By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
CaTonya Scott grew up in North Birmingham as the oldest of six and now as the mother of six she makes clear who the baby is. “My baby is D5 Tax Services, LLC,” she said.
Scott founded D5 Tax Services in March of 2018 following her 12 years of professional experience. The business was established to address the growing needs of individuals and small businesses seeking reliable and personalized tax solutions.
“I saw a great need [for the services],” said Scott, the CEO. “At the end of the day, you do want to make a profit, but I find joy in preparing taxes because I’m educating and giving [clients] understanding,” said Scott, who works year-round. “I’m not just a tax preparer, I’m a tax professional.”
She’s often asked how she came up with the name of the business — D5. “I immediately smile and mention that at my time of planning, my five children all have the letter ‘D” in their names and that I wanted to find a way to include them in my business, Scott said.
Scott now has six with the oldest 27 and the youngest 5.
“It’s not the easiest but they are my strength, and they are my life. They are my why. All of them are my heart. When I talk to people I’m like ‘there’s my baby,’ and they instantly think I’m talking about my youngest, but I call all of them my baby,” she said.
She does more than run her tax business. She is also owner of a yoni store, Pamper My Yoni , dedicated not only to women but men’s health and wellness and an independent licensed life and health insurance agent.
And that’s not all: Scott is now in her third year at Birmingham School of Law. “Two weeks into starting law school, I lost my mom [Jacquelyne Holmes]. She passed in 2021, and I started law school that same year,” Scott said.
She credits her mother with instilling a go-getter mentally. “I was [my mother’s] first child. She had me at [age 16]. My mom was a hustler and grinder.
“I have always had this hustle mentally, this grind mentally, and wanting more. I knew that I was sent here to lead, not follow. I have always created my own path and people normally gravitated to me,” Scott told the Times.
Path To Ownership
Scott attended Birmingham City Schools where she attended Lewis Elementary, Wilkerson Middle and Phillips High but ended up finishing high school after she “obtained my GED in 2001,” after she became pregnant with her first child.
“After that I started my path at Miles College where I obtained my B.A. in criminal justice Once I graduated from Miles, I immediately enrolled in law school,” Scott said.
For Scott, college was not a linear path. She began her undergrad career in 2007 and graduated in 2021 Magna Cum Lauda from Miles College with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. “I started, stopped, and started again. I was determined not to give up,” she said.
“After my GED, I put my goals on hold because I started having kids. I wanted to give them my time and not take it away from them. So, I worked a normal nine to five job,” at a high demanding call center.
After she grew tired of working for other people she decided to start a business of her own.
“Being a single mom and working for corporate America came with its challenges. After leaving such a demanding job, while working there, I started doing taxes,” she said. “I used to do my own, and I had somebody say I was rather good and inquired if I did [taxes] for others. [They] said why don’t you do this to make money for a living, so I was like I’ll give it a try. It was never an interest to me.”
In March, Scott celebrated 12 years of being in business with D5 and enjoys the flexibility. As her own boss, Scott sets the pace for her day.
“With my flexibility I’m free to do whatever I please. I make my own hours, I work at my own pace,” said Scott.
ReBoot
Scott is also part of Rebirth Community Corporation’s ReBoot where she has been immersed in technical assistance and resources to help support and advance both professionally and personally.
“Participating in Rebirth Community Corporation’s ReBoot program has equipped us with valuable strategies that will significantly contribute to the success of D5 Tax Services,” she said. “We plan to use this valuable knowledge to implement best practices, expand our community outreach, better our strategic marketing and branding, enhance our team skills, scale our operations, and strengthen our financial management.
“We’ll do all this also knowing that ReBoot is equally as concerned with the health of business owners as they are the health of their businesses,” said Scott.
Rebirth Community Corporation’s ReBoot Cohort Training program is part of Prosper’s Operation: Backing Black Businesses and focuses on helping entrepreneurs attain emotional and economic resources to establish financial and personal success.
Prosper Birmingham focuses on building an inclusive and thriving economy through job creation, job preparation and job access.
“My vision for the future includes expanding D5 Tax Services by opening more locations and building a reliable team so I can use all I’ve learned over the course of my current career path to pursue other professional goals,” said Scott.
For more information on CaTonya Scott and D5 Tax Services, email d5taxservicesllc@yahoo.com or visit www.d5tax.com. Find them also on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
