Today we’d like to introduce you to George Wisniewski, Jr.
George, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all started back in 2010. I was going to the Community College of Baltimore County for my associate’s degree in Business and working part-time at Cardinal Health Warehouse as a forklift operator. Right before Thanksgiving in 2010, I was let go from that job and I was devastated. It turns out that getting let go was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I remember in January of 2011 trying to decide between getting $326 a week on unemployment or taking steps toward figuring out my future in business.
I decided to take a $ 10.50-an-hour job at Liberty Tax Service as a Tax Preparer. The first week of training was unpaid, and I was racking up tolls and miles driving across the Key Bridge (the job was 20 miles from my house). I almost didn’t take the job because I wasn’t sure it would be worth it. I ended up working for them for over two years, however, which built the foundation for understanding the tax code and how to serve clients.
Liberty Tax Service taught me some pain points and problem areas for clients. I would review the previous year’s tax returns and see 1099’s with NO tax deductions. I would see Schedule C business owners who should be taxed as an S Corporation and are overpaying in self-employment taxes by easily $5,000-10,000. While it is our civic duty to pay our fair share in taxes, we shouldn’t over-tip the government! This helped me to see the need for people, especially business owners, to be assisted with navigating the tax code for their maximum benefit.
I graduated from the University of Baltimore in 2013 with my Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the Merrick School of Business. From there I worked as a billing accountant for Johns Hopkins, an accountant at Fila USA, and a field tax auditor for the Comptroller of Maryland Little did I know that over a decade later, I would end up owning my firm.
My nickname in high school was G-Wisz, a combination of G from George and the first part of my last name, Wisniewski (I’m Polish). The name just fits and has stuck with me throughout the years. The name for the company came about when my buddy and I were sitting in my living room and he said “Hey G-Wisz, it’s tax time” and I was like “That’s it!”
What started as a dream to help small business owners has evolved into a solid tax firm offering bookkeeping, tax preparation, tax planning, and tax advisory services. We seek to help our clients grow their businesses, become the best version of themselves, and grow their legacy while helping them save, invest, and reduce their tax bills.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When the business first started, it was rough-not enough clients, not the right-fit clients, communication issues, figuring out pricing, and simply learning how to run a business efficiently. Not to mention your brain is always on! My wheels are perpetually turning, thinking through ways to improve my business and better serve my clients.
The hardest struggle I think has been shutting my business brain down when it’s the weekend or when it’s family/social time. At times it’s difficult to just be present. Any good business owner wants to make sure their company is serving the clients the way they need to be served, and finding that work-life balance is challenging. It’s always a work in progress and it’s about progress, not perfection.
The next biggest struggle has been clear communication. That has never been my strong point and I’m constantly working on it. When guiding and directing business owners, it has to be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Communication from the beginning stages of working with us, to expectations, and standards, to the tax plan, following through and implementing the tax strategies, to finally seeing the tax savings.
We preach “You don’t know what you don’t know.” It’s about opening the lines of communication and building a business relationship, and that doesn’t happen with one consultation. I learned quickly that every client is different. Expectations, standards, values, and what success looks like vary from client to client. We have learned to place importance on asking the right questions and making sure the client is heard.
The struggles are what it is all about. Each problem allows us to learn how to service our clients best and we can continue to learn from their feedback. We aren’t in business just to be in business, we are in business to serve our business owner clients. We constantly review what we are doing, what we want to be doing, and where we want to go, just as our clients do in their business.
Continuous improvement is a must and required in ANY business. Customer feedback is critical to our success. Caring about the mission, team, and results is critical to everyone’s success. One of my favorite quotes is the question not asked is the one that you want answered. “So just ask it” We want our clients to ask questions and get involved because it’s their journey! They need to understand it too.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
G-Wisz It’s Tax Time started as a dream and a passion for numbers. We specialize in helping business owners and specifically contractors. Our passion is to help small business owners succeed. We want you to focus on what you do best and leave the rest to us! Our clients become family and we make sure you are treated that way we care about ALL your wins, doesn’t matter how small.
Whether it’s taking an online course for a certificate or reaching a business milestone, we want to know and celebrate with you. We get to hold our clients accountable, and we love it! We see the growth in the clients and watch them achieve their dreams and goals. The best feeling is to see the excitement in our clients when they achieve their goals, knowing that it was the CLIENT who did it, but we were the steering wheel that helped navigate them through their journey to get there.
G-Wisz It’s Tax Time specializes in bookkeeping, tax preparation, tax advisory, and tax planning for small business owners. Our firm is about “Chasing the Dream”- the client’s dream. It’s about making sure our clients pursue their vision while we make sure they pay the least amount in taxes doing it. It all starts with one goal, one tax deadline, and one dream at a time.
We believe that when business owners provide clarity in their goals, vision, and where they want to go, they can and will achieve whatever they want. We understand that business owners have enough on their plate already, and it’s our job to make sure the financial aspect of the business is squared away.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One area we specialize in is tax planning. What is tax planning exactly? The primary objective is to legally and ethically reduce the amount of taxes owed while ensuring compliance with relevant tax laws and regulations.
We do this through a tax plan- a systematic approach to managing one’s financial affairs to minimize tax liability and maximize available tax benefits. The tax plan covers four main categories tax deferral, tax deductions, tax credits, and timing (such as income deferral).
Our firm makes sure to send out reminders on important deadlines and quarterly payments. If you are an advisory client, we provide step-by-step guidance on making sure the tax strategies are implemented timely and accurately. We also have a monthly newsletter packed with tax-saving tips and information.
Why do we love what we do? It’s ever-changing and never stagnant. We have the potential to make a huge impact on our clients’ lives, business, and financial situations. We are their trusted advisor. We get to watch entrepreneurs work while seeing the abundance mindset in full effect. Watching the growth of the business is exciting and rewarding.
If you’re interested in working with us and need any bookkeeping, tax planning, and advisory help, please contact us at https://gwisztax.com/ or by emailing [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gwisztax.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwisz_its_tax_time/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GWiszitstaxtime
