Here’s the thing: for many people, taxes are terrifying. But they don’t have to be. If you have a passion for knowing the tax system and helping people… well, then you probably already work for us, at The Tax Team (TTT).
We interviewed some of our people here at TTT and, while we knew we had a great team, even we were surprised by how special our teammates are!
Behind on your tax returns? At TTT, we’ll work our assets off to catch you up.
Believe it or not, the words, “I haven’t filed my tax returns for six years!” is music to our team’s ears. And we’re quoting Mel Potgieter, one of our tax consultants.
“I got you, brother.” – Mel Potgieter
Are you putting off doing your taxes because you’re scared you’ll have to pay in? Mel reckons that most people try do their taxes on their own – and fail. And those who do their taxes without having to pay in any extra think they’ve succeeded…but they’re wrong.
Really succeeding at tax means getting money out. As Mel says, “You don’t pay tax – they take it from you. TTT tries to get some of that back.”
Be audit you can be
We think you’ll agree it takes a certain type of person to be a tax consultant.
As Annerie Nel (a training and assistant office manager for the team) says, “[Tax season] is the same thing every year.” But our team relishes in that sameness. Because each year is another chance to meet – no, master – this exciting challenge.
Yes, our team may look like zombies by 1 July due to lack of sleep and inadequate nutrition. But it’s worth it! Part of what makes the job so meaningful for us is that each return is for a different person with a special set of needs.
Everyone counts
Annerie once helped a client who hadn’t submitted in nine years. (Talk about terrifying!) They faced R20 000 in penalty fees. After getting to know the client, Annerie found out that they had experienced a traumatic home invasion. Getting back on track with normal life, never mind tax, had been insurmountable.
Typically of TTT, Annerie saw this crisis as an opportunity and worked her asset off to get the client back on track – and even to recoup the penalty fee.
“The less tax compliant people are, the happier we are,” says Mel Potgieter. Soooo…we don’t know if we endorse this sentiment completely, but we totally get where Mel’s coming from. The bigger the challenge, the higher we rise to it.
Putting the fun (back?) into tax
IRP5s can have what the team calls “fun codes” – legit deductions that have a real impact on your return. Finding these is our idea of a good time. But don’t believe for one second it’s an easy job.
“What we do is a huge responsibility,” says Mel. “You can’t wing it. And you need to know which questions to ask.”
Despite popular opinion asserting otherwise, Mel doesn’t think the taxman is actually the bogeyman. You see, the taxman must abide by the rules. Rules that we at TTT know like the back of our hands. Result? We can guide the process in your favour.
As you can imagine, it takes a disciplined person to be in this industry. “To deal with SARS is no joke,” says Mel. Each year, the team practises exactly this process and so years of repetition leads to, well, returns.
But let’s say you’re in a really tight spot, and the issue is not so much how to get a bigger return but how to not go bankrupt. TTT can design a payment plan that’s quite literally a lifesaver. One that’s based on your terms rather than the taxman’s.
Talk about satisfying. Sort of like fixing a terrible haircut.
Is a tax consultant the fiscal version of a hairdresser?
If you’ve found your BHF (best hairdresser forever), you’ll know what we mean. Your BHF is the hairdresser or barber you go to with a DIY, pandemic-era, YouTube-inspired haircut and say, “Fix me!” The hairdresser that knows some of your darkest secrets – and doesn’t judge you for them.
That sense of acceptance? It’s a function of trust. When chatting with our team, the word “trust” comes up again and again.
Can clients trust our tax consultants enough to give us all their personal info? Can they trust that we’ll get them the best deal? Can our team members rely on one another for support? Yes, yes and yes.
The team is made up of many families and friends-of-families, which Matt Drysdale (another of our tax consultants) thinks contributes to our company culture. There is a special bond between us, which really helps when we’ve entered the zombification phase of tax season.
Help us to help you
Tax is “a part of adulthood,” says Anika Siemens (a TTT tax consultant). But it’s something very few people are prepared for. And so, when the taxman comes calling, people experience this as daunting and difficult to understand. But Annika loves it when a client comes to her and says “Here’s my baby. Take it, nurture it, burp it, change its nappy. And return it to me when you’re done.”
At TTT, we’re not just robots who give you error messages. We’re real people who get a kick out of helping other real people.
Help us to help you. Get in touch: https://ttt-tax.co.za/contact/
