Owner Spotlight: Terry L. Barker

I’m Terry L. Barker, proud owner of Terry L. Barker, CPA, PC.

I look forward to sharing my story. I hope that you will enjoy getting to know me better.

When I was twelve years old, I knew I wanted to be a CPA. After serving time in the Army and working nights in construction, I went to college and obtained my degree. I have loved every day of my more-than-thirty year career that focuses on tax preparation.

I started working for a CPA firm and worked there for eleven years. Another employee and I bought the firm we worked for and started Barker & Fleming, P.C. I then branched out on my own and moved to Katy, TX in 2011. In 2013, I merged my clients with Gerald A. Anhalt and Associates PLLC, where I currently practice.

Over the past couple of years, I have noticed that taxes are getting a lot more complex than they used to be. The simpler Congress tries to make the filing rules, the more complicated they become. However, with the advance of computers, it has become easier to handle calculations. When I started working on income tax returns, I used to prepare them by hand and on paper. It only took handling a couple of returns to change my mind. When I initially started out, we prepared individual U.S. Individual Returns on the computer and all others by hand. Yes, times have definitely changed.

I love the diversity in clients and all the different facets of the tax code. I initially started in a small town with my clients becoming my friends. I loved that aspect of my work. I have retained some of my clients for thirty years.

My business philosophy has always been treating the client right. I intend to get my clients the best refund or to pay the least they can legally pay. I strive to be the best tax preparer my client can find. I always look forward to helping them achieve their personal and business goals by advising them to the best of my knowledge.

As an individual, I believe what sets me apart from the others are my values, mainly treating my clients as I would want to be treated myself. I attribute this same principle to my success. I am not a person to run a client in and out of the office. I spend time with them when the information is delivered and when they come to pick up their return. I feel it is important that clients understand how returns are prepared. I believe an educated client is the best client and I strive to accomplish that goal.

The most satisfying moments in my business is seeing the smiles and getting thank yous when the returns are finished. When a client keeps coming back, you know that you are taking care of them well. This has given me immense satisfaction over the years.

When I am not at work, I like playing golf and watching golf. I have not had much time to do this, but I am working on that. I am not a good golfer. As a matter of fact, I am a horrible golfer, but I love being on the course and the friendships that come from playing golf. One of my clients said ‘it was the best’ when asked about playing golf with me. His exact words were, “you will have fun, but bring your lunch because you will be there a long time.”

I have enjoyed sharing my story about the things which matter to me and how they influence the way I do business.

If you or someone you know could benefit from our expertise in taxation and filing returns, I invite you to get in touch. Please visit our website at www.terrybarkercpa.com.

Sincerely,

Terry