Tax Season Efficiency: 10 Signs Your Tax Software Didn’t Perform Well This Year

Before you embark on another tax season, make sure your firm does a full analysis of its tax season efficiency. Although you may think switching tax software will be a hassle, you might actually save time and money.

Problems and Solutions

Here are ten signs your firm could perform more efficiently, and what to do about it:

1. Problem: The files you needed were stuck in a pile on someone’s desk.
   Solution: Store all of your firm’s papers in digital files that can be found with just a few clicks.
2. Problem: You spent too much time tracking down Form 8879s.
   Solution: Use e-signatures to reduce the back-and-forth between you and your clients.
3. Problem: You don’t get paid until until 30 days after the engagement is complete (or longer).
   Solution: Improve cash flow through real-time billing upon completion of tax returns.
4. Problem: It takes too long for clients to provide information.
   Solution: Collect information digitally with an electronic tax organizer and/or portal.
5. Problem: You struggle with setting up business returns and managing workpapers.
   Solution: Automate the creation of new tax engagements with binder templates customized to fit your clients’ needs.
6. Problem: When researching an issue, you start on the internet and then repeat your search elsewhere for more reliable information.
   Solution: Save time by seeing CCH IntelliConnect results wherever you search on the internet.
7. Problem: Someone in your firm entered all your client data manually.
   Solution: Import client source document data directly into your tax solution.
8. Problem: A client wanted to know the status of their return, but you didn’t know the answer.
   Solution: Use project tracking software to stay informed of the exact status of returns.
9. Problem: You were short-handed and had to hire costly temporary staff at the last minute.
   Solution: Consider outsourcing to convert the variable cost of tax preparation to a fixed cost.
10. Problem: You paid extra shipping charges on last-minute supply orders.
    Solution: Use portals to send returns digitally, or order professional supplies such as folders and mailing envelopes in advance.

Look Forward to a Better Tax Season

Wolters Kluwer is here to help you stay organized and improve your tax season efficiency during the 2017 tax season. Discover how our comprehensive, time-saving software solutions, services and resources will help you get through the busy tax season with less stress, a better work/life balance, and more reasons to grow, manage and protect your firm with the help of Wolters Kluwer.