Trish McIntire never planned to become a tax preparer, but she took on the role and became the star of her own successful tax practice.

Trish McIntire grew up as an Army brat and understood the value of freedom at a very young age.  Her experiences have helped shape her into a very determined, independent, and successful woman who has built a business all on her own.

Trish was born in Bremerhaven, Germany.  Her family, which included one sister and four brothers, moved around quite a bit when she was a child.  When her dad retired from the military, they settled in her mom’s hometown of Arkansas City, Kansas.  Trish graduated from Arkansas City High School and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Kansas and her Master’s degree at Emporia State University.  She planned to further her education, but knew she needed to find a job and save a little money first.   In 1988, she took a class that allowed her to start working for a popular tax preparation franchise.  Several years later, she found herself in a career she had never imagined as her educational background was in theatre.  In 2003, she opened her own tax practice and named it McIntire Tax Center.  She chose a location in downtown Arkansas City in a visible location where the rent was affordable, and she’s been there ever since.

McIntire Tax Center is a one-woman show, with the exception of a temporary receptionist Trish hires for a few weeks in the height of tax season.  Trish’s goal is to run a tax practice where clients know they can come to her for anything and trust their taxes will be prepared correctly at a fair price.  She prepares mostly 1040s, but does prepare a few Partnership and S-Corp returns.  She also does light bookkeeping for a few of her clients.

A large number of Trish’s clients come from referrals.  Trish is proud of the service she provides to her clients and the fact they want to tell their friends and colleagues about it.  She considers herself a very organized person, something her clients have come to appreciate.

When Trish opened her own practice, she knew she needed to find a tax software provider she could rely on and trust to provide quality service at a good price.  In other words, she wanted to find a software company with similar goals, and quickly chose Drake Software.  She said, “Drake gives me the tools that make me look good.  It seems they are always coming up with something new before I even knew I needed it.”  She added, “And within a few years, I find myself wondering how I ever managed without it.”  One of the tools Trish relies on most is the Drake Document Manager.  It allows her to safely and securely store all her client’s personal documents electronically.  She’s also a big fan of the online forums, Knowledge Base, and phone support Drake offers because she’s “…always able to get the answers.”  Drake has been proud to provide quality products and service to Trish for nearly a decade.

In addition to tax preparation and e-file, Trish also offers auditing and tax planning services.  She would love to grow her business enough so that she could hire another tax preparer to work beside her.  But for now, she plans to run her business independently.

When Trish is not assisting clients face-to-face, she manages her personal blog, Our Taxing Times, where she writes about taxes and the tax industry in general. She’s also a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) and the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA).

For fun, Trish is involved in local theatre.  She has acted in several productions and this fall, she will be directing, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, at Winfield Community Theatre.  She also serves on the theatre’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce in both Arkansas City and Winfield.

Trish plans to work as long as she can, even if it means she has to downsize and move her business into her home.  .  She enjoys being her own boss and running her own business.  Her independence is a major part of who she is and for that, she is (and should be) very proud.