What led you to your position at CSC Corptax?
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in finance, I joined the tax team at Schwan Food Company. From there, I joined the 70-member tax department at Cargill in the Twin Cities.
I quickly learned that most people in accounting and tax departments prefer the accounting side of things over tax software. I really enjoyed the software side, and because both Schwan and Cargill use Corptax, I quickly became really familiar with it. I’ve been with Corptax seven years, and in my support role, I get to speak with and help people, which I love. I’ve walked in their shoes!
Can you share a hidden gem of info that clients may not know?
I have two I’d like to share. First off, many clients don’t know there are apportionment reports within the state returns to do their tie‑out, which is most of the work on a state return. That’s a big time-saver for clients.
Secondly, in Corptax Help, there’s a TCJA help spreadsheet for state returns. Even with the CARES Act changes, there’s a path outlined in a spreadsheet that shows how federal changes affect the states. I tell my clients about it, so they’re not losing a lot of time hunting and pecking trying to figure out modifications.
What is one thing you’re learning now, and why is it important?
I started out on the domestic side, so I know federal and state really well, but there’s always something new to learn. Now, I’m branching out into provision and international compliance. With all the recent tax changes, I want to help my team. When an international case comes in, I grab it and help wherever I can.
What is something big or small you’re really good at?
I had one coworker tell me, “I can’t believe the range of cases you pick up.” I pull provision, international, domestic, data access, and Corptax Office cases. I think learning the software is one of my strong points. Sometimes a client will report an issue, and I can step back and trace the issue to its source, and it’s not always what they think. For example, an issue in a state return may really stem from the federal return. I believe my love of puzzles and problem‑solving helps me in my job every day.
What changes have you seen in your field in the last five years?
The massive international tax changes of course. The automation is awesome. Now the forms do more of the work for clients, so they can just review, which benefits everybody. In addition to the automation, getting used to how to support those forms and understanding how everything flows is another big change.
What is one thing that surprised you about working at CSC Corptax?
With Corptax, it’s really fun to see how everybody works as a team. At other companies I’ve worked for, it’s typically the international side versus the domestic side, which can cause communication challenges between the groups. But at Corptax, if someone knows information, they share it with you right away to make your life and job better. It seems like Corptax Support is like a big family. It’s just a very awesome company to work for.
