THE LEGACY OF THE "SHACK"
Modest Beginnings
The Tax Shack officially opened its doors in 1996, but the story began long before that.
In 1987, Kathy Hendrickson started Key Peninsula Tax Service from home while raising two young children. As the client list grew, so did the need for space. By 1996, the basement was no longer enough. Kathy’s husband, John, found a small concrete box once used by a telephone company for storage.
Kathy took one look at it and said, “This is nothing but a shack.” John smiled. “You’re right. It’s The Tax Shack.”
They cleaned it up, painted the walls, bought second-hand furniture, and opened the doors.
In 1996
John and Kathy
hand-stenciled and painted the signs on plywood.
2001
"Employee of the Month"
1996 - Kathy's first tax season inside "the Shack."
A Family Affair
The Tax Shack has always been a family business.
Tara and Andy grew up helping fold newsletters, assemble tax folders, and answer phones after school. What began as childhood chores slowly became hands-on training.
By her senior year of high school, Tara was handling bookkeeping, payroll, and simple returns. In 2000, she completed certification classes and began preparing taxes full-time.
The running joke was that she was “Employee of the Month” every month. Yes, her parents even hung her picture on the wall.
Taking the Helm
In 2005, John and Kathy decided it was time to semi-retire. They sold the business to their best employee; their daughter.
January 1, 2006, Tara officially became owner.
Over the years, she updated the building, modernized the technology, and expanded the services. She broadened her own education, becoming an Enrolled Agent and pursuing advanced representation credientials.
While the tools have evolved, the foundation has not.
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Proud Supporter of
Key Peninsula
Little League
2014 to Present
2019 - Launching the
Tax Shack Scholarship
for Tax and Business
at the PHS
2019-2020 - A new look for a new era.
Tara and Brandy learning and laughing together.
A Family of Choice
In 2007, Brandy Ellzey joined the Tax Shack as a bookkeeper and office assistant; a decision Tara still calls one of the best she ever made. Clients often mistake them for sisters and in many ways they are.
Brandy became part of the family and returned full-time in 2013 when John and Kathy retired. She went on to earn her Enrolled Agent credential, working side-by-side with Tara as a Tax Professional.
In 2024, Heather Niemann joined as Office Administrator. Tara knew immediately that Heather was the right person to carry forward the roll that had once belonged to Brandy.
1996 - Kathy
2026 - Tara
Thirty years, two generations, one story.
Three Decades Later
2026 marks 30 years of Tax Shack heritage. Today, The Tax Shack carries forward the same family-first dedication it had when it began as a wild idea in a concrete box.
The building may look different. The technology certainly does. But the heart of the business hasn't changed since 1996.
We didn't set out to build something flashy. We set out to build something lasting; our legacy.
And that's exactly what we've done. We're grateful and honored to continue doing it.
