surveys & research

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.”

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today’s bonus question: lessons learned

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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

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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.
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_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 →