Shirley Shiotani is one of just 400 tax professionals who has completed the American Institute for Certified Tax Coaches’ training academy leading to the certified tax coach designation.

“Taxpayers who really want to beat the IRS can’t wait for their accountant to work magic with a stack of receipts on April 15,” said Shiotani, a Federal Way tax planner at Shiotani & Raley Tax and Accounting Services Inc. “They need a plan for taking advantage of every deduction, credit, loophole and strategy allowed.”

“Traditional tax professionals focus on putting the right numbers in the right boxes on the right forms,” says Dominique Molina, a San Diego-based CPA and director of the American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches. “Our program is different. We don’t just help our client’s record history. We help them write it, with a complete menu of advanced tax-planning concepts and strategies.”

To earn the designation, Shiotani completed an intense three-day training program. She has also agreed to abide by the American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches’ code of ethics and complete 24 hours of tax-planning continuing education each year.