They say that old ways won’t open new doors. This is true in both business and general life. I am a modern CPA who offers a different approach to my client’s needs.
Firstly, I am a CPA CGA with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. I am a member of CPA Canada, CPA Ontario and the Canadian Tax Foundation. I also completed the CPA In-Depth tax program in Canada. In addition, I am IRS PTIN registered in the United States. I will hesitantly admit my age and disclose that I have 20 years of both audit and tax experience with two of the four large accounting firms in the world. For the past 5 years I have worked as a tax contractor for one of these firms.
The beginning of my professional career started in the audit practice. During this time, I worked preparing audit reports and financial statements for SEC registered public companies and large private companies in both Canada and the United States, in IL and NC States. After several years, I then transferred into the tax practice and the rest is history. I have been working in expat personal tax ever since (specializing in global expatriate taxation, with focus on Canada and US tax). Working in expat tax has given me the opportunity to meet and work alongside some very interesting & highly influential executives, business leaders and clients over the years. I have worked with executives, CEOs, presidents, and even professional sports athletes providing tax and expat consulting. Providing exceptional service and the relationships I have built with my clients is the reason I have been a tax specialist for so long. Keeping up with both Canadian and US tax news and updates yearly keeps me challenged.
Secondly, on a more personal level I am a mother of two, wife to a local entrepreneur, an advocate for youth financial and tax literacy, advocate of women’s rights, philanthropist, and cancer survivor. I have volunteered my personal time as a mentor, for speaking sessions, youth tax education sessions and volunteered with women’s shelters. My battle with both thyroid cancer and breast DCIS has given me a different perspective on life and a different approach to professional work. I like to view the world and clients with a humanistic approach, “an individual first, a business professional second”.
There is also a reason why my web site is detailed with architecture. One of my hobbies outside of my professional work is exploring picturesque doors and rustic buildings. One of my favorite cities to explore for this purpose is Porto Portugal, where the architecture is famous for Azulejos (a kind of glazed colored tile traditionally used in Spanish, Portuguese and Moroccan buildings). To my family’s dismay, I can spend hours walking and photographing architectural buildings and doors while visiting a new place. But I like to think of it as a way to explore and learn from the beauty that each region offers. After all, open minds lead to open doors.
Sandra DaCosta
BY CLEANFOREST.CO