Tangmade the Taxlady

Tax preparers… quick check.

Look at one of your returns.
How many fees are on it?

It should really just be your prep fee and the bank fee. That’s it.

If there’s a bunch of extras on there, ask who added them and where that money is going. Because most of the time, you’re the one doing the work, but you’re not seeing any of that.

Then when the client doesn’t come back next year, it hits your numbers… not theirs.

Just because a setup looks good on the front end doesn’t mean it’s good for you long term. Pay attention to what’s being charged in your name.

If you’ve been feeling that and want something different, you know where to find me.

Tax Preparers… quick question 👀

Do you have a CAF number… or nah?

If you’re trying to level up, this matters.

A CAF number (Centralized Authorization File) is what lets you represent clients with the IRS.
Without it… you’re limited.

With it, you can:
👉🏽 Call the IRS Practitioner Priority Line
👉🏽 Pull client transcripts (wages, filings, balances)
👉🏽 See what years they missed
👉🏽 Actually KNOW what’s going on before you file

And when it’s set up right with your IRS Tax Pro Account, you can get transcripts same-day, unmasked.

Now let’s be real…
It’s not a quick “sign up and go” situation.

You apply, verify your identity, and yes — they usually mail a code to your address before everything is fully activated.

But once you’re in… it changes how you work.

No more guessing. No more “bring me everything.”
You can see it yourself.

If you’re serious about doing back taxes, audits, or real client work… you need this.

Y’all keep saying “there’s no grants out here”… and that’s not true 👀

There is money sitting in YOUR city right now.

The problem?
Everybody only looks at big national grants and skips what’s local.

Start here 👇🏽
City programs
Local foundations
Community grants
Utility companies
Small business funds

Now here’s the cheat code:

Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and type:
“Find local grants in [your city] for [what I do]”

That’s it.

Then ask it to break down:
who qualifies + how to apply

Same tool can help you write the answers too.

Stop guessing. Start using what’s already available.

If you’re getting paid to take care of someone in your home… READ THIS 👇🏽

That W-2 you getting from Medicaid / caregiving?
You might NOT even owe taxes on it.

I said what I said.

If the person you care for lives with you, that income can be tax-exempt under IRS rules (Notice 2014-7).

Meaning:
👉🏽 You could be overpaying taxes
👉🏽 Or filing it wrong completely

And the crazy part?
Most tax preparers don’t even ask this question.

It has to be filed a specific way not ignored, not guessed.

If you’re a caregiver, go look at your last return 👀

Tangmade.com

People ask how to make a nonprofit successful. My biggest tip? Don’t just chase grants build capacity.

A few things that matter:

• Strong board leadership and clear roles
• Programs with measurable impact, not just good ideas
• Diversify funding (grants, donors, partnerships, earned income)
• Invest in systems: compliance, bookkeeping, policies, evaluation
• Tell your story well. Funders support outcomes and vision
• Keep learning. Training is a game changer. Even seasoned nonprofit leaders stay in professional development.

A few free/low cost resources worth checking out:
🔗 Nonprofit Help Desk – nphd.org (free webinars + one on one support)
🔗 Nonprofit Ready – nonprofitready.org (free nonprofit management training)
🔗 Northwestern Nonprofit Management Essentials – kellogg.northwestern.edu/executive-education/nonprofit-management/online-nonprofit-management-essentials

My bonus tip? Build the mission and the infrastructure at the same time. Passion alone won’t sustain an organization systems will.

Nonprofit leaders, drop your best success tip below. Let’s share resources.

Online Nonprofit Management | Kellogg Executive Education In partnership with The Allstate Foundation, Kellogg's Center for Nonprofit Management delivers free online learning on-demand across a wide-range of essential management topics.

I use OpenAI’s nonprofit discount and can confirm it’s worth looking into if you’re a mission driven organization using AI for grant writing, admin support, programming, or operations.

One thing to note for solo folks like me: the nonprofit discount requires a minimum of two users, so keep that in mind when pricing it out. It can still be a helpful way to save each month and stretch resources. Sharing in case another nonprofit leader didn’t know this existed.

https://famousamosingredientsforsuccess.com/

Grant Readiness Tips Before You Apply
• Have your story straight
• Know your numbers
• Track outcomes
• Website matters
• Relationships matter before the grant