client management checklists for tax resolution

and how to handle clients once their tax issues are resolved.

by jassen bowman
tax resolution systems

your ability to successfully manage a large client volume is directly related to your enforcement of procedural compliance upon your staff.

more: some office nuts and bolts | what to say on phone calls about fees | use checklists to manage your tax firm | tax resolution staff roles and responsibilities | follow up with leads longer
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you should manage all internal processes systematically, and your staff should handle all client matters systematically as well.

client management

when running a tax practice with a significant client volume, managing that volume becomes an important task. when working on 20, 40, even 120 tax resolution cases simultaneously, for example, time management skills become critical. the bigger your client volume, the more you will delegate tasks to other staff members. when working large case loads, it’s also important to split your time effectively, and not let your sales and marketing machine lose ground.

a single practitioner with a full-time assistant can realistically handle a case load of roughly 80 active tax resolution cases and generally complete 300 to 800 tax returns per tax season (depending on complexity), while still committing about two or more hours per day to practice management and growth activities.

four things in particular save a tremendous amount of time in managing your case load:

1. using a shared calendar system so that assistants can add items to your calendar, and vice versa.
2. incorporating new client intake checklists and resolution checklists physically into a paper file and/or crm system for case work tracking. this lets you always know at a glance “where you are” with a file, without having to poke through notes or paperwork.
3. strict adherence to time blocking. specific activity sets have dedicated times of day, every day, for completion, and absolutely zero outside interruptions are allowed during those time blocks.
   • marketing time is marketing time. refuse to accept any case work interruptions during marketing time!!! a client being levied is not an emergency.
4. regular client and ro communication. even when there is nothing to actually communicate, weekly communication via phone, fax or email is essential to delivering five-star client service, and prevents countless headaches and misunderstandings.

daily client management checklist

• complete new client intake checklist for any new clients.
  • tax resolution work and examination representation in particular are heavily front-loaded in terms of man-hours, and also much more time-sensitive on the front end. do not disregard this fact when ramping up your active case volume, and allow for adequate allocation of resources such as personnel and time to the client intake processes.
• complete all calendared case work to-do items for the day.
  • when a form 9297 comes in, calendar all deadlines for each item. also calendar your own client deadline several business days prior to the ro deadline to ensure you get necessary information from the client on time.
  • whenever correspondence arrives from the irs, calendar any necessary items, such as filing of appeals, making of payments, etc. ensure enough time between irs deadline and necessary client actions.
  • calendar all self-imposed deadlines to clients.
• review all open cases at least weekly.
  • review all existing case template checklists in paper file or on crm system for tasks that need to be done for each case each day.
  • upon completion of a calendared task, advance the checklist for that client.
• contact client via phone or email to update on progress of case.
  • creates “paper trails” to cover yourself.
  • if no actions within five business days for a client, contact client anyway just to touch base.
• complete timed file review checklist for each client at 48-hour, 10-day and 30-day intervals.
• close any resolved cases using close file checklist.

close file checklist

this checklist is used to close files you are no longer working on. in most cases, this happens because you either resolved the taxpayer’s liability with a satisfactory resolution or they were on a fee payment plan and they quit paying you.

• revoke power of attorney (2848) and tax information authorization (8821).
  • write “revoke” in big letters across top and bottom of document, and sign and date.
  • some practitioners prefer to keep an 8821 active so that they continue to receive copies of notices for monitoring or remarketing purposes.
  • it is advised to not keep an active form 2848 on file with caf unless the client is continuing the engagement with you for other purposes, such as paid monitoring.
• assemble paper archive file.
  • fill out and include closed file form.
  • print out and include copy of billable time log (“prebill” worksheet).
  • remove client documents from paper file and add to archive file if reusing client folders.
  • clearly label archive folder with legally mandated store-until date, based on case circumstances.
  • place archive file in physical storage.
• change status in crm system.
• if reusing active client folders, pre-prepare for next client.
  • add blank tax prac worksheet.
  • add blank new client intake checklist printout.
• compose and mail case closure letter to client.
• proceed to post-closure monitoring and/or client retention checklist.

post-closure monitoring checklist

after a case is successfully resolved, you may wish to offer the client an ongoing monitoring service. some clients you will purposefully not wish to offer this to. some practitioners offer this as a value-added service; others charge for it.

• determine if this is a client you want to continue working with.
• offer monitoring service to client.
• obtain signature on engagement letter for monitoring.
• retain power of attorney on file with caf unit when closing file.
• based on your service offering, calendar future monitoring activities.
  • for in-business oic resolutions, suggested transcript update frequency is monthly while making offer payments, quarterly thereafter.
  • for ia resolutions, update transcripts monthly for first several months, then drop to quarterly.
  • for self-employed individuals, update transcripts quarterly, a week or two after 1040-es deadline.
  • for all monitoring clients, review mail that comes in from government, and compose email or letter to client with every notice explaining what it was and what, if anything, they need to do about it.

client retention checklist

taxpayer representation work can be an incredibly lucrative field of practice entirely on its own. however, i’d encourage you to think of tax resolution as a client acquisition mechanism for your overall practice.

• based on interactions with this client, is this somebody i choose to have an ongoing relationship with?
  • do not be afraid to terminate unprofitable, time-consuming or emotionally draining client relationships. politely refer these folks to other practitioners, such as by giving them three others to choose from, and wish them the best.
• does this client fit well into another area of my practice as an ideal or near-ideal client?
• is the taxpayer’s business operation truly viable for the long term?
• was the taxpayer’s tax debt situation truly because of a temporary circumstance?
  • you generally do not want serial tax debtors as long-term clients.
• if yes to all of the above, what additional services can you competently offer this client?
  • do not offer services to clients that you don’t want to still be offering five years from now.
• actively engage this client for your other services.
  • if client is not interested, keep them on your long-term client/prospect touch program, indefinitely.

posted on november 19, 2017