Getting To Know You Tuesday: Bruce Purcell

It’s Getting To Know You Tuesday!

About Bruce Purcell

Bruce Purcell may have spent his career in IT, but taxes have been a constant for more than 50 years.

He started preparing tax returns in the 1970s while serving in the Marines, helping fellow Marines—many of them young and filing for the first time—with their returns. Tax prep remained a side gig even as Bruce built a career as a systems and network engineer, working in education, government, health care, and freelance roles. His career also took him overseas to Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, where he prepared returns for fellow expats.

After retiring from IT in 2017 and settling in Idaho, Bruce turned his attention more to taxes, eventually preparing as many as 750 returns a year for a large tax preparation company. He now focuses on providing a lower-cost option for families and younger taxpayers who want professional help without a hefty price tag.

So, let’s get to know Bruce.

In His Own Words

1. Where are you right now? Right now I am sitting at my office desk. I’ve been working on tax returns for clients that had submitted extensions and are now ready to file.
2. What’s your official title, and what do you actually do? My most official title is Tax Preparer, as that is my largest business. However, I’m also an IT Professional, an event worker, a trivia and music bingo host and a wedding officiant. As I’m currently working seven different jobs, I’ve given myself the title of gig-olo.
3. Where did you go to school, and what did you study? I went to high school in Sacramento, California. Rather than go to college, I joined the Marine Corps and went to work in the family business while serving in Marine Corps Reserve. I finally decided to finish my college degree in Information Systems Management at the age of 52.
4. How did you end up in tax? I started with my own return when I was 14. My father hired me in the family business to earn money for a school trip to Europe. When I noticed that he had withheld money for taxes, I protested. He responded, “Figure it out,” and handed me the 1040 pamphlets.
   Once my friends got jobs, I did returns for them as well. When I joined the Marine Corps (at the age of 17), I prepared returns for young Marines like me – they had never filed before.
   After that, it was natural to just stay with it, and I did returns for friends/families/neighbors as a side job – about 50 returns per year. Once I retired, I wanted to see if I really knew anything about taxes as I’d never had any formal education in it, so I took a course from H&R Block. This led to a job offer, so I worked for them for four seasons. I left HRB to start my own little business, which I’ve been doing for four seasons now.
5. What was your first real job? My first real job (can’t count the family business – that was more of an excuse to pay me than it was a real job) was at a company called Flasher SCA (yes, real name – I thought it was funny then as well). I had enrolled in typing and shorthand in high school. My teacher’s husband ran Flasher SCA. They wanted a guy that could type – they wanted to be able to swear and tell dirty jokes and didn’t feel comfortable doing this around a young woman. Remember – it was the 70s. I ended up in their warehouse as well, repairing road construction signs and equipment and delivering to sites.
6. What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you? That I worked as a college professor, an executive administrator at a major university and as an IT engineer installing international networks and systems – all without a college degree.
7. If you weren’t working in tax, what would you be doing? All of my other gigs I suppose and perhaps others. Even at 68, I don’t like sitting still long. As it is, I love all of my gigs and especially the tax business.
8. What’s the best piece of tax, money, or career advice you’ve ever received? Research the tax law and don’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right. By the same token, don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong.
9. What tax issue do you think is getting too much attention right now? Trump accounts. Holy cow, the number of people that hate these accounts just because of the name on them is astounding. Really, the evaluation needs to be done based on what they are and how they can serve you. I generally compare them to 529 options for clients.
10. What tax issue isn’t getting enough attention? Social Security. I support the idea of not taxing it and most states don’t tax it at the state level. I believe it was the right idea to try and eliminate it at the federal level as well.
11. What’s the biggest tax myth you’d like to bust? That once you hit a certain age you don’t have to pay taxes anymore. I get that question multiple times per year.
12. What’s a tax question you wish people would ask you more often? How can I best save for retirement? I would love to hear more interest in 401k, 401 Roth, IRA, Roth IRA and the additional options for the self-employed. Too many people think they can’t afford it and decide to start “later,” and “later” is often much later than it should be.
13. What’s one tax rule you would change if you could? I would eliminate taxes on Social Security. I know – it wasn’t truly taxed the first time. But it feels like it is and it’s known as a tax. Anyway, I support giving seniors that break.
14. What’s one non-tech thing in your office that you couldn’t do without? Tough choice. First is my jar of peanuts – I have to have my protein while working. 😊 Second would be my pens. I hand them out at events I host and in my office as advertising.
15. Which tech tool, platform, or software do you rely on most in your practice? That would be my tax software – OLTPro.
16. What’s the best use of AI in tax or tax practice? First-line data entry. Perhaps intake, but I really don’t like removing the personal touch there. I don’t think any return should go out unless it’s been reviewed by a person.
17. What are you watching right now (streaming or otherwise)? Star Trek (TOS) and Elsbeth
18. Coffee or tea? Coffee – espresso in particular.
19. Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes. I’ve just never been a fan of waffles.
20. If you received an unexpected tax refund tomorrow, what would you do with it? Figure out where it came from! If I didn’t think I was going to have to return it, then it’s time for a cruise!

You can find out more about Bruce on his website and on Facebook.

About Getting To Know You

If you’d like to recommend a tax pro to be featured, send your suggestions to gtky (at) taxgirl (dot) com with the subject: Getting To Know You Tuesday. Self-nominations are totally okay, and encouraged! If you’ve previously submitted a nomination, please feel free to send it again. I’ll consider all submissions, even those that were selected, so long as they were more than three years ago.