Are you using the same tax software you picked five years ago, even though your practice has completely changed? Still telling yourself it's too late in the year to evaluate alternatives? You're choosing software for the firm you had, not the firm you're building. Kristen Keats learned this the hard way. She built a firm around her ideal client, not the clients she had yesterday.

In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi, Kristen Keats, owner of Sherwood Tax and Accounting, breaks down how to evaluate tax software for your future, not your past, and why "crawl, walk, run" beats betting the farm every time.

Kristen started with ProSeries when she was running a small practice out of her house. It worked perfectly for straightforward returns and a limited number of clients. But when she bought Sherwood Tax and Accounting, everything shifted. She had staff in Mexico. She had complex multi-state clients. She had consolidations that ProSeries couldn't handle. She asked herself a different question: 'Who do I actually want to serve in the next few years?' The answer wasn't yesterday's clients. It was tomorrow's clients. So she leveled up to Lacerte. That decision didn't just change her software. It built the firm she wanted, rather than trapping her in the one she inherited.

This wasn't just a software choice. This was Kristen's philosophy on everything: crawl, walk, run. You don't bet the farm on new technology. You test a few clients in ProConnect while keeping Lacerte as your safety net. You ask your best client to be your guinea pig. You build confidence gradually instead of risking everything during your busiest season. The beautiful part? ProConnect's interface looks just like Lacerte, so even her most change-resistant tax manager found the transition natural.

Kristen opens up about:

• Her mission to bring joy to accounting by making it fulfilling for both accountants and clients
• How the tax roadmap system stops April 10th panic emails and client anxiety from spiraling
• The crawl, walk, run philosophy: test gradually, don't bet the farm on new technology
• Her firm growth strategy: evaluate software for your ideal client three years from now, not the clients you serve today
• How to let go of clients who don't value you before tax season starts, not after
• Why January is when new clients are looking for preparers (not when to shut down marketing)
• Being intentional about client selection creates capacity for relationships that actually matter
• How diagnostics catch errors before the IRS does, letting your team focus on advisory work
• Why new tax legislation is the ultimate test of whether your software keeps up with compliance
• Her fully remote tech stack: Carbon, QuickBooks Online, and hosted Lacerte in Mexico
• How to frame advisory work you're already doing and charge for the value you bring all year
• Why intentionality in 2025 means being selective about what you take on and what you let go."

Are you stuck with tax software that worked five years ago but limits where you're trying to go? See how cloud-based solutions with intuitive interfaces let you test gradually while building the practice you actually want.
Explore Intuit Professional Tax Software to start: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/

Connect with the hosts:
🎙 Carrie Hammond: https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond
🎙 Lexi Bonicard: https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard

Follow Kristen Keats:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristenkeats

#JoyToAccounting #CrawlWalkRun #IdealClientProfile #TaxRoadmap #IntentionalBusiness #ChangeManagement #FireYourClients #ClientCommunication #TaxSoftwareSelection #RemoteTaxFirm #ProConnectTax #LacerteTax #IntuitTax #DeductThisPodcast