Life & Work with Marcus Bastawros of Euclid, Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Bastawros.

Hi Marcus, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in a middle to upper family in Seven Hills, Ohio. I had access to a lot—good schools, strong mentors, and the kind of stability that most people don’t get. I studied finance and business management, which gave me the technical foundation to understand how money moves, how companies grow, and how to build something sustainable. But honestly, the real education came later.
A few years ago, I inherited a property on Fortune Avenue in Cleveland. It seemed like a win at first, but it came with complications—legal issues, unexpected tenants, and a crash course in what happens when you’re not fully prepared. That experience forced me to take a hard look at myself. I had to own my mistakes, learn fast, and figure out how to turn a mess into momentum.
That’s when I started Taxus Financial. I filed the paperwork myself, no partners, no shortcuts. I wanted to build something that reflected who I was—not just the kid who grew up with privilege, but the man who had been through fire and came out clearer. Taxus is more than a business to me. It’s a second chance. It’s proof that you can evolve, that you can take every part of your story—the good, the bad, the lessons—and turn it into something that serves others.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
“It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. My background in Accountancy and business, along with a natural interest in marketing especially branding has given me a strong foundation to build from. But like many entrepreneurs, I’ve faced challenges along the way. One of the biggest has been that my vision is often bigger than the resources available to me-sometimes the money just hasnt matched the goals i wanted to achieve. On top of that having a background that wasnt ‘perfect on paper’ has meant I’ve had to push harder to prove myself and earn trust. Those struggles though have shaped me. They have taught me resilience, creativity and how to find solutions even when the path forward wasn’t clear.”

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I started out in Public Accounting as an auditor, working mostly with municipalities. At first, I liked the work but the constant travel wore me down, and after a while, I realizedI didn’t feel like my work was really making a difference in anyone’s life. Thats when I made the switch to another public accounting firm, this time preparing financial statements and eventually tax returns. It was during tax season that something clicked for me. It wasnt the clients who were excited about refunds that got my attention-it was the ones who were blindsided by big tax bills. Ill never forget the client that owed 75000, and another who was a gig worker and suddenly found himself owing 12,000 because no one ever explained to him how quarterly payments work or even told him to save receipts.
The frustrating part was that I knew the answers, I could see what needed to be done, but in that environment, my job wasn’t to think ahead or offer guidance-it was just to prepare and file the return. That never sat right with me. The gig worker with the right guidance could turn into the next national franchise. The truth is that most CPA firms don’t see the gig worker that way and instead treat them as nothing more than background noise and reserve the real strategies and energies for the big businesses. Thats why I wanted to focus on servicing those that are underserved by the typical CPA firm and offer the same financial advice and foresight to the gig worker so the little guy has the same opportunities as the fortune 500 company because to me a gig worker isn’t just filing a 1099, but could with the right support become the next national franchise and I want to be the advisor that helps them get there.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the old adage to never judge a book by its cover, but I would say that numbers don’t tell the whole story.-people do. I used to think that being a good Accountant was about perfect spreadsheets, but lets be honest no one frames their tax return and puts it on the wall. What people really want is some clarity, insight and a plan to get them through the chaos. Thats why through TaxUS Financial although filing forms and compliance is certainly a service offered, I try to focus on being the advisor in your corner, because getting letters from the IRS that seem to never end can be scary enough, much less going it alone.

Pricing:

• 299 flat rate pricing for gig workers, freelancers and solopreneurs f or form 1040

Contact Info:

• Website: https://refundtaxus.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Taxus-Financial-LLC/61571653531872/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-bastawros-49a0b961/