We’ve officially left the madness of individual tax filing season, and hopefully you’ve had a moment to catch your breath before the June tax deadlines roll around.
While that moment’s rest is wonderful, there are actually ways to be proactive with your clients in the off-season to help make early 2023 easier.
Walk your clients through some basic tax planning
Maybe tax planning isn’t so much your cup of tea, but don’t click away just yet. We’re not saying you have to overhaul your entire business, but wouldn’t it be nice to get a sneak preview of next tax season before it arrives?
If you schedule a meeting with each client, or even just write an email, it’s a great idea to ask about withholding changes, anticipated life events, and any ideas for earning side income.
Prompt your clients throughout the year with ways to lower their taxes owed
Reminding your clients to keep records for tax breaks is a sure way to smooth over any future headaches. Sending an email once every quarter (or around general seasonal changes, like summer breaks or back-to-school periods) keeps recordkeeping top-of-mind for your client without being overwhelming.
For instance, you can remind clients with children that the cost of summer day camp may count towards the Child and Dependent Care Credit. It’s a great way to make sure they keep receipts while also building rapport in the off-season.
Communicate estimated tax deadlines to all your clients, even if they didn’t have Schedule C income in 2022
Adding additional streams of income is more and more common, and even if your clients didn’t mention joining Uber in their big plans for the year, it’s very possible that they might end up doing so.
Sending all your clients a quick email about estimated tax deadlines, along with a request to let you know if they have started a secondary income stream, is a great way to build a checklist of forms you expect to receive next tax season.
Remember to use GruntWorx when tax season returns
Once 2023 rolls around, having an idea of the paperwork you should expect from each client will be helpful—but you still have to put all that information into your filing software.
Lucky for you, that’s what GruntWorx is good at. Our products will help you catalog all the information you’ve stayed on top of through the year when it’s time for the rubber to hit the road.
Be sure to check out our Products Page for more info on how we can streamline your documentation process.
