Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Goodman.
Kendra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into the tax industry started completely by chance. There was a local news segment called Job Link Monday, where the station would spotlight companies hiring in the area. One particular Monday, before tax season, Liberty Tax was featured. My father saw it, called me, and told me to reach out. So I did.
The owner, Chris, happened to answer the phone himself. He told me to come in for an interview and training. I had zero prior tax knowledge — not a single class, not a single return filed. Just a phone call and a willingness to show up.
That one Monday changed the entire course of my life.
I spent the next several years sharpening my skills and building my knowledge. Then, ten years ago, with the blessing of my former supervisor, I made the leap. I got my EIN, established my LLC, Goodman’s Tax Consulting, and partnered with a trusted colleague who was ready to make his own move too.
Today, I operate as a virtual tax consulting firm based in Irmo, South Carolina — serving clients with expanded services and resources that continue to grow every season. And next tax season? We’re moving into a physical location.
We started with a phone call. We’re building a legacy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Absolutely not. And I wouldn’t change a thing.
Building clientele from scratch was one of my first real challenges. When you step away from a big name like Liberty Tax, you’re no longer riding that brand recognition. It’s just you. You have to earn trust, build relationships, and let the quality of your work speak for itself. My loyal clients showed up for me early and their referrals kept me going — I am forever grateful for them.
For the first two years I was completely mobile. No office. No set hours. Just me meeting clients wherever they needed me — at their jobs, their homes, whenever they were available. That meant working around the clock. It took a serious toll on my body and honestly, on my family too.
After two years of grinding like that, we moved into our first brick and mortar — a small rented house. It wasn’t fancy, but it was OURS. We made it work for about two years.
Then life started shifting. My kids needed me more. My mother was getting older. Around 2019, I made the decision to transition to working from home. When 2020 hit and the world shut down, it actually validated everything I had already been building. While everyone else was scrambling to figure out virtual, we were already there.
One thing nobody tells you about going independent is how much YOU are responsible for your own knowledge. Working in a retail setting, training materials were handed to me every season. On my own? I had to build relationships with IRS publications, tax codes, and industry conferences myself. I had to go GET the knowledge. That was humbling — and honestly, it made me a better tax professional.
Do I get stressed every tax season? Absolutely. There are moments every year where I think about walking away. But then I remember my WHY. I remember the clients who specifically look for ME. I remember the people watching me, rooting for me, encouraged by my journey. I refuse to let them down. More importantly, I refuse to let myself down.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Goodman’s Tax Consulting is a full-service, virtual tax consulting firm based in Irmo, South Carolina — and when I say full service, I mean it.
We offer:
Individual & Business Tax Preparation
Tax Planning
Bookkeeping
Business Structure Start-Up (EIN, LLC formation, understanding your structure, and yes — even branding color suggestions for your industry)
SC Notary Public Services
Marketing Start-Up Support
And we are currently expanding into background checks, drug testing, and fingerprinting card services — because growth never stops around here.
But here’s what really sets us apart — my clients don’t feel like clients. Every person who calls me, emails me, or hops on a virtual session walks away feeling like family. I am attentive, I am thorough, and every single person who trusts me with their finances feels like they are my ONLY client. That’s not a marketing strategy. That’s just how I operate.
Our tagline is “Where Accuracy Meets Integrity” — and we live that every single day.
I am Annual Filing Season Program certified, a credential I have maintained for 7 of my 10 years in business independently. That means I don’t just prepare your taxes — I stay educated, I stay current, and I stay ready.
Speaking of 10 years — October 2026 marks a full decade of Goodman’s Tax Consulting. And what a decade it has been. We have served clients across all 50 states and at military installations around the world. What started as a phone call to a local news segment has grown into a firm with a global footprint.
I love helping whoever I can, whenever I can. Whether you’re an individual trying to maximize your refund, a new entrepreneur trying to figure out your business structure, or a military family navigating taxes from overseas — Goodman’s Tax is here for you.
You can find us and connect with us at:
🌐 www.goodmanstax.com
📘 Facebook
📸 Instagram
🎵 TikTok
We started virtual before virtual was necessary. We serve globally because excellence has no zip code.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Where do I even start? 😄
Let’s kick it off with this — I am actually an introvert. I know, I know. My friends would strongly disagree. But at my core, I am a homebody who genuinely loves her peace and quiet. Don’t let the confidence fool you.
Speaking of peace and quiet — people always ask me what I do after tax season to decompress and my answer probably surprises them. There is no such thing as downtime. Tax season may end but the work never does. There are always trainings to attend, webinars to catch, systems to build, articles to read, and new policies to understand. The tax industry is everchanging — and now with AI being implemented into IRS systems, the learning curve is only getting steeper. I stay ready so I never have to get ready.
And here’s something that might really surprise people — I never planned on being in taxes. Not even a little bit. I actually started out doing photography and fell in love with it. I also own a pressure washing business and a janitorial business. Taxes found ME — and somewhere along the way it became a passion I never saw coming.
Something else people get wrong about this industry — taxes is not just data entry and it’s not as math-heavy as people think. It is about knowing the rules, staying in compliance, and having the willingness to keep learning. That’s the real work.
But what drives everything I do — every return I file, every preparer I train, every client call I take — is something much deeper. I worry constantly that I’m not doing enough. Not doing my best. I want to do right by every single person who trusts me. The way I show up in this business is a direct reflection of the values I was raised with — and I take that seriously every single day.
Oh — and when I AM taking a break? You can find me harassing my two adult children or chasing around my cavapoo/yorkie mix puppy, Truffle. 🐾
Truffle has absolutely no idea how hard tax season is. And honestly? I envy her.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.goodmanstax.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodmanstax803
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodmanTax
