busy season management

top five tax season problems

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form 8949 2011no. 1: big headaches in form 8949. 

after getting off to a fast start, many tax practitioners are still smarting from seemingly unnecessary difficulties late in the season, according to findings by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

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how are you celebrating the end of tax season?

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we’ve been asking. and you’ve been answering.

here are a few of your post-tax-season plans…

  • why retire at 63 when it is this much fun.
  • we will probably go out for drinks and dinner after closing the office.
  • we usually go to tahoe and ski. since i hurt my knee ice skating, we are taking the family to disney for 4 days.

    complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

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how to survive tax season: 100 real-life ideas… and counting

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how do you survive tax season?

you’ve been answering, by the hundreds. here’s a sampling of the responses we’re getting in the busy season barometer poll.

  1. forge ahead.
  2. take personal weekend in middle of march to catch a breather.
  3. i workout every evening/night for about 2-3 hours, and the routine seems to eradicate any negativity
  4. exercise and a good meal.
  5. yes been easier this year many clients came in early
  6. keep on top of clients requirements, evaluate risk/return(advice) trade offs.
  7. by learning how to still be breathing on 4/16 read more →

busy season runs smooth and fast into march

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majority of practitioners reporting improved results.

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

by rick telberg

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy-season mood-barometer is showing significantly higher satisfaction and confidence ratings as the profession grinds through one of its best performances in years.
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ten steps to a better tax season

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tools for balancing work and life in the most special time of year.

by ira rosenbloom

three nights a week and saturdays. for many accountants, this describes the extra effort that is made to properly service clients during tax season. the quality of life for accountants and their families typically takes a turn for the worse during this special time of year. most will tolerate the change because it brings cash flow and profits.

but are accountants truly making the most of this extra effort? what if it were possible not only to improve tax season but also to enhance profitability and improve quality of life, as well?  here are ten steps that will give you a better shot at achieving those goals. read more →

survey update: busy season shifts to hi gear

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red pencil survey

and so, too, the mood of the accounting profession.

 by rick telberg

the outlook for a better busy season is improving among tax and accounting practitioners, with 16% reporting “much better” operations in january, up from 11% in the year-ago month and continuing a string of monthly year-over-year advances in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 polling.

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

overall, practitioners are headed into the jaws of the february busy season with 57% of them reporting generally positive results. only 19% are calling for worse and 25% forecast no change.

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the top 12 tax return preparation errors

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pro members: click here for the instant download

get the instant download: ed mendlowitz’ tax season opportunity checklist kit. free to pro members.

ed mendlowitz, cpa and partner at withum cpas in new brunswick, n.j., has survived more than 40 tax seasons and built a thriving book of business.

he knows a thing or two about how to run an office in busy season. over the years, he has compiled this handy list of the most frequently found errors in tax return preparation:

1. number transposition and spelling errors. this includes income and deduction amounts and client social security numbers, addresses and zip codes. spelling errors should also be avoided – they indicate a lack of attention to what you are doing. read more →

new survey findings: tech investments, better economy, more complex returns buoy busy season outlook

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four in five expect the same or better  than last year’s busy season.

by rick telberg

as busy season 2012 gets into full gear, tax and accounting professionals are holding steadfast to their confidence that this year’s results could show a marked improvement over last year’s, according to current readings of the profession by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

with january 2012 just beginning, 55% of accountants expect 2012 to be overall  “somewhat” or “much” better than 2011, which is relatively unchanged from readings in november and december. to be sure, 26% expect no change from last year, and 19% are bracing for “worse.”

in other findings from the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer and related reports:

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

 

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two smart ways to keep the marketing engine running during tax season

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two days of smart marketing that can actually benefit your practice for the rest of the year.

by completing just two marketing tactics in january, you will be able to “touch” clients, prospective clients and referral sources throughout busy season even if your schedule doesn’t permit face-to-face communication.  you will have been “seen and heard.”

marketing consultant debbie andrews at marketri, a philadelphia-area marketing agency, says:

1. youtube video series: film 6-10 short video clips that contain (1) planning advice and /or (2) tax news / law changes.  these videos should be no more than 60-90 seconds in length.  when developing the material for your shoot, think about the many questions that you were asked by clients throughout the year.

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