The Tax Playbook Nobody Taught Us with Laura Zarrate

We were taught to work hard and save money, but nobody explained how taxes fit into building wealth. So this week, I'm joined by Laura Zarrate, CPA and founder of Athena CPAs and Advisors. Laura immigrated from Bogotá, Colombia, at 14 with her dad and two 40-pound suitcases. She started her career at Deloitte, then built her own firm. Today she and her team serve 200+ business owners across the U.S. We get into why the tax code is a playbook, what an LLC actually does, when an S Corp makes sense, and why "just write it off" is not a strategy. If you're an entrepreneur who only talks to a tax pro in April, this one's for you.

WE GET INTO:

[01:45] Meet Laura: from Bogotá to Athena CPAs

[02:34] Not the typical "old white guy" CPA

[03:53] Immigrant frugality and learning to ask for help

[05:48] Choosing the world of "more than enough"

[07:04] Deloitte and the road to her own firm

[11:33] Why she left: freedom and meaningful work

[13:24] The skill that humbled her: sales

[16:56] The tax conversations Latinos aren't having

[18:04] How taxes actually work for W-2 vs. business owners

[20:21] Is the tax code confusing on purpose?