i.d. theft and security issues emerge as top concern.
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but some other prices are down.
next question: who’s succeeding with value pricing?
join the survey; get the answer.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
the average fee for a professional to prepare and submit a form 1040 and state return with no itemized deductions will be $176 this year, according to a biennial survey conducted by the national society of accountants. the figure represents a gain of about 16 percent since the last survey in 2015.
more on pricing, fees & billing rates: why offering packages can catapult your revenue | new survey finds widespread rate hikes in tax & accounting firms | client retention drives today’s pricing strategies | chaos in tax & accounting pricing | tax & accounting firms wrestle fewer price increases from clients
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compared to two years ago, some prices rose and others dropped – a clear signal of volatility and pressure in the market. surveyed firms expected to increase their accounting service fees by an average of 6.1% in 2017, up from an actual increase of 5.3% in 2016.
four ways we’re better off without pre-scheduled client meetings.
by frank stitely
we had been scheduling tax meetings for over 20 years. we thought clients wanted them.
more: debunking the demise of the cpa firm | how to thrive as a 21st-century firm | farm-aid for accountants? | whittle down wip | the tax practice traffic cop
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they came because we told them to, not because they wanted to.
today, face-to-face meetings are so 1990s.
the tax meeting is dead. clients – and maybe covid, too – killed it.
244 great ideas for a smoother, happier, and more profitable busy season
four software companies control more than 90 percent of the tax prep business. but which one has the biggest fans?
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
with only four companies already controlling 90 percent of the professional tax preparation software market, the competition is intense. to be sure, some 9 in 10 accountants can be counted on to renew year after year, giving vendors barely single-digit year-over-year percentage increases in organic revenue growth.
but with the advent of the cloud, evolving client needs, workflow innovations, and an uncertain outlook for a major tax code overhaul, this year could present a singular set of choices for tax professionals – and fresh opportunities for vendors.
four companies dominate the cpa tax software market:
in the rest of this report, based on a survey by the aicpa of its members, we provide additional detail on:
plus 4 “how much?” questions to ponder.
by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor
another reason global capital is finding a haven in u.s. assets.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
the u.s. is the envy of the world in the low tax rate applied to real estate transactions, according to a new study by uhy, the global network of accounting firms.
“the united states has one of the lowest tax rates in our study,” says dennis petri of uhy advisors. “the low level of tax enables homeowners to move more freely from city to city and now, the u.s. is seen as having enviable labor market mobility.”
the study shows taxes on “prime” real estate transfers average 0.6 percent in the u.s., or $6,000, far lower than the global average of 3.3 percent ($33,038) for properties worth $1 million, according to the study.
four ways to identify candidates for cross-selling.
by ed mendlowitz
the average tax return client thinks of accountants as being mainly involved in taxes. also, an accounting firm’s largest volume of clients is usually for tax return services. therefore, a good part of the public image of your firm must come from the tax department.
more: when time-based pricing works | the clients that got away | upselling made painless | boosting a fixed fee substantially | creative ways to retain staff | what cpas can learn from lawyers and doctors | advising cheapskates | getting bonuses from clients | be an accountant, not a salesperson for other things | when clients don’t know
the tax department must be involved in:
unfortunately, many accounting firms provide very little guidance or training in this area.
31% report problems, making it one of the top three issues of the 2016 season. but can accountants turn the problem into a new opportunity?
by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
with identity theft emerging as one of the biggest problems for tax preparers, their clients, and their friends at the internal revenue service, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 is asking how to turn that problem into an opportunity.
more on tax season for pro members: accountants speak out on politics and the economy | lessons learned from a bad busy season | 3 ways to save time during busy season | most tax professionals call 2016 busy season much improved over last year | stress less this tax season | is tax season the new fraud season? | 5 tax season motivation tips | recognize your tax season resources | tax season 2016: irs in crisis | eliminate tax season excuses | record pre-season hiring surge: ready for biggest tax season ever? | 16 qualities of a good tax season client
after all, security costs money. if clients are made aware that the danger is real, maybe they could be willing to pay a little more if they know their tax preparer is spending resources on security. it might also be an opportunity for practitioners to offer their it expertise or it partners to help clients secure their systems. it would be a win-win-lose situation for practitioners, clients, and hackers, respectively. and even if better security doesn’t translate to better revenues, it’s always a good selling point. clients need to know of the danger and preparers’ efforts to counter it.
still, it’s a problem for the practitioners we’re canvassing even when it doesn’t happen, mostly because of the cost and inconvenience of prevention efforts.
nation’s biggest companies benefit from congressional budget cuts.
by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
maybe it’s only legend, but if you’re a quotation buff, you’ve probably heard novelist f. scott fitzgerald telling hemingway, “the rich are different from you and me.” hemingway responds, “yes, they have more money.”
the same may apply to giant corporations, at least as far as the irs is concerned. and the consequences are far from amusing.
fix them while you have the chance.
by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide
clients have many choices, including the choice of a tax preparer. every new client an accountant gets is because that client left – fired – their previous accountant.
following is a listing of major reasons why clients switch accountants:
budget breakdowns threaten tax agency’s future.
this year’s toughest issues & best opportunities
today’s bonus question: strategies for dealing with the single biggest problem this year.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
you have a friend inside the irs. it’s the taxpayer advocate service. technically, it’s part of the irs, but legally, it reports directly to congress and the congressional desire to make life as simple as possible for you.
the tas has two main objectives:
to fulfill the problem/solution objective, the tas presents an annual report to congress. the report identifies at least 20 serious systemic problems. theoretically, congress will look askance at the irs, and the irs will take heed and make life a little easier for taxpayers and tax preparers.
depending on how quickly the irs reacts, the problems detailed in the 2015 annual report may make this year’s tax season a little easier. some of the problems, however, will need long-term consideration. but that’s better than no consideration.
here, briefly, are a few of the main issues the tas has identified:
bonus checklist: the answers!
by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide
the primary people who should review tax returns are trained tax department reviewers. however, often the bunching and compression of work shifts some of the review to higher level, non-tax personnel such as audit managers and partners who might not necessarily have the comprehensive training, background and experience to handle everything that might come up during the tax preparation process.
more on tax season: 16 qualities of a good tax season client | 8 ways to delight tax season clients | small tax season leaks can cause great damage | 5 ways thorough beats sloppy in tax season | here’s your new tax season marketing plan | when ‘quick and easy’ tax season research isn’t | 5 personal touches for tax season | consistency simplifies tax season | 11 clear client instructions to make your tax season easier | 3 ways to build a tax season team | have fun this tax season | how to get paid faster this tax season
additionally, in many firms, almost everyone on the staff prepares some returns. that lack of dedicated preparers with the trained skills places an added burden on the tax reviewers, making it important for them to have the range of experience needed to perform the review.
following are 10 questions reviewers should be able to answer to qualify for their role.