Jon Rausch, CPA

Bio

Jon is a tax partner with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. He got his start in the field at Arthur Andersen in St. Louis.

From Arthur Andersen, Jon became a director with PwC, leading the firm’s Federal Income Tax Consulting groups in the Houston, New York and St. Louis areas. He then became a partner at Grant Thornton, where he led eight offices that encompassed the firm’s Central Region Tax Consulting Group.
Jon became a partner at Holtzman Partners in Austin in 2017, where he stayed until joining Armanino in 2021. He strives to be an all-around trusted business partner with his clients, whether it’s tax-oriented or not.

Jon received his undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a member of the AICPA, Texas Society of CPAs and Missouri Society of CPAs.

*Jon holds his interest in the firm through JMR ATX PLLC

Q&A

It was a combination of a great culture and great opportunities. I really want to work with people who value the same things that I do. Armanino has the people you want to work with—they’re like-minded in terms of goals for our people and our clients.

There has been much discussion around lowering the estate tax thresholds. If this change is made, many more family-owned businesses will potentially be subject to the estate tax (which can be rather expensive) as the responsibilities pass to the next generation. I would like to see these types of businesses be mostly exempt from this tax and let them continue to flourish.

I have many clients who I enjoy working with, but my favorites are the ones that are very collaborative. We approach our relationship as business partners. They will call or reach out at any time, about anything. Even if it’s not a tax issue. My favorite relationships are when we have reached the point where we are the trusted business advisor…not just a tax preparer/consultant.

I’m the opposite of a micromanager. I really want people to learn, take the ball and run with it. I see myself as a net below the tightrope. I’m here for you, but I want you to take leaps. I’ll delegate and help push you along the way to help accelerate the growth.

Professionally, I would say making partner at Grant Thornton. I had four kids very close in age and wanted to be deeply involved, especially in their early days. It may have taken me a little longer to reach the goal, but it was well worth it for me.

I had a mentor at Arthur Andersen who taught me so much. I learned many helpful traits along the way: effective delegation, communication with clients/staff, how to navigate different people’s perspectives, providing excellent client service, developing teams, etc. We worked closely together for my first 11 years, and he really supported me every step of the way.

I think public accounting is a lot more social than most people expect when they are still in school. Having strong people-oriented and communication skills, along with solid technical skills, will really provide a nice foundation for success in this field.

Jon Rausch, CPA

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