Meet Kirby Hayes | CPA

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kirby Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kirby, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly I stumbled into it. I used to work for a public accounting firm performing both audit and tax functions. I had a noncompete clause, so the thought of preparing returns on the side never even crossed my mind. When I moved to Dallas and started working in the private industry I was no longer bound to bringing in clients. All of the income tax returns I work on for my current employer are extended until the later deadlines. This left we with a lot of free time during the regular filing season. I had a few friends approach me and asking if I prepared returns and it eventually got to the point where I asked myself “Why not?”

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is more of a side hustle. I am a full time employee of Petro-Hunt, LLC in Dallas. I prepare federal, state, and local income and sales tax returns for the Hunt family and the companies that they own and operate out of this office. The Hunt family is a staple name in the oil and gas industry. I started Kirby W. Hayes Tax Service, LLC in 2019 and I have steadily grown over the past few years. Every year I am bringing in 15-20 new clients. It has become a nice seasonal income during the spring that I can do in my spare time. I don’t know if I will ever pursue it as a full time practice, but it is nice to have options. I honestly love my job where I am currently at and feel I am aligned well for the future. I love being able to be a resource to my clients. I don’t just want to prepare their returns, I want them to know that I am there for them and will help in any way I can. Not depending on my side hustle for day to day life truly allows me to put people over profit.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My wife and I currently live in Allen. If I had a friend visiting the area and we wanted to take them out for a nice meal and drinks our go to spot would be Local Yocal in McKinney. They serve barbeque, steaks, and other dishes. We have loved everything we have tried there. The atmosphere is amazing and they have some awesome hand crafted cocktails. We highly recommend checking this place out for a date night or dinner with family and friends. So far as things to do, I feel like we are pretty boring. Most of our itinerary would be food or drinks. For a quick lunch I love Uncle Uber’s in Deep Ellum. They are a quaint little “sammich” shop that has amazing sandwiches, delicious fries, and an awesome habanero ranch sauce. For one of the best views of downtown I highly recommend taking a trip to the west side of Dallas. If you go down Commerce and cross the Trinity you will come to the Belmont Hotel. If you take the first right past the hotel on to Malone Dr and go up on Malone Cliff View you can see the city from the side of a cliff. The view is a must see. My old roommate and I used to live in an apartment over there and we enjoyed all the local taco shops in Oak Cliff as well as the Foundry bar before they closed their doors due to covid.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have helped me put myself where I am in life. First of all, my parents. My parents have always been there for me every step of the way. There is no way I could ever repay them for all they have done for me. I obtained my CPA and my sister is a RN. My parents instilled discipline and drive in us from a young age and they are responsible for a large portion of both of our successes. Secondly my wife. She is my rock and often believes in me more than I believe in myself. She is a teacher and has a side business doing flowers for weddings and other events. She is a rockstar and I am so happy to have her in my life. My wife’s parents have also been huge impacts on me as well. At the end of the day if we ever need anything I know they are there for us and that means more than I can put into words. I could really just list people all day. I have had some awesome bosses, coworkers, and friends that I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by. I hope they know who they are and I hope someday I can make the same difference in someone else’s life.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirbyWHayesCPA/

Other: kwhayescpa@gmail.com
903-316-4620