Small Business Boomers
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Profiles - Your Stories
 Eva Rosenberg - Would Like To Set Up Free Tax Centers
http://taxmama.com/
1) What do you believe makes you special or interesting?
Personally? Nothing. Yet, people have always been drawn to me. I am a magnet for two kinds of people.
a) Those in trouble who need someone to comfort them and help them get through it.
b) Smart, strong people who want to make their lives and the world a better place
2) What kind of effect have you had, or would like to have on the world?
When I was 10, I knew that I would write and do big things to help people. Didn't know what, yet. It never even remotely dawned on me that it would be improving the IRS and the tax system!
When I was 18 years old, starting college, and about to get a marriage proposal, I remember thinking - if I die right now, I've lived a terrific life. I've lived through great suffering and hardship; I've helped many people improve their lives; and I've experienced a powerful love. What more can you ask for?
That was a long time ago. In the 35+ intervening years, I've helped and inspired people; I've gotten people's finances straightened out and put them on the path to a more successful, less stressful life, worked behind the scenes with IRS to make the tax collection and education system better. And taught thousands of people about tax issues and how they needn't fear the system.
3) What events shaped or changed your life? Escaping from Hungary in the dead of night and starting life over and over again many times until we stopped in California and stayed here. Life is interesting as an odd outsider without local language skills.
Seeing my parents struggles with finances and languages and businesses - and their successes and failures. There's a lot to learn here about finances, education, long-term vision and love.
A CFO on a temp job who changed the whole direction of my life by persuading me that I had to go for my CPA then (right after college graduation), while I could afford the cut in pay. And a friend who got me a job in National CPA firm's tax department after all firms had long before stopped recruiting for the year. While I never did bother to finish my CPA, I became so fascinated with the language, mystery and challenge of taxes that it's become my life's work.
4) Did you overcome obstacles - take risks - get lucky?
Lots of obstacles - too many to list. Some: Financial obstacles, excessive unplanned debt - no bankruptcies. Expensive business failures and partners who wasted amazing opportunities, resources and ideas. I came up with the online WishList and was trademarking the concept, when.... Webmasters who were dishonest or guided by their own visions rather than doing what I paid them for (more expense) and never built my vision.
Lucky?
Luck is persistence, vision, excellence and a total sense of the joy and wonder of each new day. I get lucky every day.
Because I went to yell at a neighbor who was constantly waking me up before 5:00 am - I met my husband. Who now wakes me up a 4:00 am each day.
Because I write well and can make complex concepts easy to understand, one day I got a call, out of the blue, from McGraw-Hill asking me to write a book. Small Business Taxes Made Easy was published in 2004. I am updating it this summer.
Because I'd tried to help a friend get an article he'd written published, I ended up as one of MarketWatch's TaxWatch columnists - and MarketWatch got bought up by Dow Jones. Can you imagine getting any higher than that! Whew.
Because I wake up each morning expecting wonders, they come.
5) What have you done that no one would guess you'd done upon first meeting you?
Dumpy, little old me? Let's see, I've received at least 25 marriage proposals, probably more. Accepted two.
I was on the front page (above the fold) of a newspaper when I was three. See, destined for fame from baby-hood.
I've become friends with key people at the IRS - and changed many of their policies over the years - without ever running for office, joining any of their committees, or having my name on any thing public.
I've saved lives. Have you ever seen anyone so burdened by debt, taxes and personal failures that they wish they were dead? Can you imagine the transformation in their lives when they learn there is a future? Wow.
And that I am THE go-to person for personal and small business tax issues for journalists all over the US.
6) What is still left to be done in your life?
Lots!
TaxMama® regularly hears from people in deep despair who can't afford to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to help them get out of the tax sinkhole they're in. Without help, they could be there for 10 years or more.
So I'd love to set up a series of free tax centers around the country to help people who haven't filed taxes for years, or have burdensome tax debt they can't manage.
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