Professional Role and Company Overview
Gavin Nachbar is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Column Tax, a fintech company specializing in personal income tax software that provides embedded tax filing solutions via APIs. Column Tax enables mobile banks, neobanks, and fintech companies to integrate tax services directly into their platforms, thereby enhancing financial product offerings and improving user experience for American taxpayers. The company's mission focuses on democratizing access to tax and financial advice, especially targeting underserved populations such as low-income tax filers and gig economy workers.
Column Tax’s product suite includes embedded tax filing software that significantly reduces tax preparation timelines and increases access to professional tax guidance, with recent client results reporting over $50 million in refunds secured for end users through embedded partnerships. The company also provides an Expert Review service that connects consumers to tax professionals from leading firms, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Background and Experience
Prior to co-founding Column Tax, Gavin Nachbar held operational and strategy roles at leading technology companies such as Waymo, Dropbox, and Premise Data, with a particular emphasis on managing complex operational challenges. His transition from autonomous vehicle technology to tax fintech was inspired by analogous operational complexities and the universal impact of tax services. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College and is based in New York.
Company Growth and Team Composition
As of 2025, Column Tax operates with a compact but highly skilled team of approximately 22 employees, predominantly composed of engineers and tax specialists who build and maintain the company’s core tax engine. Only a small subset of the team focuses on business functions and partner management, demonstrating a product-centric development approach. The company aims to grow by about 50% within the year, targeting a team size of around 30 by year-end, emphasizing measured, strategic hiring to maintain company culture and technical expertise.
Market Positioning and Partnerships
Column Tax targets fintech companies with existing deposit accounts and banking products, particularly those serving demographics receiving tax refunds regularly. Their solution enhances product stickiness and customer lifetime value by embedding tax capabilities directly into consumer financial apps. The fintech ecosystem increasingly embraces embedded finance strategies, facilitating Column Tax’s positioning as a natural partner rather than a competing provider in financial services.
Prominent partnerships include collaboration with Propel, a New York-based provider focused on low-income Americans that offer EBT balance checking. This partnership enabled free tax filing for over 40% of users who did not file taxes the previous year, demonstrating Column Tax’s commitment to financial inclusion and expanding access for underserved communities. Another notable partnership is with MoneyLion, a digital financial services leader, to provide free tax filing services to eligible users.
Product Insights and Strategic Focus
Column Tax’s embedded tax APIs allow partners to seamlessly integrate tax filing, refund management, and tax education into their platforms. A stated core company philosophy is taxpayer-centricity, with product development heavily influenced by direct user feedback to simplify tax complexities and reduce friction. The company emphasizes empowering taxpayers with knowledge and control over their tax situations, accommodating diverse preferences about receiving large annual refunds versus steady paycheck adjustments.
The company is also keenly focused on embedded product adoption trends across fintech and seeks to leverage partnerships as a scalable growth model, recognizing that few financial services firms want to develop tax engines internally.
Fundraising and Investment
Column Tax has successfully raised capital from leading investors who appreciate the long-term, foundational nature of building fintech infrastructure in the tax space. Early and ongoing investors include Core Innovation Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and Felicis Ventures, reflecting confidence in the company’s operational diligence and market potential despite the complexity and long development cycles inherent in tax technology.
Notable Recognitions
Column Tax was recognized in 2024 by Fast Company with a World Changing Ideas Award in the small business category, highlighting its innovative approach to transforming tax filing. The company has also been featured by major financial news and fintech media, underpinning its growing influence in the embedded finance and tax software landscape.
Personal and Professional Attributes
Gavin demonstrates a consistent strategic focus on product excellence, operational rigor, and user-centric design. He values deliberate hiring practices and prioritizes assembling a team capable of handling the technical demands of tax software development. Gavin’s background in high-complexity operational environments and passion for making tax filing accessible underpin the company’s mission and market strategy.
He is actively accessible to partners and prospects via email (gavin@columntax.com) and LinkedIn ([linkedin.com/in/gavinnachbar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinnachbar)), signaling his openness to collaboration and partnership development.
Key Contact Highlights:
- Name: Gavin Nachbar
- Title: CEO & Co-Founder
- Company: Column Tax (columntax.com)
- Location: New York, NY
- Education: BA, Colorado College
- Team Size: 22 employees, targeting ~30 in 2025
- Investor Backing: Core Innovation Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Felicis Ventures
- Industry Focus: Embedded tax filing software for fintech and banking platforms, financial inclusion
- Notable Achievements: Fast Company World Changing Ideas Award 2024, $50M+ in refunds facilitated
- Approach: User-centric, operational excellence, embedded finance partnership model
This profile identifies Gavin Nachbar as a seasoned fintech entrepreneur leveraging deep operational experience and product innovation to disrupt the tax filing market through strategic B2B partnerships focused on embedded finance solutions and expanding equitable tax access for underserved populations.
