Julie Susskind on the Joy of Tax

Part of our Joy of Tax series, where we sit down with the CPAs of Gelt to talk about what makes this work matter.

Most people hate taxes. They don't want to think about them, talk about them, and they certainly wouldn't want to work in them. Julie Susskind has a different take on those people.

"Those are sometimes my favorite types of clients," she says, "because then I feel like I can really be there for them, really guide them, and prove to be a real support system. So if you hate your taxes, you can come to me. I'll take care of you."

Watch the full conversation below, or read on for the highlights.

Falling into the family business

Julie never dreamed of becoming an accountant. Her father is one, and growing up, she was sure she wouldn't follow him. "I definitely did not want to become an accountant," she admits.

Then college happened. She took some tax courses and, to her surprise, enjoyed them. After graduating she was living abroad, where there was a real market for tax accountants. "I kind of think I fell into it," she says.

What turned a fallback into a passion was the kind of work she gets to do now. "Especially since I've come to Gelt, where we have such a focus on strategy and really getting to the core of taxes for our clients, we're not just churning out tax returns like more traditional public accounting firms may do."

(Her father, for the record, is very proud.)

The win that warms her heart

For Julie, the best part of the job is finding the big win: helping a client navigate their taxes and then optimizing something real: planning for the future, investing in real estate, and ultimately saving money. "That for me is such a success story. And I feel so great about it, especially for those clients that hated taxes to begin with. We're showing them it doesn't have to be so bad."

Her favorite recent example: a client with a portfolio of short-term rentals who came to Gelt about six months ago. Julie noticed the problem almost immediately. The client hadn't been claiming losses on her short-term rentals. As an active real estate professional operating short-term rentals, she was entitled to more aggressive loss-claiming opportunities than a typical long-term rental owner.

So Julie went back and fixed it. The team amended three years of federal and state returns ("that's not an easy thing to do") and recovered upwards of $50,000 in refunds.

Timing mattered. The client arrived early enough in the year that Julie could focus on the prior-year returns before starting her current one. "It was so obvious that when she came to us, it was the right time. We were really able to provide her with the real attention it needed."

The client was very excited to let Julie know each time a refund landed. "Stories like that really warm my heart and just make me love what I do."

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How to find the right tax advisor

Asked what someone should do if proactive tax planning is striking a chord, Julie's answer goes beyond a sales pitch: find an advisor who values strategy, not just preparation.

"There are many different types of accountants out there, many different ways to approach tax," she says. "Preparing a tax return can be quite simple; you're just putting information into a return. It's really the nuance behind the numbers and how you're getting to those numbers. It's important to find an accountant that you can really trust to get you to the right spot."

That distinction, between an accountant who files and one who plans, is the difference between a return that's merely correct and one that's actually optimized. A clean return is the floor. The strategy behind it is where the money is.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between tax preparation and tax planning?
Tax preparation is the act of filing, taking your financial information and entering it accurately onto a return. Tax planning is the strategy that happens before and around that return: deciding how to structure income, time decisions, and claim what you're entitled to so the final bill is as low as it legally can be. As Julie puts it, "It's really the nuance behind the numbers."

Can short-term rental owners claim losses on their taxes?
Often, yes. Owners who actively operate short-term rentals can qualify for more aggressive loss-claiming opportunities than typical long-term rental owners. In one recent case, a Gelt client who hadn't been claiming these losses recovered upwards of $50,000 after the team amended three years of federal and state returns. The specifics depend on your situation, so it's worth reviewing with a strategist.

Is it worth amending past tax returns?
It can be. Amending returns isn't simple, but when prior filings missed deductions or losses you were entitled to, the refunds can be substantial. The earlier in the year you start, the more room an advisor has to address prior-year returns before the current one comes due.

How do I find a proactive tax advisor?
Look for someone who values strategy, not just preparation, and someone you trust. Many accountants will accurately file what you give them. Fewer dig into the nuance behind the numbers to find what you're leaving on the table. Ask how a prospective advisor approaches planning, not just filing.

Hate your taxes? Talk to a Gelt CPA.