Women to Watch in Sales Tax: A Celebration of Women in the Field
As a woman-owned company made up of primarily women employees (with a super-supportive male colleague), the Sales Tax Institute actively celebrates Women’s History month.
A few months ago we kicked off our new video series, Women to Watch in Sales Tax, which highlights women of all backgrounds that have ended up in the sales tax field one way or another. We strive to amplify their voices as a way for other passionate women in sales tax to find mentors, peers, and friends – as well as demonstrate to young professionals in accounting and finance how fulfilling a career in sales tax can be!
This article gives you a sneak peak into all the inspiring women we’ve had the chance to interview so far, check them out!
Women Business Owners
As of 2020, women make up 36% of small business owners. In the United States, there has been a steady increase in women business owners for the last 50 years. These are four women that help make that statistic rise!
Kim Rice is the owner of R&M Consulting where she and her coworkers provide tax and internal audit solutions for sales tax and income tax to their clients. Kim’s passion for sales tax and running her own business has led her to incredible success in the field.
“The most important thing when starting a business is having a passion for what you do. There are going to be ups and downs, and the passion will carry you forward.”
Carolynn Kranz is the owner of not one but two businesses, Industry Sales Tax Solutions and Kranz & Associates PLLC. Carolynn knows how to juggle all the peaks and valleys that come with owning her own businesses, and she still manages to come out on top! She is also a favorite member of our faculty at the Sales Tax Institute.
“Be thoughtful and patient about [starting your own business]. Take the time to build a business plan… the hardest part is the administrative stuff like insurance, time keeping, billing.”
Monika Miles has owned Miles Consulting for almost 20 years. Monika is a pro at multistate tax consulting (dealing with filing, nexus, audits, and more), which is a hefty task post Wayfair. If you’re doing business across state lines, Monika is your expert.
“Before you embark on [starting your own business], truly understand why you’re doing it. What is your motivation?”
B.J. Pritchett owns Pritchett Sales & Use Tax Consulting. She is the expert on Arkansas sales tax, and she took a case all the way to the Arkansas Supreme Court (and won!). B.J. is also one of our most valued and an original faculty member at Sales Tax Institute courses.
“[Sales tax] is a perfect field for women. They are detail oriented and focused which gives them the upper hand.”
Women Public Accountants
According to the American Institute of CPAs’ latest “CPA Firm Gender Survey,” women represented only 22 percent of partners in CPA firms in 2017.” While that number is lower than it should be, there are some inspiring women public accountants to look up to for advice.
Rachel Le Mieux works at BDO, leading a practice that does sales tax and beyond. Rachel has been in public accounting for over 35 years, and she has a lot to show for it! She is also an irreplaceable member of our Sales Tax Institute course faculty.
“Ask yourself, do you see yourself as a leader in 3-5 years? What are the barriers to reaching your goal? Are they systematic barriers that cannot be overcome without major cultural changes or are they obstacles you can navigate?”
Up-and-Coming Women in Sales Tax
No matter how or when you start your career in sales tax, you have to have a willingness to learn and a tenacity to keep pushing through challenges. People who love ever-changing day to day work full of strategy are a great fit in sales tax, just like Nancy and Kelly.
Nancy Steele is the Sales Tax Coordinator at Mountain Rose Herbs and is a 2020 Sales Tax Nerd Finalist! Nancy has only been in the sales tax field for two years and is largely self-taught. She learned her sales tax skills by nerding out and throwing herself into the profession. On her own, she’s created a system for exemption certificate maintenance at her company.
“Nerd out. There are a lot of networking and educational resources that you can tap into online like you can take webinars, you can join online communities, you can do your own research.”
Kelly Smith works for Evolve Vacation Rentals as their Director of Tax Compliance. She’s built her career in sales tax all without one major thing – a college degree. Kelly is our reigning 2020 Sales Tax Nerd of the Year and a burgeoning sales tax subject matter expert in hospitality!
“Jump in with both feet and don’t be afraid to take on new challenges in areas where you may be uncomfortable.”
Top Five Pieces of Advice from Our Women in Sales Tax
- Build your network. Women are not in competition with one another, they should boost each other up! Building trust with state and local jurisdictions, mentors, and peers inside and outside of your company will help build your personal brand as a sales tax professional.
- Nerd out. Start by learning a state’s sales tax backwards and forward. Then think bigger. Sales tax is often self-taught because it is not taught in school, but you can find resources from the Sales Tax Institute and other organizations. Read, watch, practice, and study until it sinks in.
- Persevere and stay positive. Whether starting out at a new job or starting your own business, be grateful and appreciate the small wins. There will be a lot of ups and downs along the way, and staying positive will continue to carry you forward towards your goals. Be hungry to go out, get jobs, and make your mark.
- Know your worth. Women are an integral part of any industry, and that includes sales tax. It’s easy to fall into a negative mindset, but stand your ground and don’t undervalue yourself and your talents.
- Create opportunities for yourself. Learn, grow, and advance your career. Don’t wait for an opportunity to arise, go looking for one and create it for yourself.
A huge thank you to all of the women who have participated in our Women to Watch in Sales Tax series thus far. You inspire and encourage us to be bold, unabashed sales tax nerds who pursue work with passion and make a difference in the workplace and beyond.
If you know a woman working in the sales tax field that should be a part of our series, please nominate her by emailing us at [email protected]! We are excited to keep expanding this project to bring you more diverse voices and experiences and inspiring stories.
Cheers to the resilience and the influence of women in sales tax everywhere! Happy Women’s History Month.