By Ashlyn Little

Best Tax Systems has closed its doors for the last time after 28 years in business.

Owners Joseph and Annette Park have been providing the community and outlying areas with their tax expertise since establishing their business in 1998.

The Parks, who live in Moss Bluff, said their business at 2315 12th St. has served as more than an office for the many who have been employed there, with the complex providing spacious living areas, a kitchen, multiple bathrooms and bedrooms for late nights during tax season. The couple said they would move in every year after Christmas and move back to Moss Bluff on May 1.

The space gave employees and the owners a home away from home without having to commute back and forth during the work week.

Annette Park she started her career working for H&R Block when manager Jim Anning needed a helping hand.

“I was doing payroll in the beginning,” she said.

When Anning left the business, Annette said she followed him and joined him at the address where Best Tax Systems would later be located. When he retired in 1998, Annette bought the building and opened Best Tax Systems.

“Jim was such a good person to work for, I just hoped I was as good a boss as he was to me,” she said.

Joseph Park — who was working full-time at the Alcoa aluminum plant in Lake Charles — would work part-time in the evenings alongside his wife for the next 10 years.

In 2008 he retired after 30 years at Alcoa and worked full-time with Annette.

“She’s the boss!” Joseph said laughing. “She does it all, even the cooking!”

“I’m the best boss he’s ever had,” Annette added with a smile.

“Marvelous” is the word the Parks both used to describe working together for all these years.

“The best part about working together is all the time we’ve spent together,” the couple said.

When asked if the couple had any advice they’d like to give couples considering starting a business together they jointly said, “It’s usually a large investment and a hard thing to get around because it’s a whole different situation — it changes your lifestyle.”

“You have to get along and you have to be dedicated because there’s no clock,” Joseph added.

Hurricane Rita brought on hard days and nights for the business.

“Joe was working out of the kitchen because it was the only room that wasn’t destroyed; there was no heat, nothing, and we had a table and chair and people were still coming to us,” Annette said.

When repairs were being made to the business, the Parks bought the music store next door — which had lost its roof during the storm — and combined the two buildings into one large office.

The Parks said their business also gave them many travel opportunities.

“We’ve taken lots of trips for IRS classes, we’ve enjoyed our training sessions in Maryland, Las Vegas, California and more, but Las Vegas was our favorite because of all the shows,” Annette said.

She would also take her office staff at the end of each year for a trip of some kind —one time they even went on a cruise to Mexico.

The Parks said they’re going to miss the community they’ve built for themselves, including all their employees and clients.

“That’s been killing me the most because they’re not just clients after 28 years, I’ve watched these people grow up,” Annette said. “We
were going to retire last year but decided to wait, now our customers are more prepared and so are we.”

Annette and Joseph said they have big plans for retirement. They will be going on an Alaskan cruise this summer, then Texas to visit their daughter and attend their granddaughter’s graduation. Afterwards they are looking forward to spending more time with their family and friends and being home in Moss Bluff.

“I’m looking forward to working in my flower beds and watching my flowers grow,” Annette said.