About

Who I am

My name is Joe Ben and I’m a CPA in Austin, Texas. You can find the particulars of my professional background on my LinkedIn page but what’s more important is that I love what I do. I love that I get to work with people like you. I love that the work I do has a measurable impact on people’s lives. And for some reason I love navigating tax laws that are sometimes so complicated that you just have to laugh.

I’m also the lucky husband of Sara and dad to the most precious little boy in the world. I’m a native Austinite and a Texas Aggie. I’m a drummer, guitarist, and bassist. I’m a brown belt in Judo and a mediocre tennis player. I’m an Enneagram five, an ISTJ on the Meyers-Briggs, and a C on the DISC.

But enough about me. Tell me about you!

What I do

Like many CPAs I prepare tax returns and consult with clients on other financial matters like estate planning and retirement. Unlike many CPAs I focus on building relationships. Not only does this allow me to serve you better, it just makes my job more fun. Having strong relationships with my clients means better advice about your business/estate/finances. It means a smoother tax preparation process. It means trust goes both ways. And having strong relationships with other professionals means better resources for you when the need arises.

Who I work with

• Trustees and executors

• Beneficiaries of an estate, trust, or IRA

• Individuals with more complicated tax and financial situations

• If you’re not sure if you fit into one of these buckets, give me a holler and let’s talk through it.

Working with an advisor should not be a clunky and outdated process.

There is some amazing technology out there and these tools should make both of our lives easier. Tools like video conferencing when you don’t want to drive across town for a meeting. A secure document vault so we don’t have to mail or email documents back and forth. E-signatures to streamline the engagement. Paperless organizers so you don’t have to fill out 50 pages by hand. Online invoicing and payments so you can get rid of that checkbook for good. My goal is simply a smoother process.

While it’s easier to focus on backward looking compliance (i.e. tax returns), a CPA’s real value is in providing insight and advice.

Lots of people can prepare a tax return for you. Some of them can even do a pretty good job. But you’re looking for more than that. You need someone who can identify opportunities and propose action. This is where the fun stuff happens.

If you are ever surprised or confused by a bill, I haven’t done my job.

Over the years I’ve seen too many clients caught off guard by invoices because they didn’t understand what they were paying for. My goal is for you to know what fees to expect before the work even begins. If it’s ever unclear to you, feel free to ask.