Get to Know Kevin

How a D in religion, a Corvette on a first-job salary and getting fired from audit led one CPA to tax strategy.

Kevin Schneider shares why he took a significant pay cut to join Revo, why no client ever thanked him for an audit but every client remembers a strategy that saves them money, and the client he sent to Mike Pine before he'd even signed on. Plus: why Mike calls Kevin a superpower behind everything Revo provides, and why Kevin is the one who does Mike's own taxes.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Nobody thanks you for an audit. Audit keeps the bank and the investors safe, and in audit, thinking outside the box gets you in trouble. Bring a client a tax strategy that saves them hundreds of thousands of dollars, though, and you're their favorite person.

• The standard playbook rarely moves the needle. The Augusta rule and paying your kids save money. Before he'd signed with Revo, Kevin sent a well-known client to Mike, whose question about a defined benefit cash balance plan led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax savings Kevin says he wouldn't have thought of.

• Knowing the rules isn't the same as using them. On a first-job salary of about $48,000 to $50,000, Kevin rented a $1,500-a-month high-rise in Dallas, bought a Corvette and didn't max out his 401(k) match. If a CPA can leave free money on the table, anyone can.

• The tax strategist's tax strategist. Mike Pine runs a tax strategy firm and still hands his own tax planning to Kevin, the best tax CPA he's ever worked with ("next to myself").

Chapters

[00:00] Cold open, then two weeks off tax and why tax is your biggest expense

[03:02] The LinkedIn message and the pay cut that brought Kevin to Revo

[08:02] Baseball, a D in religion and the roommate who picked Kevin's major

[14:42] First job in audit, a Dallas high-rise and a Corvette

[18:37] Fired from audit, and the moment tax started clicking

[22:27] 75-hour weeks, and why Revo caps tax season at 50

[23:38] Thinking outside the box: the client Kevin sent to Mike

[25:47] What makes Kevin different, and why Mike calls it a superpower

[32:53] Why Kevin got fired (coming on Unleashed), and who does Mike's taxes

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Always consult a qualified tax professional for your situation.