work More Human

Dave Haase sits down with Rocky Lippold, founder of Freedom Tax Accounting & Tax, who has an unusual story of retiring three times and coming back stronger each time. Rocky just acquired a practice with 850 clients, adding to his existing 400 clients, and is eyeing another acquisition before tax season. His approach to growth centers on personal relationships and face-to-face meetings, even driving hours to meet clients in person for onboarding sessions.

Rocky shares how he built his practice with family members including his accountant daughter, retired brother, and wife who worked as a paralegal for 26 years. He discusses managing 200 Amish clients with extensive Schedule F returns, implementing Tax Dome and Juno for efficiency, and his belief that AI will actually make tax work more human by handling data entry while accountants focus on client relationships. Rocky emphasizes the importance of admitting mistakes to clients and taking time to truly understand their businesses rather than just processing returns.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro

[01:37] Military tax beginnings and multiple retirements

[03:23] Building practice back up through acquisitions

[05:38] Growth mindset despite retirement attempts

[08:33] Training remote family staff members

[09:40] In person client onboarding preference

[10:08] Detailed client onboarding process

[12:00] Acquiring 200 Amish farming clients

[15:19] Tax Dome and Juno integration goals

[18:10] Going paperless after RV lifestyle

[20:31] Future of tax profession with AI

[22:21] S corp conversion saves $17000 annually

[23:07] Human element remains crucial with AI

[27:50] Growth advice and owning mistakes

[31:48] Just do it philosophy

Rocky's philosophy is simple but powerful - the human element in accounting cannot be replaced, and the best tax professionals will spend more time with clients, not less, as technology handles the routine work.

The Modern Tax Pros Podcast is brought to you by Juno, AI tax prep software built for tax pros who are sick of 60-hour weeks.

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