The tax season is the busiest time for accountants. For accounting firms, it can be the make-or-break season as well. Managing tax season in an increasingly complex regulatory environment has become challenging.
Tax season can be the best time of the year for your accounting firm provided you prepare well for the challenges.
At Pransform, we provide the best tax preparation outsourcing solutions to our clients. Let us share our experience with you to make your tax season simple, efficient, and productive this time, again.
3 Top Tips to Make Your Tax Season Simple and Efficient
The foremost tip for you is to plan ahead of the busy time. Do not leave the preparations of tax season till the last minute.
Early planning will keep your mind clear and you’ll be able to serve your clients without a fuss.
Here are our top 3 tips for your busy tax season.
Tip # 1 Manage Clients’ Expectations
Business owners often overlook the time requirements for their complex tax preparation tasks. Many of them leave the task till the last moment.
If your clients follow the same practice, it’s of utmost importance to communicate with them as early as possible. You should remind them of their responsibilities and the requirements from your side.
Early communication will also help you manage your clients’ expectations. If you have time to prepare and review their tax requirements, you can plan effectively for tax deductions and credits.
Another aspect of managing clients’ expectations is to update them on regulatory changes. It means preparing for the temporary provisions and other regulatory tax requirements.
Using the right mode of communication is pivotal in achieving effective results here. Do not rely on calls or in-person reminders only. Send email reminders that contain detailed requirements from your clients.
Finally, if you still feel your clients fall behind the schedule, ask them to apply for an extension when the time comes. Doesn’t matter how hard you try; it happens with some clients due to various reasons.
Tip # 2 Use Powerful Technology
Many accounting and tax outsourcing services are already boarding the ship. Modern technology such as cloud computing and digitization is the need of the hour.
The use of powerful technology is no more a choice, it has become a competitive advantage. It means, if you fall behind the costs will be giving up the market share.
As your clients come up with different requirements, you may need a comprehensive suite of tools such as tax software, accounting, payroll, and bookkeeping solutions for your clients.
Apart from the technology requirements for your core business activities, you’ll need to invest in communication tools as well. For instance, it has become a new norm to use online meetings tools instead of in-person meetings.
You may need to invest in quality tools for virtual meetings, email marketing, document storage, hardware, printers, scanners, and so on.
A relevant aspect of investing in the right technology is to train your staff. You should give ample time to your employees to get hands-on experience and develop the necessary skills to manage the upgraded tools.
Tip # 3 Manage Workflow
It all goes in vain if you cannot manage the workflow when the time comes. The busy tax season will remain the busiest time for you, there is no other way to handle it but to plan.
The first thing is to set schedules for your clients. You shouldn’t scatter the meetings and tax planning. Always keep room for additional tasks and contingencies from the client side.
The second pivotal point is the segregation of duties for your staff. It will help you manage the workflow effectively. When everyone knows what is their role and what are the expectations, it’s easier to manage the workload.
Finally, as mentioned earlier equip your staff with the rights tools. Use automation and monitor the progress consistently to keep the workflow smooth.
Bonus Tip: Outsource Tax Season Tasks to a Reliable Partner
Despite preparations and planning, some accounting and taxation firms fall short of the expectations. A prime reason is the scarcity of resources and a lack of access to the right tools.
An effective way of handling the tax season workload is to partner with a reliable outsourcing firm.
At Pransform, we can help you serve your clients with the best available technology and solutions. Take a look at the problems we solve and the outcomes we deliver for our clients.