David Gourley, EA, M.Ed

I will 100% agree with you on that. The blame is with the system and the universities that saw an opportunity. Unlimited student loan borrowing helped to fuel it. Shaming the borrower is where I have an issue. It's a government program where they met the qualifications... Just like every other credit/deduction that you may or may not agree with.

@DavidG_CSLP I just think it’s silly that college tuition has increased exponentially and they aren’t covering the forgiveness. It’s a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

Just casually changing someone's life this fine Monday evening. $41,000 in student loans gone. 21 years of payments. 19 years of public service. $466 per month of additional income (no longer going towards student loans).

@CPATaxTeam I'm guessing you don't allow any credits or deductions to be applied to tax returns so that taxpayers pay their fair share. No "senior bonus deduction". No "child tax credit". No "no tax on tips". No "no tax on overtime". Thanks for doing your part!

@DavidG_CSLP Did their college refund the money? Or are taxpayers footing the bill?

@coultr7 Stimulating the economy... or something like that.

@DavidG_CSLP New car in the driveway next day

“Do I really need a financial planner?” A lot of the talking heads say no... But after reviewing tons of real situations, I keep seeing the same pattern: Missed strategies. Missed timing. Missed opportunities. And it shows up as: 1. Paying more in taxes than you should have 2. Avoidable student loan payments 3. Inflated ACA premiums 4. Inefficient cash flow decisions Financial advice shouldn't be about product sales. It’s about not overpaying for life.

So many public servants are STILL sitting on their own personal golden ticket... And they don't even know! I do student loan consultations every single week... And I consistently see situations like this one. Look at the date at the top of the letter (April 22, 2026). Look at the date of effective forgiveness (December 31, 2024). For 18 months, they have been paying on loans that could have been forgiven. And they didn't even know that they qualified. Tons of things changed with the IDR Waiver... Which is over now but the impact of it remains. Immediate forgiveness is out there for so many older teachers/public servants! Let's get a consultation scheduled if you want to review your situation!

Student loan consult client sold a property and had a very low tax year... We immediately did an income recertification to get them a $0 payment moving forward. Student loan planning is so powerful!!! (old payment was $550 per month)

@neilquinn I can agree with a fixed amount, but Roth vs pre-tax is a pretty big deal. I'd rather lock in low tax rates on long-term investments rather than hope I fall into a lower tax bracket in the future. But yes, overall it's unnecessarily complicated!

@DavidG_CSLP Honestly this entire Roth vs 401k vs regular IRA with all the backdoors is just absurd. Just simplify a fixed amount pre-tax people can contribute and call it a day.

Yes... Financial Planners/Advisors charge a fee... But it's often worth it. Exhibit 1543:

@cliffcornell_ Nails that cost you $200,000 or more. Imagine trying to explain that this to your wife (who probably wanted to use a Financial Planner).

@DavidG_CSLP This is like nails on a chalkboard omg.

It's official!

Happy Tax Day to all who celebrate!

When you say "no one"....... I saw this on Reddit, but the same thing pops up on all social media. Student loans are confusing. But there are some people who understand it inside and out. You just have to find the right person!

@HusKerrs Every phase (both the good and the bad) is only a phase. Try to enjoy them all because they come and go so fast.

Calling on all dads: Ali and I are about 3 weeks out from the birth of our first baby boy! Give me your #1 piece of advice for a new dad.

@Eric_M_Courage This is the way!

Looking for an AMAZING CPA/firm to build a great relationship with. After this season. ~20 returns. What (I think) a bad referral relationship looks like from your side: Fee hagglers, no context/no communication, bad data, having to cover for bad advice from advisors, or clients who don't understand advisor recommendations, conflicting advice and tension, advisors who act like tax is beneath them/they are god's gift to the IRS code, and advisors/people who waste your energy, professional expertise, and family time on here questioning when AI will take your job. I am the opposite of that. YOU - Expertise: Multi-state, equity comp, deferred comp, RSUs/PSUs/ISOs, Options, 83(b)s, K-1s, foreign income, trusts, 5500s. An occasional plane. You do not need to know everything, but you handle edge cases, research jump balls, and are confident with clients who are direct and professional. YOU - Review process: You can walk through how errors get caught and how mistakes get made right. Work papers, a second set of eyes, AI-assisted review, etc. No, we are not going line by line, but we may have a question. I get letters, and mistakes happen, but if so, you amend or fix things and communicate what happened. You carry E&O, are capitalized, and you take responsibility for your work. YOU - Personality: You vibe with both the get-down-to-business type and the person who needs five minutes of "So, where are you from?" before they feel comfortable. Open: you are not defensive when challenged or asked a respectful question. Team: If I miss something or need to do better, you tell me directly. We are a team and we share in kicking ass for the client. I want to get better; we learn from each other. YOU - Technology: Shared portal, e-sign, real-time communication. You are comfortable with me having portal access for specific clients, so I can upload docs, provide context on investments, and planning decisions. Sometimes, I will ask for your blessing before execution when/if it matters to you. If it takes real work, please charge. Maybe, If it is a quick sanity check, you bless it and move on. YOU - Responsive: Outside of deadline season, 48 hoursish on anything time-sensitive. No ghosting. "I am slammed, I will get to this by X," is a completely acceptable answer. Three weeks of silence without a word or VM response feels morally wrong to you. I will run interference for you with clients during tax season in prep-season and answer any questions I can to help you through it. ME - I provide a year-in-review narrative for every client so your intake interpretation is minimal. Documents arrive on time best we can) and I will push clients so you do not have to project manage. I answer your questions f' FAST. If something feels too aggressive or creates exposure, we say so and handle it together; if you don't want to tell the client. I will. I am open to your feedback, I want this to work well for you. I see you #taxtwitter. I see the fee hagglers, the unappreciative clients, the advisors who missed something a Google search could have fixed and then act like it is your fault, and the people telling you AI is coming for your job in ninety days. That is not me. I am not perfect. I do value your expertise. I know how hard this season is and how little credit you get for most of it. I hate that for you. I see you. After tax season, I would love to connect. God bless, hang in there, and thank you for your service.🫡😎😊 Please DM, tag, or comment! Thank you!

It can sound crazy to file your taxes MFS compared to MFJ... Until you realize you can save $10,000 per year in student loan payments. If you've got student loans, make sure to have a tax projection run both ways!!!

All of this is why I get paid to help people navigate PSLF and the student loan system. People are confused. People are angry. And loan servicers don't help actually answer your questions. I'm here to help if/when you need help!!!

@PKubeyEA Thank you, Phyllis!

@DavidG_CSLP Congratulations! And welcome to the wonderful community of EAs.

@olsonplanner Much appreciated!

@DavidG_CSLP Welcome sir.

@FloridaManCPA Thank you!

@DavidG_CSLP Congrats