BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair announced today that SmartWiz, a rapidly growing tax software technology company using advanced artificial intelligence to streamline the work of tax professionals, is expanding its operations in Birmingham with plans to create 66 high-paying jobs.
Founded in 2021 in Birmingham by a team of tech entrepreneurs and tax professionals, SmartWiz has quickly emerged as one of only 16 IRS-approved tax software providers worldwide.
Its innovative solutions are simplifying tax compliance for professionals across the country, and its growth in Birmingham will add to the city’s reputation as a rising hub for technology innovation.
The project represents a dramatic growth spurt for SmartWiz, which currently employs 10 people in Birmingham at its base in Innovation Depot.
Through this expansion, the Fintech startup plans to invest $125,000 in equipment and add 66 new jobs over the next five years with an average annual salary of $81,136, excluding benefits, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“SmartWiz’s decision to grow in Birmingham reinforces that Alabama has the talent, resources and supportive business climate that innovative companies need to succeed,” Secretary McNair said.
“This expansion not only brings high-quality jobs to Jefferson County but also strengthens our state’s growing tech ecosystem,” she added.
The Fintech startup is the brainchild of five Auburn University students who discovered that preparing taxes was a miserable experience. They are Tevin Harrell, Olumuyiwa Aladebumoye, Jordan Ward, Justin Robinson and Bria Johnson.
“Over the next five years, our goal is to put our software in the hands of every tax professional, CPA, and accountant across the United States,” said Harrell, the company’s CEO.
“We plan to grow our team here in Alabama with some of the world’s most talented engineers, sales and customer support professionals, building the next unicorn tech company right here in our state.”
Support system
SmartWiz has benefited from Alabama’s robust startup support network, winning $50,000 in early seed funding through the EDPA’s Alabama Launchpad program and participating in the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Supplier Scale initiative (now known as the Small Business Intensive). In addition, the firm works out of Innovation Depot, the Southeast’s largest tech incubator.
An additional $500,000 in funding came from Innovate Alabama’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), as did other investments from Techstars Los Angeles, Google and entertainer Pharrell Williams.
The company’s commitment to Birmingham was tested when it was offered the opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles with $3 million in funding for its latest investment round, but SmartWiz chose to remain and expand in Alabama.
Harrell said the decision to stay in Birmingham was based on the support of Innovation Depot and the ecosystem around the company, the ease of doing business and the access to networking in Birmingham, which has been invaluable.
“As a business owner, people are your biggest investment,” he added. “With support from the Birmingham Business Alliance, Jefferson County, the City of Birmingham and the State of Alabama to help offset training, we’re not only able to attract top talent to the Birmingham region but also strengthen our path toward becoming a billion-dollar company within the next five years.”
The growth project is being supported by the Alabama Department of Commerce, which is providing tax incentives tied to job creation milestones, and state workforce development agency AIDT, which is providing services valued at $780,000.
“This is the blueprint in action. Alabama is no longer just manufacturing; we’re engineering ecosystems that launch tomorrow’s leaders,” said Gary Walton, who headed project recruitment for Commerce. “Through strategic investments in talent development, startup capital and collaborative networks, we’re building the foundation for companies to thrive and strengthen our communities.”
Local impact
Joining Commerce to support the project are City of Birmingham and Jefferson County, which are providing local job creation incentives totaling a combined $231,000.
The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), which was also involved in the project, estimates that the growth project will have an economic impact of $9.6 million over the next 20 years.
“SmartWiz is proving that you can achieve national success while staying rooted in Birmingham,” said Steve Ammons, President & CEO of the BBA. “We are proud to partner with their team as they grow, create jobs and strengthen our region’s reputation as a center for tech innovation.
Other local officials applauded the company’s growth project.
“Jefferson County has long been a hotbed of the entrepreneurial spirit, a fact that is highlighted in SmartWiz’s plans to grow their home-grown software development company,” said Jeff Traywick, the Jefferson County Commission’s Economic Development Advisor.
“We are proud of their success and excited about their plans to increase their workforce by 60 new high-paying jobs. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this rapidly growing company,” he added.
“It’s amazing to see SmartWiz intentionally choose to grow here in Birmingham by bringing 70 news jobs, all paying livable wages,” added Coreata R. Houser, Interim Director of the City of Birmingham’s Department of Innovation & Economic Opportunity.
“This is evidence that tech companies can thrive in Birmingham, and we invite others to become a part of our growing tech and innovation community,” Houser added.
