💰 𝑻𝒂𝒙𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒂𝒙 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒔, 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝑳𝑳𝑪𝒔 𝒗𝒔. 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔… 𝒐𝒉 𝒎𝒚!

Our aspiring entrepreneurs spent the morning with Russell Voudrie, CPA and Partner at West & Company, LLC and David Pulley, CPA + Supervisor, diving into the real-world side of owning and operating a business.

Russell and David walked students through what taxes actually are, how business owners file and pay them, and why staying organized from day one matters. He reminded our class that even though taxes can feel intimidating, understanding them is a key part of entrepreneurship and financial independence.

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚:
💵 Your business decisions have tax consequences — understand them.
💵 Accurate record keeping is everything (track income, expenses, receipts!).
💵 Ask questions early rather than fixing mistakes later.
💵 You don’t have to know everything — but you do need to know when to call a professional.

Our students left with practical knowledge they can use immediately as they build and run their own ventures.

Russell, we are so grateful for your time, expertise, humor, and continued support of Edwardsville CEO as both a board member and investor. We appreciate both you and David taking the time to visit with us. Thank you for making a complex topic accessible and empowering!