tax season opportunity guide

based on more than 40 years of hard-won experience and the input of hundreds of tax professionals, the tax season opportunity guide is a condensation of the most practical, most impactful procedures and methods to better serve your clients, grow your practice and, yes, have more fun.

everything here works – tested and proved over the years by the author himself, his firm, and the hundreds of cpas who have shared with him what they do and they do it. knowing how busy tax preparers are during filing season, this publication is written to be put to use – one action step at a time, with short sentences, lots of checklists, bullets and plain-spoken direction.

the book focuses on the top trends in the profession as they affect everyday practice – the critical processes, error avoidance techniques, and productive interaction strategies with clients. it’s a new and refreshing way to focus on the most important tax season processes and procedures.

table of contents

• about the author
• introduction
• 12 reasons to love tax season
• 27 ways to make more money, service clients better, and have more fun during tax season

1. how to be more touchy-feely with clients
2. send the bill with the return
3. employ team members
4. have clear instructions for clients
5. provide consistency in service, processes, standards
6. eliminate the atmosphere of urgency
7. don’t be sloppy instead of thorough
8. stop the small leaks that can cause great damage
9. accommodate clients
10. don’t end up with a graveyard of lost opportunities
11. be happy with your practice
12. recognize your resources
13. quick and easy research
14. fix the top 21 reasons why clients switch firms
15. eliminate excuses
16. think like an entrepreneur
17. consider some h&r block statistics
18. imagine starting with a clean slate
19. two questions to ask yourself
20. think about the future of the tax preparation business
21. now think about the future of your business
22. your new marketing plan
23. know your value
24. know yourself
25. what’s needed for growth and success
26. know your tax practice metrics
27. you are the artist

bonus appendix

• • top 12 tax return preparation errors
  • checklist for what makes a good tax season client
  • reviewer’s checklist for individual tax returns
  • reviewer’s checklist for business tax returns
  • reviewer qualification test: 10 questions
  • reviewer qualification test: answers (no peeking)
  • 40 other services your tax clients should know about
  • checklist for considering additional client services
  • tax season follow up sheet

from the introduction

since 1980 i have been presenting “managing your tax season” programs for many accounting groups including the aicpa, njscpa, nysscpa, and ctscpa. i have also authored two books for the aicpa with that title, written many articles for the journal of accountancy on the subject and developed and presented four webinars for accounting today institute, also on the topic.

two personal benefits of the writing and speaking is that it focuses me on what is happening, the processes, error avoidance, interaction with clients and forces me to be able to clearly relay what i see and possible solutions. the other benefit is the calls i receive from hundreds of cpas asking questions or letting me know how they do things. in some way, i have become a clearinghouse for tax season processes and procedures.

the tax season opportunity guide is a condensation of some major procedures and methods to better serve your clients, grow your practice and have more fun. everything here works – whether for me, my firm or the hundreds of cpas that shared what they do. knowing how busy tax preparers are during that time of year i tried to be as stingy with words as possible working with bullets and brief introductions to each section. these 27 ways work. try some, or even one – but do something and get started on making more money, servicing clients better and having more fun!

— edward mendlowitz

about the author

edward mendlowitz, cpa, abv, pfs

partner, withumsmith+brown

edward mendlowitz is a partner in withum smith + brown’s new brunswick, nj, office and has over 40 years of public accounting experience. he is a licensed certified public accountant in the states of new jersey and new york and is accredited by the american institute of certified public accountants (aicpa) in business valuation (abv), certified in financial forensics (cff) and as a personal financial specialist (pfs). ed is also admitted to practice before the united states tax court and has testified as an expert witness in federal and state court regarding business valuations, and twice at the house ways and means committee on tax reform, fairness, and reduction

a graduate of city college of new york, ed earned his bachelor of business administration degree. he is a member of the aicpa, the new jersey society of certified public accountants (njscpa) and the new york state society of certified public accountants (nysscpa). in addition, ed was a founding partner of mendlowitz weitsen, llp, cpas, which merged with ws+b in 2005. currently, he serves on the nysscpa estate planning committee and was chairman of the committee that planned the nysscpa’s 100th anniversary. the author of 19 books, ed has also written hundreds of articles for business and professional journals and newsletters. he is the contributing editor to the practitioners publishing company’s 706/709 deskbook, and the aicpa’s management of an accounting practice handbook, corporate controller’s handbook and wiley’s handbook on budgeting and is on the editorial board of bottom line/personal newsletter and the journal of accountancy member panel on business valuation. appearing regularly on television news programs, ed has also been quoted in numerous major newspapers and periodicals in the united states. he is the recipient of the lawler award for the best article published during 2001 in the journal of accountancy.

ed is a frequent speaker to many professional and business groups, including the aicpa, njscpa, nysscpa, american management association, the national committee for monetary reform, university of medicine and dentistry in nj and many more. for 11 years, he taught courses on financial analysis, corporate financial policy and theory, monetary and fiscal policy and managerial accounting in the mba program at fairleigh dickinson university.

• paperback: 138 pages, 9 x 6 inches. * due to the nature of digital products, refunds may be limited