As a CPA, my practice is focused on helping my clients make smarter
decisions before they happen. Since I focus on advisory and proactive
tax planning, I'm constantly getting questions like:
-
"What if we do a cost segregation study and take accelerated
depreciation?"
-
"How much of my traditional IRA should I convert to a Roth this
year?"
- "Should we buy the equipment now or wait until next year?"
That's where Catalyst really shines. Instead of giving clients a
"well, it depends" answer, I can plug everything in, model different
scenarios, and show them side-by-side projections in a way that makes
sense. Clients love being able to visualize the tax impact of their
decisions before they pull the trigger, and Catalyst is the perfect
tool to bridge the gap between the complex world of tax and the
average taxpayer.
Anything that helps turn complicated tax concepts into clear,
actionable advice is a win in my book... and Catalyst has become a
huge part of those conversations.
- Shannon Kuharik, Sixth City CPA
When I need to do a batch of Roth conversion analyses or any other tax planning situation (especially annual ones), it is so nice to have a simple interface with no fancy bells or whistles, that doesn't log me out every 2 seconds, and doesn't have crazy processing/loading screen times.
Placing the scenarios side by side makes comparison easy. The simple answer is always the best one, and I feel like that saying perfectly encapsulates what the Catalyst software accomplishes. It's really impressive.
Choosing to make something simple and easy rather than cutting-edge, sexy, or cool is exactly what the industry needed in terms of planning tools (especially tax planning). I don't need the program to tell me what to do, I need it to give me reliable numbers in a frictionless fashion and that's what Catalyst does. I can give my clients quick responses and deliver work faster to my boss.
- Neeka Miremadi, CFP®, Attainable Wealth Management & Co-host of Academics and Their Money Podcast
I've been in the accounting world for over 15 years and have worked
with just about every tax planning and projection tool imaginable.
What I appreciate about Catalyst is that it strikes the perfect
balance between speed and accuracy. Sometimes I don't want to (or
can't) spend hours rebuilding an entire tax return to answer a
client's question.
I need a quick, reliable projection so I can help them make a decision
and keep things moving. Catalyst lets me enter the key information,
run the numbers, and get meaningful results without all the extra data
entry and importing between software programs. As a CPA who values
efficiency and responsiveness, that's huge.
It helps me spend less time wrestling with software and more time
doing what I should be doing - advising clients, solving problems,
and helping them make data-supported financial decisions.
- Catalyst Pro User
One thing I really like about Catalyst is that it's powerful enough to
handle complex tax planning insights, but it's also simple enough that
the average taxpayer can use it on their own. As a CPA, I have clients
who want tax planning - they want to know the impact of a Roth
conversion, whether they should contribute more to retirement, or how
a major purchase might affect their taxes.
The challenge is that not every client has the budget for ongoing
advisory services, and sometimes the cost of a custom tax projection
would outweigh the actual tax savings they're likely to achieve.
That's where Catalyst fills a really important gap. Instead of either
saying "no" or spending a lot of time on a low-margin engagement, I
can point clients to a tool that allows them to run scenarios, explore
options, and get answers on their own. They get access to the
information they're looking for, and I can stay focused on
higher-value advisory work where my expertise makes the biggest
impact.
To me, that's a win-win. Clients feel empowered to make informed
decisions, and I can continue delivering great service without getting
buried in projections that don't make sense for either of us.
- Catalyst Pro User
