Here we are again: heading into the season of early mornings, crowded inboxes, and disheveled clients. We’re talking, of course, about tax season.
And believe it or not, that season starts now — at least if you’re planning ahead. Here are some tried-and-true tips that will help you feel less stressed than last year.
The Most Common Challenges We Hear Ahead of Tax Season
Tax season is a challenging period for accountants and CPAs, filled with stringent deadlines, a surge in client requests (and often anxiety), and a significant increase in workload. To help you smoothly navigate this busy time, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide of best practices, proactive planning techniques, and valuable resources.
At Star Staffing, we work with numerous accountants and financial experts annually. When they discuss their concerns ahead of tax season, several patterns emerge. They are:
- Year-End Tasks: Balancing end-of-year financial close with preparation for tax filings
- Staffing: Budgeting for seasonal staff and working with staffing firms to start the seasonal hiring process early
- Client Communication: Reaching out to clients well ahead of deadlines to ensure they have deadlines in mind for submitting documents
- Admin and Clerical Work: Getting ahead on paperwork and routine tasks so you can spend January through April on time-sensitive items
- Productivity: Implementing productivity tools and hacks to help streamline your workflow, set team and individual goals, and track deadlines
How to Create Your Smoothest Tax Season Yet
Start Early
The earlier you begin planning, the better prepared you’ll be. It’s always better to be proactive, especially when managing clients who often tend to procrastinate.
Aim to kick off your tax season preparations in September or October by setting a budget for any seasonal staff, looking back at last year’s hiring needs as well as any pros and cons you experienced, and reaching out to a staffing firm to let them know you’ll need some help sourcing temporary support, whether that’s a front desk assistant or freelance accountants.
Our best advice? Create an action plan. Outline your tasks and deadlines, breaking them down into manageable steps. This plan should include:
- Key dates for client outreach
- Hiring deadlines
- Milestones for document processing
Hire Vetted Seasonal Staff — and Do It Early
You’re going to need to delegate, and that’s where temp support comes in.
Working with a staffing firm to hire vetted seasonal staff can save you time and ensure quality hires. The best time to reach out? Now.
Every year, our offices experience a surge in hiring requests for tax season support, but usually, that doesn’t happen until the end of the year or even early 2024. While we’re happy to help our clients source temp workers for tax season any time, it’s much easier to start the process now when there’s more time for us to screen and vet seasonal workers. Also, the early bird gets the worm — in this case, the first pick of high-quality hires!
You also might be surprised by the variety of temp tax season jobs a staffing firm can fill. At Star Staffing, we place accountants, senior accountants, administrative clerks, bookkeepers, accounting managers, auditors, financial analysts, and more. We can also help find talent to fill full-time roles, including C-suite-level positions. Reach out to your trusted staffing agency to discuss your needs now so you have plenty of time to find exactly what you need.
Automate Client Reminders
Automating client reminders for document submissions and deadlines can significantly reduce the administrative burden. Make use of email templates to streamline communication and ensure consistency. Creating email templates for client communication, in particular, can save significant time. Templates can cover:
- Document submission requests.
- Deadline reminders
- Follow-up messages
If you don’t already, you should also consider implementing software or tech platforms that allow clients to submit their paperwork securely online. You can also leverage software and AI to automate routine team tasks and data entry. Tools like Taxdome, Wolters Kluwer, and the AI tool Process Street (which helps streamline workflows) all come highly recommended by leading accountants and offer features that can help streamline your workload, manage client data, and ensure compliance.
Use Productivity Hacks
Productivity hacks aren’t just for college students! Implement productivity tools and techniques, such as:
- Time-blocking to focus on specific tasks
- Using to-do lists and project management software like Trello, Airtable, or Asana.
- Delegating tasks where possible — which is where seasonal staff comes in. Let Star Staffing help!
Remember, being proactive rather than reactive is vital to surviving and thriving during the busy tax season. By starting early, hiring vetted seasonal staff, automating client reminders, and leveraging the right tools, you can significantly ease the burden of the busy tax season. Consider booking a consultation with our team for personalized support and expert advice. Let’s make this tax season your most efficient one yet.
Good luck, and happy accounting!