In Conversation with CPA Swapan Dhairyawan
By Manu Shah
HOUSTON: We know there are a dozen things you’d rather do than huddle over capital gains, deductions and other number crunching figures with your accountant but April 15 is fast approaching. For those who haven’t already, it’s time to get out those officious files and take care of that dreaded word “TAXES.”
Indo American News thought it would be a good time to catch up with Swapan Dhairyawan, a partner in MD and Associates, one of the leading Chartered Accountancy firms in Houston and get some pointers that would help our readers this tax season.
Swanpan’s disarming smile, an engaging manner and community service has made him a familiar face in the Indo American community in a relatively short time. He came to Houston only in 1999 but admits that it wasn’t an easy decision. Leaving a close knit family and a multitude of relatives versus the American dream led to a tug of war between the heart and mind. Time went by and one day he made the life altering decision to move to the US.
A Masters in Cost Accountancy from Kolkata and 10 years of work experience in India helped him land a job in a CPA firm – H.R. Shaikh. He worked there for almost 4 years during which he cleared his CPA. A great rapport with a fellow colleague, Irfan Moosa, encouraged the duo to toy with the idea of branching out on their own and in January 2004, this became a reality and MD and Associates was born.
The duo now rolled up their sleeves and tackled the challenges of the new set up. Swapan recalls the day their first client, File No. 1001, the proprietor of Pro Clips walked in. The going was tough but three things helped him ride out the tough times – wife Pallavi’s unwavering support, the community support and the credit card! MD and Associates slowly and steadily built a strong client base and in January 2006, Irfan Moosa, his partner, started a second office in Dallas. A growing practice necessitated the opening of a third office in Spring, TX in 2008.
A sense of gratitude for the community’s support when he needed it most along with a desire to keep the continuity of our culture for our children is probably what motivates Swapan to be an integral part of the activities of the Indo American community in Houston. He is a member of several organizations like the Indo American Chamber of Commerce and served as President of ICC in the year 2010.
During his tenure as President, he is particularly proud of two initiatives: ICC’s newsletter “Tarang” which helped bring the organization and community closer and organizing an Eid program to involve the Muslim community in the ICC. This helped form the Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH). It says a lot about Swapan that he is one of the members of its Advisory Board.
A piece of advice he received and one he’d like to share is “Be Yourself.” Life is so much simpler.