How One Bookkeeper Uses TaxPlanIQ to Deliver $100K+ in Client Tax Savings

Starting Over with Purpose

Christina Messer didn’t start her career in tax. She began in marketing communications— graphic design, SEO, analytics. But a personal financial crisis changed her trajectory. “I owed thousands and thousands in taxes. It was so stressful and took forever to get any answers from the IRS,” she recalls. “That experience stayed with me.”

Years later, after building an e-commerce business with her now-husband and discovering the power of tax strategies firsthand, Christina decided to make a change. “I started helping friends with their taxes. Then it clicked—I could build a business around this.”

She launched her bookkeeping firm in February 2024. But she always knew the long-term value was in tax strategy. “My jam is strategy,” she said. “I love out-of-the-box thinking and helping clients build their future, not just record their past.” So in May 2024, she started offering tax planning under her new company, Clues & Co.

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The Challenge: Confidence, Complexity, and Scaling Strategy

While Christina had the drive and the passion, she wasn’t formally trained in accounting or tax planning—and the learning curve was steep. “I wasn’t 100% confident when I started. I didn’t have credentials. I felt like, ‘I’m just a bookkeeper.’”

Finding and applying the right tax strategies for each client was also time-consuming. “You really have to know where to look, and there’s no central place to find everything. The tax code isn’t written in plain English.”

Christina needed a tool to give her clarity, speed, and confidence—and a community to support her growth.

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The Solution: A Scalable, Smart Tax Planner Software

That’s when she found TaxPlanIQ. The tax planner software gave her exactly what she needed: a strategy library, guided implementation steps, and reliable support.

“I can upload a 1040 and within minutes, it gives me accurate suggestions. That alone saves so much time. It’s fast, it's smart, and it’s getting better all the time.”

For someone newer to tax planning, the built-in references and examples were critical. “When I started second-guessing myself, I’d go into the strategy library to cross-check things. It helped me validate what I already knew but was too nervous to act on.”

She also leaned heavily on TaxPlanIQ’s Growth Plan support. “Those one-on-one calls with the expert CPAs? They were everything. They told me, ‘You know more than your clients. You are the expert.’ That gave me the confidence to keep going.”

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The Results: Massive Savings and a Thriving Firm

With TaxPlanIQ, Christina started delivering transformational results.

“One client came in owing $170,000. I applied the home sale exclusion and a few other strategies. Final result? Zero taxes owed. His reaction? ‘Holy hell, Christina. You rock.’”

In another case, a client who was facing $140,000 in taxes walked away with an $8,000 refund. “They come to me depressed. They leave excited. They feel hope again.”

Christina now targets 250–300% ROI on every tax plan and uses TaxPlanIQ’s one-pagers to clearly show potential savings and implementation steps.

“It’s not just software. It’s the easiest tool for me to use and the easiest for my clients to understand.”

Thanks to her strategy-first approach, her firm has grown over 136% in revenue—in just one year.

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Empowering Others—And Herself

TaxPlanIQ has not only transformed Christina’s client outcomes; it’s changed her own business model.

“I’ve used so many other platforms and programs. None compare to TaxPlanIQ. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all world. With this tool, I can be flexible and still deliver massive value.”

She credits the consistency of TaxPlanIQ’s resources, like weekly strategy calls and the ability to hop into 1:1s when needed, for helping her internalize complex concepts.

“Repetition is everything. Those Zoom calls, the PowerPoints—they help it stick.”

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A Message to Accountants on the Fence

To others thinking about expanding into tax planning, Christina’s advice is clear:
“You don’t need to know everything on day one. You need a platform that supports you—both with tools and with people. TaxPlanIQ gave me both. If you want to do tax planning, start here.”

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TaxPlanIQ helps accountants create high-value tax plans in minutes—not hours. By combining AI-powered analysis, curated strategy libraries, and easy-to-share branded outputs, the platform allows firm owners like Christina to deliver serious client savings, build stronger relationships, and scale advisory services with confidence.

Schedule your complimentary demo today: www.TaxPlanIQ.com