Age: 28
Home: Minneapolis
Title: Tax accountant, enrolled agent and co-owner of Fox Tax, which specializes in financial services for artists and musicians. It's also an art gallery.
Income: $60,000 to $80,000
Education: Bachelor's degree in developmental psychology
Previous job experience: I spent six years at a private tax firm in St. Paul before starting Fox Tax.
How'd you get your job? My brother Mark and I were doing taxes for a lot of artists, and after a tax season four years ago, we decided to make a tax guide/organizer/planner book for artists and musicians. We had maybe 200 clients between the two of us, and we made 1,000 of our books, which are now sold out. Then we spent three months renovating a 2,200-square-foot warehouse space into half tax office and half art gallery.
When did you know you wanted to work in financial services? Originally, it was a college job that I found fun and easy. A few months in, I fell in love with taxes and started taking tax and accounting courses in addition to my psychology classes.
Art and taxes seem to be such an unlikely couple. How did this combo happen? Mark and I have been very active in the arts and music communities in Minneapolis for years. We are always out at shows at the local venues and often times talking about taxes. ... Nerdy but true. We found most of our clients by talking about taxes at rock 'n' roll shows.
What are the pros and cons of your job? Pros: That it all happens in four months. After that we are able to take it easy and not work nearly as much. Cons: That it all happens in four months. It's a really intense time.
