The Tax Man Cometh
Charles McCabe eases tax-time stress
By: Erin Tilley
This tax season, Peoples Income Tax continues its 5-year tradition of visiting the Daily Planet and other Richmond area shelters to provide free tax preparation and electronic filing for individuals served by the shelters. The company, headquartered in Richmond, also assists women who reside at St. Joseph’s Villa’s Flagler Home and participants of the welfare-to-work program GREAT.
Company founder Chuck McCabe knows what it’s like to need a helping hand. While working as a freight brakeman for the railroad, McCabe was knocked off the top of a boxcar. Out of work for months and broke, he noticed an ad for an H & R Block tax course. He borrowed $60 from his then-fiancee and now wife, Marilyn, and attended the course. Just four years later, at age 26, McCabe became the director of the company’s Mid-Atlantic region, overseeing 225 offices. Pretty impressive considering he ascended the ranks in the financial field without having completed high school.
During his 30′s, McCabe augmented his on-the-job training and bolstered his credentials by earning a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in business administration. Following his back-to-school experiences, he co-authored two guide books, "Back to School: The College Guide for Adults" and "New Horizons: The Education and Career Planning Guide for Adults."
McCabe made his way to Richmond in 1983 when he accepted the position of COO with a company that owned a major H & R Block franchise here. Then, in 1987, McCabe founded Peoples Income Tax, which now has 16 offices in Virginia. When brainstorming ideas for the name of his company-to-be, McCabe kept coming back to the idea of "providing a service with people for people." This year, Peoples Financial Services was formed to meet the needs of clients with more complex tax needs. Along with offering tax preparation assistance, Peoples provides educational and organizational materials to private tax firms and colleges throughout the country.
While not crunching numbers and managing business, McCabe spends his time writing, woodworking and landscaping around his home in the Far West End.