Jeff Trout uses ProSeries® to deliver high-touch tax services

For Jeff Trout, CPA, the world of tax preparation is far from traditional. Operating out of his home office in Ramah, Colorado, just northeast of Colorado Springs, Trout has built a specialized practice that spans the globe. While many sole practitioners focus on their local communities, he has carved out a niche as an expert in expat tax services, helping US citizens working and living abroad.  

Balancing a high-volume workload of nearly 400 tax returns annually and delivering a personalized “high-touch” service model, Trout relies on a sophisticated cloud-based tech stack, anchored by Intuit® ProSeries® Tax.

A niche built on global trust and complex navigation

Trout’s journey into expat taxation wasn’t the result of aggressive marketing or lead generation. In fact, he does not advertise or promote his services at all. All of his clients are by referral—filling the void in a very important, complex area, and letting word-of-mouth referrals build his client base through trust and expertise.

Today, around 70% of his business consists of US residents overseas, a specialization that requires a complex level of navigation that far exceeds standard domestic tax preparation.

“I would not tell anybody living overseas to do their own returns because self-prepared returns are more prone to error,” said Trout. “If you’re living overseas, it’s a different ball game, where you really need to be working with a professional who understands tax issues related to overseas residency.”

Trout has been that tax professional for his clients, using his deep understanding of the unique tax burdens facing those working and living overseas to meet the intricate demands of global tax compliance. 

“There are so many different things my clients face operating internationally, from foreign income exclusion and foreign tax credits they can claim, to being part owners in a foreign corporation that must be set up under the laws of that country and doing the unique reporting involved,” he said. “ In addition, clients who are signers on foreign bank accounts might be required to report those accounts on the Foreign Bank Account Reporting (FBAR) form. I file between 60 and 70 of these forms each year.”

To meet the technical demands of his tax practice—and take his clients to the next level—Trout uses vital software in his tech stack. The real game-changer for him was the recent switch to ProSeries Professional.

Leveraging ProSeries Professional for greater efficiency and big savings

While Trout had been using ProSeries Basic since 2009, he made the leap to ProSeries Professional in 2025, and the results have been transformative for his practice in several ways.

“The primary driver for the switch was document management because SmartVault integrates seamlessly with ProSeries Professional,” he said. “Before the switch, my workflow was clunky, having to deal with manual password protection for documents. Now, the SmartVault integration streamlines the entire delivery process, allowing me to print the return right from ProSeries right into their account. That’s a big deal.”

It also saves him time he can spend on other issues, such as offering advisory to his clients. Beyond document management, the move to Professional has yielded a significant financial benefit regarding state filings.

“With my expat clients often having trailing or complex state tax obligations, I find myself filing in 30 to 35 different states each year,” said Trout. “ProSeries Basic required me to pay for each state beyond the first four, but ProSeries Professional includes all state licenses in the base price. I’m saving $3,000 to $4,000 a year.”

Trout’s tech stack brings everything together

The benefits found in ProSeries, some of the software it integrates with, and a few other pieces of technology round out Trout’s tech stack to deliver what he and his clients need to be successful:

• Amended return functionality. Doing about 25 amended returns each year, Trout appreciates the robust amended return functionality. “It’s a very easy process, with great functionality and instructions,” he said. “What really stands out is how well it captures refunds for clients on their amended returns. It does appreciation recapture on a rental property for when a client sells something, and I have gotten back $15,000-$20,000 for clients over a few years.”
• Form search. With all the forms required for foreign reporting, Trout values the intuitive nature of form search in ProSeries. “If you can’t find a form, you just type in the form number in the search feature, and you pull it up that way.”
• Error checking. The built-in error checking ensures accuracy before filing, a crucial step when dealing with the nuances of international tax.
• eSignature. Trout has used eSignature integration with ProSeries for about six years, which eliminates the need for physical mailing and manual scanning. 
• SmartVault integration with ProSeries. The SmartVault integration streamlines the entire delivery process, which greatly improves his workflow and efficiency.  
• Hosting for ProSeries. To make life easier with the ability to work anywhere he wants, Trout uses Hosting for ProSeries, where the software is in the cloud.

Delivering personalized “high-touch” service to set him apart

With the expat niche a key differentiator and his cloud-based tech stack beneficial to his practice, Trout believes his personalized “high-touch” service is what truly sets him apart. 

“I tend to give clients personalized attention because I’m a sole practitioner and I do my best to communicate well and respond quickly,” said Trout. “I think my clients appreciate that I’m pretty high touch, trying to personally interact with them and make myself available.”

At a glance

Firm name: Jeff Trout CPA, LLC

Location: Ramah, CO

Size of firm: Sole Practitioner

Niche focus: Expat tax services—working with U.S. residents living overseas.

Average # of clients: 380-400

Tech stack: Intuit ProSeries Tax, eSignature, Hosting for ProSeries, SmartVault