If you’ve ever been shaken up by your income tax debt, Barry G. Fowler, EA could be the guy to help you turn things around. His firm Trucker Tax Tools works with truckers all over the nation every day to help reduce your tax burden and overcome IRS tax issues. Learn more about avoiding IRS troubles from our conversation with Barry now.

AVOIDING IRS TROUBLES WITH TAX EXPERT BARRY FOWLER

DUKE.AI: For the past 20 years, Barry G. Fowler, EA has been a friend to the trucking community. He’s helped thousands of Owner Operators get and stay on the right side of the tax man. And now Barry has worked with the DUKE.AI team to power his tax and bookkeeping firm’s back office. Whether it’s accounting you need or more robust financial advice, Barry can get your books reviewed and your taxes filed through his firm, Trucker Tax Tools, and even interact with the Department of the Treasury on your behalf.

Barry, what’s your role with Trucker Tax Tools?

BF: I started Trucker Tax Tools nearly two decades ago. As an enrolled agent, I’m licensed by the US Department of the Treasury to work with taxpayers across the country. At Trucker Tax Tools, we do everything we can to stop the IRS if you’re a taxpayer in trouble. Every day, our focus is helping truckers lower the amount that they’re going to be paying in taxes to the IRS. We work nationwide, which is a big help to truckers who’re always on the move.

DUKE.AI: What made you decide to focus on trucking?

BF: Starting in the tax resolution business, we found that many of the folks who owed the IRS happened to be truckers. And in the process of serving truckers with tax resolution, over time we naturally became the go-to company to solve bookkeeping problems. And we can help anyone get going on the right foot.

DUKE.AI: We actually met at the Great American Truck Show. Talking about the technology the Duke team developed, we connected over making your trucker bookkeeping tools better. You’ve been able to relaunch your app in the Android and Apple stores. Tell us about it.

BF: We have our own bookkeeping app called “Trucker Bookkeeping” (by Trucker Tax Tools). Anyone can download it to enjoy the power of Duke.ai to automate their bookkeeping. Our new app lets you scan a receipt or upload a photo of your bank statement, credit card statement, or settlement statement. By using our firm’s own app, the technology lets us put together financial statements faster and more seamlessly for you as a client—meaning that you’re going to know exactly what’s happening in your business, right when it’s happening. And then as your tax and bookkeeping firm, we use that information to help lower your taxes as well.

DUKE.AI: And before Duke’s machine-learning technology made bookkeeping simpler for truckers, I’ll bet tax season was hard on everyone. How is this new app making things different?

BF: Before, our clients sent us their bank statements on paper. They’d send us hard copies of their settlement statements. Each one took time to type the data in. Now we have this amazing app sharing all the information between a client and our team in seconds, not days or weeks later. It’s the best tool a trucker is ever going to use to organize receipts for you and to keep your bookkeeping up-to-date instantly.

If you’re driving for a living, all you do is take a photo as you get a settlement statement—or snap a picture of your bank statement, your credit card statement and receipts. And if you get any documents in email as a PDF, you can upload them too. Then immediately your transactions are reflected in your books in the right expense and income categories. Our Trucker Tax Tools team then can take that information, and we use it to cut your taxes down to the lowest amount.

DUKE.AI: What about more personalized consultation for anyone in need of extra help with their books?

BF: We want to be a resource to our trucker friends and make sure they’re getting every single deduction that’s out there. So we have different subscription levels within our app. With our Platinum level, you can access our professionals either on a monthly or weekly basis. That’s what we’re here for as the professionals behind this app and working with Duke. With our help, truckers are getting every deduction they possibly can.

DUKE.AI: Trucker Tax Tools stands out because your typical bookkeeping and tax firm doesn’t know everything a trucker goes through. But your team has the expertise to understand every expense a trucker will have. What have your clients had to say about using the new app?

BF: The more a trucker uses the app, the more being in business becomes simpler. If every trucker across the nation would use this app, it would benefit them. So if you’re out there driving and wanting something to make your life a bit more simple, the Trucker Tax Tools app is it. Using it means it’s easier and faster to keep track of what’s going on in your business, powered by Duke behind the scenes.

The new app is how we connect with your information to give you what you need most: the potential to save money on taxes and to ensure your business is being done right.

DUKE.AI: If a trucking business is looking for a better way to stay out of tax trouble, reduce their tax amounts, and put money away for retirement, how can they get to know your services better?

BF: I was planning attend MATS until the recent cancellation, but will at GATS, where I’ll be speaking on ways truckers can reduce their taxes and save more money. And as an Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA Foundation) corporate supporter, our friends can also look for me at the annual “Truck to Success” seminar—I’m always speaking and getting out there to meet and reconnect with all our friends in trucking.

DUKE.AI: For more urgent bookkeeping and tax questions, how can Owner-Operators talk to your team right away?

BF: We make this easy–we actually answer the phone so anyone can call 888-930-1016. Of course, you can see us online at TruckerTaxTools.com. Or in either app store, search for “trucker bookkeeping”, or you can look up TruckerTaxTools.com to download the app and try us out for free for the first 21 days.