surveys & research

celebrating the end of tax season 2014

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pouring champagne

sound off: marking the end of the busy season

congratulations! you’ve survived another season of long nights, saturday workdays, cranky clients, buggy software and cutthroat competition. now it’s time to party, kick back, relax, reconnect and unplug.

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer is hearing it all. here are some of our favorite comments from some of our favorite readers…

join the busy season survey; get the results.
today’s bonus question:
celebration plans read more →

tax season success drivers: better software, easier clients, higher billing rates

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sound off: busy season ‘much better’ than last year in client appreciation, software and fees

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

better software, well-prepared clients and some fee increases are spelling an improved tax season this year for many practitioners.

the annual 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer shows about 47% of some 1,191 practitioners canvassed in the last 30 days say their season so far is at least “somewhat” or even “much” better than last year’s. on the other hand, about 30% are reporting no change from last year and about 24% say business is “worse” including about 4% who call it “much worse.”

join the survey; get the results.
today’s bonus question: lessons learned

read more →

tax professionals plagued by tough competition

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 sound-off: busy season ‘much’ worse than last year.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the nation’s tax professionals are heading into the final days of the 2014 season brimming with optimism that all the hard work may be paying off. but the hard work isn’t over yet and it isn’t paying off for everyone.

join the survey; get the results.
today’s bonus question: lessons learned

read more →

top 100 firms grow 8%

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top 100 firms revenue growth, annual percentage change
top 100 firms revenue growth, annual percentage change

while payrolls lag.

the nation’s top 100 tax and accounting firms advanced total revenues by 7.8% in 2013, totaling $53.9 million, while expanding payrolls only 5.5%, according to the industry-leading accounting today study.

the gap between revenue growth and headcounts suggests that firms are banking profits as never before even as organic expansion lags.

in other highlights from the study: read more →

new survey findings: tax season price wars

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accountants scramble as competition surges for bread-and-butter tax work.
join the survey; get the results.

_top 10 tax season issues

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

pricing and fee pressures are surging as the hot-button issues this tax season, according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer.

to be sure, late or unprepared clients remain the single biggest issue, with 48% of more than 500 practitioners surveyed in february citing it, followed by tardy 1099s and k1s at 35%. those metrics are little changed from last february.

but this year, 31% of practitioners are complaining about pricing and fee pressures, which is triple the year-ago 10% figure.

related research
is the tax prep business topping out?  the number of filings by tax professionals appears to have slowed or even reversed.
tax season metrics shift for the better:   key indicators point to a better 2014 than 2013.
practitioners plot fee-pressure countermeasures:  competitors vie for clients on price and promises.

read more →

survey: is the tax prep business topping out?

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the number of filings by tax professionals appears to have slowed or even reversed.
screen shot 2014-03-06 at 12.56.57 pm

combined with data from the irs, it appears to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 that the price-sensitive bottom of the tax market is getting raked over the coals this year. and it may represent an historic shift.

cch’s top federal tax analyst, mark luscombe, agrees, “it’s possible that tax professionals are trading away quantity for quality. they may be doing fewer returns, but focusing on the higher-value work.” read more →

survey: tax season metrics shift for the better

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key indicators point to a better 2014 than 2013.

last year at this time, 43% of practitioners were already scrambling to put more clients on extension than the year before, according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer survey findings:

this year, only 25% are expecting an increase in the number of extensions. read more →

survey results: the billion-dollar business hidden in accounting

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screen shot 2014-02-17 at 8.10.54 pmone-third of u.s. accountants work at home, on their own, moonlighting. here are their biggest issues and best tips… 

get more when you join the survey, get the results.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

if you’re reading this at home, or on your own time, you’re not alone. today more than one-third of accountants are already moonlighting in “side” practices or home offices – especially during busy season, according to a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey of almost 800 accountants.

read more →

new benchmarking research: accounting firm operations and technology survey

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garrett johnston

executive summary of key findings available.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 is joining in the release of a broad new benchmarking project, the accounting firm operations and technology survey, produced by randy johnston, chairman and ceo of network management group, inc., and leslie garrett, phd, ceo of insight research group.

“our primary goal in developing and publishing this ebook is to deliver an easily accessible reference tool accounting professionals can leverage when making operational and technology decisions,” said johnston.

the 2014 ebook provides the most complete and up-to-date information about practice management and technology u.s. accountants are using in their practices. the ebook shares factual, actionable items and insights that are not available from any other source, further broken down for the practitioner by size of firm.

read more →

your best busy season survival tips

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by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

accountants joining the annual 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer poll are recommending regular rest and recreation among their leading survival strategies.

some know how to balance things just right, like vic butcher who says to “exercise every morning and go out for pizza and drinks every thursday night.” we can’t object to pizza and drinks, although alan gray would have us “eat and drink less.” read more →

getting new clients and leveraging technology top list of accountants’ plans

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top 5

survey shows new sense of confidence – and urgency.

get more updates: join the survey; get the results.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

tax and accounting professionals are hoping to make 2014 the year of working smarter, instead of harder, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey.

in general, the goals and objectives as described by more than 200 accountants suggest a new surge of confidence in their business and in their clients’ businesses, and a new sense of urgency in upgrading their practices or moving on.

the survey is part of a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 project, now in its eighth year, tracking the shifts in strategy and objectives in the profession. it measures sentiment on 21 or more strategies and tactics, and goals and ambitions across firms of all sizes nationwide. read more →

marketing wars to escalate in 2014

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the bigger they are, the harder they’ll fight for new business.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

if you thought it’s been tough in 2013 to find and keep new clients, you won’t like 2014 any better. firms of all sizes are planning to escalate their sales and marketing programs in the coming year, according to an exclusive new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey.

join the survey; get the results.

the number of tax and accounting firms battling hard for new business will rise to about 73% in 2014, up from 65% in 2013, according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey of more than 670 practitioners nationwide. read more →