hi-tech drives busy season forecasts.
are you keeping up? join the poll; get the instant download.
by rick telberg
at large
tax professionals appear to be steering toward the upcoming filing season on course, with the wind at their backs and new technology strategies as their compasses. braced by the lessons of last season, we’re hearing that more tax offices will be going paperless, cracking down on scheduling and tightening management procedures in 2007.
they are grappling head-on with strategic issues and making new investments. for instance, the strategies that will be getting the most attention from the largest number of practitioners this year will be:
— going paperless (i.e. scanning, storage, etc.);
— improving client service and communications (i.e. online service and delivery); and
— improving efficiencies (i.e. dual monitors, software upgrades, faster web connections).
— hi-tech drives busy season forecasts.
the top new investments, so far in our tracking, are:
— new tax software (pushed by continuing vendor consolidation);
— new printers, scanners and copiers (because going “paperless†doesn’t mean “paper freeâ€); and
— new laptop or notebook computers (for mobility and work/life balance).
our tax mavens also have their share of worries. the top three:
— client privacy protections;
— viruses, spyware and malware; and
— catastrophic loss of data.
but the professionals who are most optimistic and best prepared for the busy season are also more likely to be:
— integrating and consolidating software applications;
— strengthening their marketing strategies; and
— adding new security and backup systems.
predicting a better season this year, harley pottroff of manhattan, kan., has streamlined his firm’s scanning process, increasing efficiencies.
meanwhile, joe eckelkamp of st. louis is finding that “electronic document delivery is appealing to many clients.†but having lost a key member of the team, he’s bracing for a bumpier ride this season.
at clark schaeffer hackett & co. in springfield, ohio, technology director sharon ballard learned last year that “having the right people in critical positions and having support from top management†are essential. this year, her firm will be scanning more source documents up-front as they move toward a totally paperless workflow.
sonny julian in independence, mo., swears this is the year he finally dumps the last of his dos-based software. and with a new time and billing system, he’s looking forward to a better season.
in lake worth, fla., elisa a. arnetta is going into her second busy season as an independent, with bright hopes. but she’s not wasting time on tax organizers that clients ignore. instead of stuffing all those envelopes and licking all those stamps, she’s going to “provide clients with the choice to get one from me.â€
in general, tax practitioners seem about as ready as they’ve ever been by this time in the pre-season warm-ups.
weigh anchor and hoist the mainsail. off we go mateys!
[first published by the aicpa]