Taxpayers who really want to get the most from their return can’t wait for their accountant to work magic with a stack of receipts. They need a plan for taking advantage of every deduction, credit, loophole, and strategy allowed.

"Traditional tax professionals focus on putting the right numbers in the right boxes on the right forms,” says Dominique Molina, a San Diego-based CPA and Director of the American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches. “Our program is different,” she continues. “We don’t just help our client’s record history. We help them write it, with a complete menu of advanced tax-planning concepts and strategies.”

The Certified Tax Coach program focuses on court-tested, IRS-approved strategies for minimizing Alternative Minimum Tax, maximizing deductions from real estate and passive activities, maximizing retirement savings, and similarly powerful strategies. As taxes rise to cover increased government spending, this sort of proactive planning will become even more important in the future.

To earn the CTC designation, Mark Howes completed the required training program, and has also agreed to abide by the AICTC Code of Ethics and complete 24 hours of tax-planning continuing education each year.