How did you get into your field?
Chris Solomon: From a young age, math and science were my thing. I did math competitions and gravitated towards anything science in high school. In college, I took an accounting class and it snowballed from there.
I got a master’s in accounting with an emphasis in taxation from Brigham Young University. Then, I got a CPA and went into public accounting.
I started my career at a regional‑sized firm specializing in fraud, bankruptcy, and litigation. Some people may not think of bankruptcy as a positive thing, but the experience allowed me to work in several different industries, be a self-starter, and wear lots of hats. After public accounting, I worked for my first tech company called PowerQuest as an assistant controller for international. Then, I worked at Novell and continued in international tax, which had become my passion.
Tell me about your role at Corptax
Chris: I started at Corptax in 2007 supporting international taxation. I left in 2013 for three years to work for my brother-in-law as a CFO. When I wanted to get back to tax, Corptax graciously rehired me in 2016. I love working in Customer Support because I enjoy engaging with a variety of clients and support cases. You never know what will come your way. Each case is a puzzle you have to solve, and I love the challenge.
What are some life lessons work has taught you?
Chris: All of us can do hard things and we have more in us than we think. Start by expanding your ability to do more by working smarter and faster. For example, I tell my kids all the time, “Increase your capacity to do more.” If you tell your kids to clean their room, initially, it may take them two hours. But if you help them work smarter and become more efficient, eventually, it only takes them ten minutes to clean, not two hours. This life lesson can be applied to so many areas and has served me well.
What have you seen in your field in the last five years?
Chris: TCJA rocked everybody’s world. I was a frontline player with the rest of the International Support team trying to help customers. It kept things interesting—every day was new. I also had the opportunity to work on several special projects. For example, I helped the Content Management and Design, International, and Product Management teams by writing requirements that were impacted by TCJA. This helped us speed up getting the product to customers.
About a year ago, I was promoted to Manager of the Support Group, and I love it. It’s a total change. Now, my role is about managing people and issues. One of my big tasks is helping clients get answers to support cases very quickly. We work hard to provide materials so customers can find answers without the need to submit a support case.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Chris: When I worked at Novell, we used Corptax. The company was downsizing, so our department went from three people to just me, even though we were still acquiring and merging with companies. The workload increased, but Corptax helped me manage it by being more efficient. Corptax was the tool I needed to do my job, and that’s what I want to help customers do. I want them to be successful using Corptax as their go‑to tool to get work done quickly and efficiently—while having a pleasant experience.
What’s something – big or small – that you’re good at?
Chris: Outside of work, I’m really good at tinkering with mechanical things, trying to figure out how they work. I do big repairs and maintenance at home, and I actually used to rebuild car engines. Yes, I can break a car engine apart and put it back together.
Tell me a little bit about yourself
Chris: I was the first in my family to graduate from college. I grew up in a small town in a very rural area where not many people went to college, but it was a big goal for me.
My wife and I have been married for 30 years. We have four grown children, two boys and two girls. I really like being a grandparent because I was very close to my grandfather; I looked up to him, and he taught me a lot. He made us all think we were the favorite grandchild, and I want that for my grandkids, too.
