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Our Preparers |
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"The IRS wants every dime they’re entitled to, but they don’t want one dime more than they’re entitled to." We have complete confidence in the skills of all of our family of preparers. Although some of us may have special grasp of unique tax areas, we never hesitate to share that understanding. When you work with one of us, you are working with all of us. All of our preparers are Certified and Bonded in the State of California Due to the growth of our business (we assisted over 1400 of your fellow performers last year--Thank You!) and certain restrictions on the availability of some of our preparers, we are thrilled to be adding four more preparers to our team. Each one brings a background and understanding in both the industry and tax preparation. We are thrilled to add these well qualified and uniquely prepared individuals who bring special skills to our family of experienced professionals. When you call for your appointment you may request any one of our team but on occasion, owing to scheduling problems or auditions, we may have to substitute one of our other preparers. If this is a difficulty please let us know ahead of time. Our team of professionals work hard to show you ways to make your tax year more profitable, easier to prepare for and more possible to build the career of your dreams." FAQ's: Can We Save You Money? Probably. Unless you’re aware of all of the most recent tax regulations for performing artists and you or your current tax preparer has used them to the greatest advantage, you’re paying too much! If you have any doubts you should give us a call. Why Should I Pay To Have My Taxes Done? We believe you should know as much as you can about the tax procedures in this country and you should be able to prepare your own taxes. But going to an expert who has taken the time to know ALL of the rules may afford you experience that saves you dollars now and keeps you fully prepared for the next year. No computer program is going to know ALL the deductions available to you in this business, how to place those deductions correctly on the most advantageous forms and see that you missed something on your final return. That means a few dollars spent today is repaid several times over in the years to come. Why come to us? You participate, both to learn
what you can do to save yourself money in following years and what you
have to do all year round to be ready come tax preparation time. Tax
preparation only ends with filling out the forms, it starts by being able
to supply the information we need. As silly as it seems, preparing your returns by computer may help to eliminate the possibility of an audit. Because the IRS knows there are no simple adding errors and that the return was handled by a professional, there is less scrutiny of the return by an IRS employee. The less chance of a human being physically viewing your return can mean less chance of an audit. As a member of the Entertainment Industry there can be very specific provisions in the Tax Code for you. Make full use of them. |
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Over the last twenty plus years Chuck has cultivated
an understanding of taxes in order to take greater control of his
income and expenses as an actor. He saw some companies withholding
more in taxes on residuals than others, while some deductions were
being denied because of how he got paid (W-2 versus 1099). So as a
"necessary hobby" Chuck started developing a background of tax
knowledge, eventually becoming a licensed preparer and has since
helped thousands of actors save money on their taxes over the
years. Now, with over sixteen years experience as a licensed
preparer, he has become recognized as one of the leading authorities
on taxes for performers. He was the Chairman of the S.A.G.-
AFTRA- EQUITY VITA Program (Volunteers for Income Tax
Assistance) for many tax seasons as well as participating with
the program for over ten years. Chuck is the facilitator for the
Screen Actors Guild Foundation Tax Seminars as part of its
"LifeRaft Series" for union members and is currently in his
third year writing the tax column for "Backstage" magazine. Chuck
also served on the S.A.G. Board for four years and was a member of
the S.A.G. Finance Committee for three years.
Tricia Lee has been
working with us for over ten years. Schooled back east…as far
east as Oxford, England...
Tricia Lee has compiled (in addition to her all important tax
preparer license) a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography, a Masters
of Arts in Communications, a Broadcast Journalism Certificate, and
is licensed as a Vocational Art teacher in California. She completed
her BFA and MA at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, graduating
Magna Cum Laude, was a member of the Alpha Chi honors fraternity and
completed 8 consecutive semesters as a patron of the Dean’s list.
A noted photographer, Tricia Lee also supplements her income
shooting headshots and is once again offering a 10% discount to all
clients of Chuck Sloan and Associates. You may see her work on her
website at www.tricialeephoto.com.
Joe has
been acting professionally since 1971 and preparing actors tax
returns since 1973. He continues to work in feature films, primetime
TV, and television commercials, and has worked on Broadway, as well.
After teaching in the S.A.G.-AFTRA-Equity VITA program for several years, he
joined Chuck Sloan and Associates in 2000. He comes from a
family of lawyers, and to the advantage of his clients, he thinks
like one. Joe is particularly proud of the caliber of service we
provide for our clients at such low prices and really enjoys working
with fellow performers and industry people.
"This
is my ninth year here. I look forward to seeing past clients and
meeting new ones. It’s fulfilling to work with fellow artists,
both the clientele and the staff. What I enjoy most about this job
is
demythologizing the idea that artists are incapable of being good
with money
and numbers. Any client who completes their tax packet and sits down
with
one of us to do their return, empowers themselves financially. And
that’s a terrific process of which to be a part."
Lamont
is originally from New York where he worked as a Stock Broker
assistant for five years before coming to Los Angeles. Despite
a busy acting career, Lamont has had plenty of free time
and for 10 years worked as a volunteer with the V.I.T.A.
program at the Screen Actors Guild during the tax season. One
of the program’s favorite instructors he went ahead with the process of getting his
preparer's license in order to work with us. He has also since
acquired his realtors license and is a successful real estate agent.
Now in his fifth year with us, we are proud to have him.
Shanna is a native Californian with a degree in English Literature and Theatre. She understands the various jobs an artist may undertake while pursuing their dreams. Throughout her years working as a commercial and comedic actress she also waited tables, assisted three prominent industry figures, ran a successful casting studio, and worked as an associate casting director. She has since segued into mother, homeowner, writer and producer. This is her seventh year with us as a certified preparer.
Marta has spent her career in accounting in the entertainment
industry. Now in her fourth year with us, she earned a Masters
degree in accounting from the University of Houston. She's a long
time friend of Chuck’s, having first met him long ago through a
mutual friend in a faraway land called Texas. In light of her
broad knowledge and advanced degrees, we are very lucky to have her
with us!
Dominic hails from southern New Jersey. He comes
from a family of doctors, and earned his degree in International
Studies from the University of Scranton and the Ludwig Maximilians
University in Germany. He speaks fluent German and can get by in
Italian, too. A professional actor since 1993, he’s tread the
boards from Broadway all the way to Los Angeles, appeared in
numerous television shows, commercials and films. He understands
the needs of performers who come to Chuck Sloan & Associates. In
fact, he started out as a client. “This was the first place I
came where they really grasped what I did for a living.” As a
preparer, he enjoys not just knowing how to customize his fellow
actors’ returns, but being to explain it to them, as well. “My
goal is that when my clients walk out the door, they not only know
they’ve gotten a good return, but why.”
Ronnie hails from the South, where he learned down home values, not the least of which was "a penny saved is a penny earned." Now he knows that "a pennies itemized can be another penny returned." He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN. Though his studies were focused in math, ironically he turned his sights toward acting and has enjoyed a fruitful career with numerous roles in independent films, national commercials, television, and on the stage. As a result, he understands the entertainer’s challenges on a tax return. Impressed with the years of service he has personally received at Chuck Sloan, Ronnie says he is thrilled to work with such a great organization An avid puzzle-solver, Ronnie enjoys a challenge. He is incredibly thorough and will treat your return as if it were his own. (Which, trust us, means it will be done right, because he don’t mess around when it comes to his wallet)
Although she started out four years ago as the voice on the phone (and the person who made it all work for us), Stephanie very quickly became a full time preparer. Now in her third season of tax preparation, Stephanie is also pursuing her CPA license and attends class at UCLA. Originally from the great state of Virginia, Stephanie moved to California 12 years ago to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Although primarily an actress working in film and television, Stephanie has found herself in a wide array of jobs in the industry including business affairs, production accounting, casting, producing corporate films, and bookkeeping for actors. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University in Virginia with an Honors degree in Theatre and English. She is thrilled to be returning for another fantastic season at Chuck Sloan and Associates where she is sure to put her skills with numbers, people, organization and motherly instincts to good use.
Mike comes to us with several years of experience as a tax professional specializing in the entertainment industry. Although he first met Chuck as a result of the union VITA program many years ago, his schedule as an actor kept him from volunteering as an instructor. Obviously Mike’s interest in tax preparation never abated and he is currently testing to become an Enrolled Agent with the IRS and is a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals. A professional actor since 1989 and a member of SAG, AFTRA, and Equity, Mike has performed on stages from coast to coast and on television and film in almost every genre. He has his own production company which has garnered attention from festivals and Universal Studios COO Ron Meyer. Mike also has an associate’s degree in accounting from Barnes Business College and worked in the accounting field prior to his decision to move to Los Angeles to pursue a fulltime acting career. Mike's background and training provides an experienced and knowledgeable addition to our continuing team of preparers.
Returning
once again is the
efficient and energetic Elizabeth Roberts. She first joined the
staff four years ago as one of our office managers, later handling
the job full time. She graciously accepted the full time position
for the 2009 season and has taken the challenge to make 2010 our
best season yet. Elizabeth graduated Magna Cum Laude from Virginia
Tech ("Go Hokies") with a
double major in Theatre and English Studies. In addition to her
work in theatre in Philly and New York and on the soundstages in
Wilmington, NC, she has paid the rent working as an executive
assistant and substitute teacher. She made the great leap of faith
four years ago and headed to Los Angeles where she has already made
her presence known in casting circles which include several guest
appearances on TV including "Southland", "Criminal Minds”, “Heroes”
and the film "Downstream". She
can also be seen in the web series “Ladies Room
Diaries".
Coming in to assist us on Saturdays and to fill in when needed in the office will be the lovely Deborah Musolff Cade. Unlike most of our staff Deborah is a singer/songwriter rather than an actress. Originally from Pennsylvania, she ventured out to Los Angeles on her own with just her guitar and a Jetta packed tightly to begin the life of a musician. She’s worked as a studio vocalist for ABC TV shows, movie trailers, numerous artist's albums and independent projects. She was a regional finalist for the TV show "Nashville Star", flying to Nashville to perform live with Claus Herther on guitar (who also co-wrote many of her songs) at "The Stage" on Broadway. She’s also performed her original work on MTV and has placed her compositions in two movies ("Deceit" by ElevenEleven Productions, and Eric Weinstein's "Persuasion". Her local live performances include the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip, opening for the Rembrandts, as well as numerous other gigs around LA. Some of her work is currently available for download on iTunes.
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Chuck Sloan
Tricia Lee Pascoe 
Joe
Howard 
Ursula Whittaker
Lamont
Dixon
Shanna Igoe 
Marta
Sullivan, CPA
Dominic
Comperatore
Ronnie Steadman
Mike
Campbell
Elizabeth Roberts
Deborah
Musolff Cade