despite it all, tax accountants are going into busy season 2019 brimming with confidence \u2013 if doing at least as well as the last year can be considered confident,\u00a0according to pre-season results from the 2019 busy season barometer.<\/p>\n
so tax season isn’t starting with a bang, but maybe with a whimper, as professionals approach the next 70-odd days with at least cautious optimism.<\/p>\n
the tracking poll, now in its 15th year, shows about 30 percent of practitioners are expecting little or no change from last year, with those predicting \u201csomewhat better\u201d and \u201csomewhat worse\u201d at a dead tie at 26 percent each.<\/p>\n
to be sure, far more are expecting a much better year (about 11 percent) than a much worse year (about 7 percent).<\/p>\n
the early respondents are often reacting to january\u2019s government shutdown. of the more than 300 who offered comments on their pre-season experiences and expectations, about half used the word “shutdown.” other common words were “uncertainty” and “unknown.”<\/div>\n
we should be glad that \u201cfear\u201d or \u201cafraid\u201d came up only a few times.<\/p>\n
fear of the unknown<\/strong><\/p>\nbusy season 2019 outlook and forecast <\/strong><\/strong>(卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nfear of what? the unknown. the possible penalties. reactions to higher fees. an onslaught of confused clients. and all the questions that the irs seems so reluctant to answer.<\/p>\n
in new york, michael williams of schulman lobel llp, whose firm has a presence on both east and west coasts, expects a somewhat worse year for two reasons. one is that \u201cwe, as an industry were not afforded the same breaks as others.\u201d the other is that for clients, \u201cit\u2019s hit or miss, some are doing better, but others are doing far worse when it comes to the total tax bill on similar income.\u201d<\/p>\n
alice alexander, a senior accountant with alexander accounting & tax service group, inc., expects a somewhat better year, telling us, \u201cclients are calling earlier than usual to set up appointments due to the uncertainty of what the outcome of tax returns will look like in view of the complete overhaul of the tax code and the government shutdown.\u201d<\/p>\n
itching to <\/strong>get underway<\/strong><\/p>\ninnumerable comments expressed similar concerns: more clients coming in earlier with more questions due to the overhaul of the tax code. for some, that translates into a good thing: more work, more revenue, more profit. for others, it means frustration and fear as they itch to get the season underway.<\/p>\n
joe eckelkamp, of eckelkamp and associates, is in the hopeful-but-worried camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cmany new clients, including monthly clients, and tcja is adding revenue,\u201d eckelkamp says. \u201chowever i remain very concerned about workflow given the new complications.\u201d<\/p>\n
laura anne plum, of plum & company, p.a., in sarasota, fla., also manages to be optimistic in the face of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n
\u201ctcja, particularly 199a, is creating confusion,\u201d she says. \u201cfinally final regs, but the learning curve to implement is steep. software will need to be vetted carefully. given the changes, we expect to increase fees for affected businesses. hopefully that will be the silver lining.\u201d<\/p>\n
james m. lewis of mccullough & associates, llc, of springfield, mo, seems a little concerned about what his clients are going to think.<\/p>\n
\u201cthey don’t know what they don’t know,\u201d he warns. \u201ci think they’re going to be surprised at the fee increase we have to pass on due to the complicated nature of the changes. we’ve sent out a letter advising them that their fee may increase due to the complexity.\u201d<\/p>\n
for all the above reasons, the busy season barometer predicts a change in the weather. if the government remains open and the irs gets its act in gear, the influx of new clients and possibly higher fees could add up to a very productive, if hectic, busy season.<\/p>\n
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tax practitioners say they’re ready for anything. and they may get it. \n<\/strong><\/p>\n