Effortless Tax Prep: How to Simplify Tax Preparation

If you’re an accountant, CPA, or bookkeeper, you know tax season often means lots of paperwork and tight deadlines. But it doesn’t have to be so stressful. In this blog post, you’ll find practical tips to make your tax prep accounting workflow easier. We’ll cover everything from starting early to using the latest accounting tech. These tips can save you time, reduce errors, and boost your efficiency. Whether you’ve been doing this for years or are just starting, this post can help you tackle the next tax season with confidence and ease.

Start Planning Early

Tax season can be like a maze. By starting early, you get a headstart that allows you to navigate through the inevitable complexities ahead with time to spare.

Begin by marking down all the important tax deadlines on your calendar. Then, set smaller goals for yourself leading up to each deadline. This way, you break down the big task into smaller, doable parts. It’s like having a step-by-step guide to stay organized throughout the tax season.

Build Your Tax Prep Checklist

Next, put together a detailed checklist of everything you’ll need. This includes the client’s tax returns for the previous year, W-2s, any 1099s, statements showing investment income, and records of deductions or credits. This checklist ensures that you gather all the important documents without missing anything crucial.

Stay Updated on Tax Laws

Tax laws are always changing so it’s important to stay flexible and informed. Keep an eye on any updates in tax laws or changes in your client’s financial situation. Make it a point to do this quarterly. Staying up to date regularly means you can navigate around any surprises.

Do a Financial Check-Up

Before you start working on a client’s taxes, take a good look at their financial records for the year. This step is about understanding their money situation, including what’s coming in, what’s going out, and anything new or different from last year that might affect their taxes.

• Look at All Income – Check all the money your client made, like their salary, business profits, money from investments, or any other income. Make sure everything’s counted and in the right category.
• Review Investments Carefully – If your client sold stocks or property, check these closely because they might affect their taxes. Make sure you know how much these were originally bought for and how long they were held.
• Spot Anything Unusual – Keep an eye out for any big or complicated transactions. This could be large one-off payments, money from overseas, or dealings with trusts.
• Compare with Last Year – Look at this year’s finances alongside last year’s to see any big changes. This can help you understand if anything needs more explanation.
• Make Sure Everything’s Legal – Double-check that all the financial activities follow the tax rules. This includes making sure the income is reported correctly and all the rules are followed.
• Prepare Questions for Your Client – Based on your review, write down any questions you have for your client. This might be about needing more papers or understanding certain transactions better.

Doing this detailed financial review sets you up for a smoother and more accurate tax preparation process, which is good for both you and your client.

Get the Most Out of Deductions and Credits

When working on taxes, one of your main goals is to lower your clients’ tax bills as much as legally possible. This means knowing all the tax breaks (deductions and credits) they can use and how these apply to their specific money situation.

• Understand Each Client’s Situation – Start by looking closely at what’s going on in your client’s life and finances. Think about their job, or family, whether they own a home, run a business, or have investments. Each of these things can open up different ways to save on taxes.
• Find All Possible Tax Breaks – Be thorough in looking for tax breaks for your clients. This means not just the usual ones like home loans or giving to charity, but also less known ones like certain school costs, making your home more energy-efficient, or big medical bills.
• Use Tax Credits Smartly – Tax credits can often save your clients more money than deductions because they reduce their tax bill directly. Look for any tax credits they might get, like for college costs, having kids, earning low income, or using renewable energy.
• Keep Good Records – Make sure your clients keep track of all their receipts and records for these tax breaks. Good records are really important if the IRS ever has questions.
• Don’t Forget State Tax Breaks – Besides federal tax breaks, see if there are any special tax savings in your client’s state. Some states have their extra ways to save on taxes.
• Give Year-Round Tax Advice – Use what you find out to give your clients advice on how to handle their money in ways that can save on taxes. This might include when to give to charity, making their home more energy-efficient, or putting money in retirement accounts.

By really digging into all the tax breaks available and how they fit each client, you’re making sure they don’t pay more taxes than they need to. This is a big part of being a great accountant and building your reputation.

Use Accounting Workflow Software Efficiently

Do yourself a favor and embrace digitalization.

Digital tools have changed how accounting and tax work gets done. They make it easier and quicker to do things like figure out taxes and file them online.

One of the best things about digital tools is that they can do all the complicated tax math for you. They work out things like how much tax is owed, what deductions and credits apply, and estimate payments. This means less chance of making mistakes compared to doing it all by hand.

One of the most useful tools for tax prep lets you file tax returns online. eFiling is quicker and safer than sending paper forms. Once you file, you get a confirmation right away, so you and your client know it’s been received.

Use a project management tool like Mango that can link up with other financial systems or software, such as software that keeps track of money or makes payroll. This integration can make tax time easier and reduce dreaded input errors.

Shift to a Cloud-Based Accounting Project Management System

Move away from paper files. Store documents in the cloud. Scanning and storing documents electronically on a cloud-based project management software like Mango is safe and user-friendly. Not only does digital storage save physical space but it also enhances user accessibility. Using secure digital folders labeled with clear, consistent naming conventions will streamline your document management process even further.

Use Automation Tools

If you want to improve your workflow efficiency, embrace automation. Leveraging automation tools can give you more time to do higher-priority tasks. For example, automation tools can extract data from bank statements, invoices, and receipts, and then input this data directly into accounting records. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of human error in manual data entry. Also, certain tools can automatically fill in tax forms based on the financial data available which reduces your manual workload.

Automation can be used to manage workflow and schedule tasks related to tax preparation, such as setting reminders for deadlines, organizing client meetings, or tracking the progress of tax filing for multiple clients.

Learn and Use Shortcut Keys

Speaking of technology efficiency, get acquainted with your keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts are a powerful tool in any professional’s arsenal. They allow for quick navigation without relying on mouse clicks. This can be particularly beneficial during busy periods like tax season. Spend some time learning the most common keyboard shortcuts for the tools and programs you use regularly, such as shortcuts for calculating sums, switching between spreadsheets, or formatting documents.

Create a quick reference guide that can be shared by your entire team. In this guide, list all of the shortcuts you find most useful. Your guide can be in the form of a physical note card taped to your monitor or a digital note on your computer’s desktop for easy access. Refer to it until you commit the essential shortcuts to memory.

Develop Client Check-In Routines

Establishing a routine for regular check-ins with clients is crucial for maintaining up-to-date and accurate financial records. This will, of course, save you time when tax time comes around. Schedule monthly or quarterly meetings (virtual or in-person) to review their financial status. At these check-ins, gather new financial documents, discuss any significant financial events, and plan for upcoming tax-related issues.

Make the most of your client portal by using it in tandem with your client check-ins. For example, you can set up automated reminders for clients to upload their latest financial documents ahead of your meeting. Then, during your client check-in, you can screen share to review financial statements or discuss specific items in real-time.

Planning Ahead to Save on Taxes

Proactive tax planning means thinking ahead about how to lower your clients’ future tax bills. It’s about giving advice and making plans now, not just for this year’s taxes but for next year and beyond. The aim is to help your clients make smart money choices that can reduce the amount they owe in taxes and improve their overall financial health. Here are a few key strategies for tax savings:

• Save for Retirement – Talk to your clients about putting money into retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s. These savings can often be written off on taxes, which lowers their taxable income. Explain how much they can put in and the tax perks of different retirement accounts.
• Invest – Guide your clients on choosing investments that are tax-friendly. This might include things like municipal bonds or some types of mutual funds. Discuss how holding investments longer can affect taxes and the difference between short-term and long-term investment taxes.
• Use Health and Flexible Spending Accounts – If your clients are eligible, tell them about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Money put into these accounts can give them tax benefits and can be used tax-free for eligible health costs.
• Give to Charity – Let your clients know about the tax benefits of donating to charity. Talk about how listing these donations as deductions and possibly grouping several years’ donations into one year can increase their tax savings.
• Maximize Tax Breaks – Review all the possible tax breaks, like credits for education or home energy improvements, or deductions for those who are self-employed, that your clients might be able to use next year.
• Plan for Big Assets and Gifts – For clients with a lot of assets, talk about ways to plan for estate and gift taxes. This might mean setting up trusts or using the yearly gift tax exclusion strategically.
• Deal with Big Life Changes – Advise on how big life events like getting married, getting divorced, buying a house, or having a baby can affect taxes.

Remember to personalize the tax planning. Make your tax advice specific to each client’s individual financial situation, goals, and how much risk they’re comfortable with. By offering forward-thinking tax advice, you can help your clients seize tax-saving opportunities while also simplifying tax preparation for the future.

Final Thoughts

Tax season doesn’t have to be overwhelming and all-consuming. By starting early, staying updated on tax laws, and leveraging digital tools, you can make the process smoother and more efficient. Embrace these strategies, and you’ll not only save time but also your sanity. Here’s to a more manageable tax season.