survey respondents say the new year means new plans.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
it’s shaping up to be a pretty good year, according to early results from the 2025 busy season barometer. half expect a year better than last year’s good year, and less than 10 percent think it will be worse.
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why?
- the market’s in a good place. plenty of clients out there.
- so far (fingers crossed) no big changes to the tax code.
- no pandemic quarantines (more fingers crossed).
- the economy’s chugging right along (keep them crossed).
tweaking operations
many tax offices are hoping to maximize their busy season by tweaking operations for stability, efficiency and, if time allows, growth. the barometer is asking what they’re doing differently this year.
we’re getting some interesting responses, some of which could pass for good advice.
anthony alera seems to be prepping for growth. he says, “tracking latest tax legislation and driving conversations on tax planning for medium term – opportunity for higher revenue/client, plus increased probability of higher taxes/inflation/both on 5-10, 10 yr+ horizon.”
bob langworthy, president of management accounting in brunswick, maine, says he’s expecting a much better year, and he’s taking some simple, solid steps to get there: “we are raising rates and have added more capacity at the preparer level.”
brian dibella also says he raising fees across the board.
denise hanlon, in norwood, mass., seems to be getting the tax prep process nailed down. her plan: “better capacity planning for the individual tax returns and being quicker to put people on extension instead of letting them clog the pipeline.”
delbert flemming seems to be leaving the tax prep headaches behind. his plan’s a big one: “changing to client accounting services.”
in and around new york city, jody chesnov, of rosenberg chesnov fame, is hitting the ground at a gallop. her plan: “front-load as much of the tax work as possible and start the season sooner to spread the effort more evenly.”
john sanchez, head of john a. sanchez & co. in auburn hills, mich., isn’t fooling around. he says he’s going to “continue heavy marketing and sales meetings through tax season.”
mark ferris, chairman and ceo of panalitix, a global consultancy for accountants, has apparently been doing some serious thinking about internal operations. though his company doesn’t provide tax services, his advice would apply to those who do: “assign roles internally more intelligently. use offshore provider more efficiently. reach out earlier to clients and manage their expectations better. not renew clients who have been perpetually difficult.”
michele joy emert gore, with michael j. emert & associates cpas in portland, ore., is also trying to get more done and charge more for it. her firm’s plan: “charge more for additional services and per tax return/form/knowledge involved with returns being filed. fewer in-person appointments with clients to maximize production time. will not be accepting new clients? (lol. that never works!)”
an anonymous respondent had similar advice with a bit of a twist: “offer incentives to clients that help me manage workflow and have a life. increase billings.”
and here are some more anonymous responses that might apply to other tax firms.
- “better prepare.”
- “work less.”
- “drink less.”
- “stay calm.”
- “punt.”
- “try to survive.”
what is your firm doing differently this year? your colleagues across the nation would like to know. click here to contribute to the busy season barometer.