Tax season is over, but for Jeff Augenstein and his team at Northern AZ Financial Services Company, the discussion does not stop after April 15.
Augenstein and three other partners from his firm have been selected to participate in a congressional meeting in Washington D.C., taking place May 12-13.
“The National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) does a Fly-in Day in Washington D.C. every year,” Augenstein said. “Their entire membership – which is about 33,000 – can apply to be selected to fly into Washington D.C. on this specific day. Our entire office of four people was invited to participate in the panel.”
According to the NAEA website, the organization hosts the Fly-in Day as a means for their members to meet with their elected representatives to discuss important issues that affect the business and practice of enrolled agents.
This year, the NAEA selected just 128 people out of its membership to participate in the event.
“It’s fairly exclusive,” Augenstein said. “The reason they do that is because they want people to come in who can speak about taxes in an educated way without bringing their own political agenda. You’re there to represent NAEA.”
Augenstein and his wife, Roxanne – also an Enrolled Agent – were selected for the panel last year, as well.
While Augenstein will not know the specifics of the discussion until he arrives, he does know that two of the topics they plan to talk about are recognition of Enrolled Agent credentials – which have been around since the Civil War but have never been recognized in the tax code –and tax reform.
“When we get there, we will have a meeting in the late evening to talk about what we’re going to be discussing,” Augenstein said. “Then we meet with our legislators, which in our case is Representative Anne Kirkpatrick, Senator Jeff Flake and Senator John McCain.”
Augenstein became a tax professional in 1996 and became an Enrolled Agent in 2002. He and his wife opened Northern AZ Financial Services Company in 2003. Augenstein is a graduate of the National Tax Practice Institute, the president of the Arizona Society of Enrolled Agents, and has attended some of the most prestigious tax seminars in the country. FBN
By Maria DiCosola
Flagstaff Business News