Katie and Wayne Jackson were both first-generation college graduates, earning their degrees in education. They met at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. and moved to the Northwest in 1968, when northern schools were seeking to integrate more African American teachers into their staff.

[blockquote quote="Help everyone who walks through the door. And what keeps us going is helping other people." source="Kedrich Jackson, American Tax Consultants" align="right" max_width="300px"]

“They were going to Seattle to find work and they stopped off in the Tri-Cities,” said Kedrich Jackson, the couple’s oldest son. “My uncle was living here at the time and they were stopping by to say hello and go onto Seattle. But Mom ended up getting a job offer and Dad did shortly after.”

But Wayne Jackson was an entrepreneurial spirit. While he enjoyed his teaching career at Pasco High School, his passion was numbers. With a Master’s degree in mathematics, he began doing tax returns on the side.

“Quite frankly, it was a good business opportunity,” said Kedrich Jackson. “Not many people liked doing taxes — especially with the complexity. We didn’t have computers then. They were done by hand. Dad went to their homes to do the work and it was quite lucrative for him.”

By 1972, Wayne Jackson was doing 200 to 300 returns by hand. That was the grassroots beginning of the Tax Consultants of America. Jackson later changed the business name to American Tax Consultants. The family used the extra money from the business to invest in rental properties, a restaurant, and even put Kedrich and his brother, Von, through college.

“My brother and I both have Master’s in mechanical engineering,” said Kedrich Jackson. “Math is second nature to us.”

Their father continued to balance his career in education and the tax business, but each year the number of tax returns climbed. Eventually Wayne Jackson hired DECA students to help meet the seasonal demand.

In 2001, he hired his first part-time employee, Kedrich Jackson said.

“At that time, his tax business basically took over our living room by the front door,” he said.

For eight years, American Tax Consultants operated in the family home, but the reality was the business needed its own space.

“When you’re doing close to 500 tax returns — that’s how many visitors are coming to your house. Mom wanted her house back,” Kedrich Jackson added.

In 2009, American Tax Consultants leased a 1,200-sq.-ft. building on Court Street in Pasco.

That same year, Kedrich Jackson retired from Hewlett-Packard and his father asked him to take over the business.

“I have corporate management experience and a lot of what I learned at HP—all those skills sets that I gained—he wanted me to apply to our business to help us grow it even further,” he said.

Kedrich Jackson joined the family business in 2010 and officially took over in 2011. His brother, Von Jackson, joined as a part-time employee in 2010 and became a full-time vice president for the business in 2011.

“Dad is officially 75 percent retired. He still has a small client base that are very loyal to him and he still has a desk,” said Kedrich Jackson.

Now American Tax Consultants has about ten employees during the tax season, but maintains a staff of five to six employees year round. Along with tax preparation for individuals, Jackson said they also handle returns for estates and nonprofit companies.

“We do every single tax return the IRS accepts,” he said. “We also do tax resolution and that ties particularly to our background—solving a tax problem is just a different process you follow to reach a solution. And because we offer that year round when most other franchises close, we can continue to offer that service after the season ends.”

About 80 percent of their business is related to taxes and American Tax Consultants has clients in Texas, New York, Ohio and California. The have even filed returns for clients in Russia.

“She hadn’t filed in several years,” said Jackson, referring to the client from Russia. “And after a few months, we got everything filed for her. Because the IRS has reduced their staffing, they do a lot of their audits through correspondence and people will bring their letters to us and we’ll help them solve their problems.”

American Tax Consultants also offers bookkeeping and payroll services, as well as business registration and consultations.

Kedrich Jackson said the business is considering expanding into other areas, as well.

“Doing taxes is very personal, so what you want to do is be able to help people in the current year to maximize their return and minimize their liability,” he said. “But you also want them to look forward to what they want to do with retirement.”

Within the next year or two, Jackson said American Tax Consultants plans to become certified to be able to offer financial products and solutions. Along with expanding their services, they expect to move to a larger location to meet the growing demand for tax help.

“This past year, we picked up over 500 new clients,” he said, adding that they processed about 3,000 returns in total. “Taxes are complex and can be frustrating at times. I think it’s the value proposition our dad instilled in us: Help everyone who walks through the door. And what keeps us going is helping other people.”

American Tax Consultants is at 3330 W. Court Street, Ste. R, in Pasco. During tax season, Jan. 15 – April 15, the business is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Off-season hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call them at 509-547-3961 or schedule an appointment through the website at www.atc415.com or find them on Facebook.