Feeling Personal Satisfaction—Teresa Alley of Alley & Bradl LLC

Why did you decide to pursue a career in tax, and what would you tell your younger self about the profession?

I became a tax preparer at age 18, when I handed my dad my first W-2. He handed it back to me with a pencil and the 1980 1040 instruction booklet, saying, “You can do this yourself!” I sighed and did my own return.

Being a tax professional provides personal satisfaction. We help clients starting a new business or needing to plan for their future. We have older clients—widows whose husbands have always handled the “tax stuff"—who put their trust in us to take care of them, and we value that trust. We also work with small not-for-profit organizations in our community, and it enables us to give back in a much-needed way.

I also get a lot of personal satisfaction in simply doing the job and doing it well. I like the puzzle-solving aspect of tax preparation and making all the pieces fit. It feeds the tiny obsessive part of my nature.

If I could go back and tell my 18-year-old self about what I’m doing now, I’d say, “It’s about the people, not the numbers.”

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Teresa Alley is an owner at Alley & Bradl LLC in Piqua, Ohio. She has been in the tax and accounting field for 16 years, and an enrolled agent for 11 years, specializing in personal and small business taxes.