busy season management

can the irs improve its phone service?

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by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

when the internal revenue service launched its “future state initiative” in 2016, it promised a new and admirable level of service. from then on, taxpayers could expect the same level of service when dealing with the irs as they get from a financial institution or a retailer. or, so it seemed.

special report – fixing the irs: irs #fails at online services spell problems for professionals | tax accountants fill the breach of a failing irs | beware the ez way out | can the irs improve its phone service? | when clients face ‘unreal’ irs audits | irs warns about private debt collectors for tax season 2018  | underfunded irs swamped with problems | irs in retreat from communities | military personnel face new battles at home: the irs | as new economy surges, irs falls further behind | is the irs winning the battle against identity theft? | irs mulls raising fees to cover budget shortfalls  |

more at taxtrendlines.com

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such brave words for a brave new world of tax collection! alas, the promise of better service has not combined well with congressional cuts to the irs budget. the brunt of those cuts is felt at the interface of frustrated taxpayers and stretched-thin irs agents.

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when clients face ‘unreal’ irs audits

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irs adopts confusing, misleading terminology. but it’s all very real.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

tax professionals and accounting firms need to be aware that their clients may face two kinds of internal revenue audits: real and unreal.

really.

special report – fixing the irs: irs #fails at online services spell problems for professionals | tax accountants fill the breach of a failing irs | beware the ez way out | can the irs improve its phone service? | when clients face ‘unreal’ irs audits | irs warns about private debt collectors for tax season 2018  | underfunded irs swamped with problems | irs in retreat from communities | military personnel face new battles at home: the irs | as new economy surges, irs falls further behind | is the irs winning the battle against identity theft? | irs mulls raising fees to cover budget shortfalls  |

more at taxtrendlines.com

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and it’s the “unreal” audits that are going to become more common. read more →

underfunded irs swamped with problems

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olson talking budget cuts on c-span

not a good way to start tax season 2018.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

an angry and frustrated national taxpayer advocate nina e. olson has slammed congress hard in the taxpayer advocate service 2017 annual report to congress. after a series of irs budget cuts over the last several years, olson says she sees the daily consequences of reduced funding and the choices made by the agency in the face of funding constraints.

special report – fixing the irs: irs #fails at online services spell problems for professionals | tax accountants fill the breach of a failing irs | beware the ez way out | can the irs improve its phone service? | when clients face ‘unreal’ irs audits | irs warns about private debt collectors for tax season 2018  | underfunded irs swamped with problems | irs in retreat from communities | military personnel face new battles at home: the irs | as new economy surges, irs falls further behind | is the irs winning the battle against identity theft? | irs mulls raising fees to cover budget shortfalls  |

more at taxtrendlines.com

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“funding cuts have rendered the irs unable to provide acceptable levels of taxpayer service, unable to upgrade its technology … and unable to maintain compliance programs that both promote and protect taxpayer rights,” olson says in her preface to the annual report.

“‘shortcuts’ have become the norm, and ‘shortcuts’ are incompatible with high-quality tax administration,” says olson, describing her agency as swamped with problems and inadequacies.

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bowman webinar: inside the irs financial analysis handbook

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click for details

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 expert author sets sessions for dec. 16, 20 and 21.

join 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 expert and best-selling author jassen bowman for three sessions in three days, covering how the irs analyzes a taxpayer’s financial condition and the questions the irs often asks.

this is an online class that meets for a total of 6 cpe hours over the course of three days – dec. 19, 20, & 21 –  from 2 pm to 3:40 pm et (11am-12:40 pm pt) each day.

register here

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checklist: following up after tax season

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stacks of papers on the corner of a desklay the foundation for work you didn’t have time to do earlier this year.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

if you were paying attention during tax season, you likely picked up on other services your clients might need.

more on marketing: advertising done right | 12 branding tips | structuring partnership and buy-sell agreements | the 64-point business startup checklist | how to offer second opinions | how to offer employment compensation assistance | basic budgeting for clients | guiding heirs | add new revenues with tax prep follow-ups
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here is a checklist of 15 possible additional services, plus a form to track your follow-up.
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when tax filing season is over, what’s next?

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woman ladder binoculars city view outlook vision success climb adobestock_57204649.jpegno more ‘off-season!’ seven post-season tactics for building income streams year-round.

by jassen bowman
tax resolution systems

after one tax season ends and another begins, it’s time to turn your attention to business planning for the rest of the year.

more by jassen bowman: how to end the tax revenue roller coaster with a four-season practice model  |    how to turn routine cpe into a new marketing opportunity  |  more

 

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you do need to start planning ahead for what your business will look like for the rest of the year.

if you fail to plan ahead for the post-filing season, then you may suddenly find yourself wondering, “what now?”

here are some things to consider when it comes to your post tax season planning:

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h&r block lagging behind last year

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h&r block

down 7% so far this tax season. market share up.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

h&r block reports that its pace of filing is down from the year-ago period, but not as much as the rest of the industry.

more tax season data: pro e-filing own 10%  |  tax refunds up slightly | tax filings data looking less squirrely | tax return filings still lag, but pros hold 57% of market | tax filings down, but irs blames the calendar

goprocpa.com

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h&r block return volume outperformed industry results when compared to irs data reported through february 24. market share gains were realized in both the assisted and diy categories. in the assisted category, h&r block outperformed the industry with a decline of 8% compared to the irs reported decline of 13%. in the diy category, h&r block outperformed the industry with a decline of 5% compared to the irs reported decline of 8%. while overall industry and company volume is expected to improve during the second half of the tax season, company performance relative to the industry is expected to moderate given the conclusion of its free federal 1040ez and refund advance promotions on february 28.

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new poll: why small business owners need tax professionals

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what clients don’t know they don’t know.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

no wonder small business owners need accountants. many don’t understand the deductions they’re entitled to. most don’t use bookkeeping software. and too many are still keeping paper receipts by the shoebox-load.

more on tax season: security and id theft emerge as top tax season worry  |  successful tax seasons require teamwork  |  8 considerations with new clients  |  irs budget: penny-wise, pound-foolish  |  11 ways to get more tax clients  |  irs taxpayer advocate questions preparation of tax preparers  |  watchdog warns of dubious irs plans   |  tax season productivity hacks  |  letting staff go after tax season  |  how to sell bundled tax services

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after surveying more than small business owners, manta, the small-business directory, asserts small business owners “are on top of their tax games.” but we know a few accountants who would beg to differ.

manta’s survey found only 61% of small business owners understand the deductions available to them as business owners. luckily about the same number, 62%, use a cpa to file taxes. still, 21% track of expenses with paper receipts, making filing a pain.

more highlights:

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survey results: security and id theft emerge as top tax season worry

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even as irs sees declines.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey is turning up a disturbing finding, one that looks like it’s only going to get worse.  join the survey. get the answers

late and unprepared clients scored high, indicated by 41.6 percent of respondents. staffing issues, at 34 percent, was right up there, too. but the most common concern was security, privacy, and identity theft, checked off by 46.2 percent.

more on busy season: tax refunds up slightly   |   irs budget: penny-wise, pound-foolish   |   irs taxpayer advocate questions preparation of tax preparers   |   future state or future shock? irs watchdog warns of dubious irs plans   |

join the survey. get the results
join the survey. get the results.

tax season productivity hacks   |   tax filings data looking less squirrely   |   letting staff go after tax season   |  how to sell bundled tax services   |   survey results: who’s afraid of busy season 2017?   |   a little tax humor   |   tax return filings still lag, but pros hold 57% of market   |   checklist: 46 avoidable tax-filing errors – if clients only knew   |   survey results: practitioners bullish on busy season 2017   |   free instant download: sample fee schedule for 1040s   |   tax filings down, but irs blames the calendar   |   busy season 2017 gets off to strong start   |  2017 fee survey: price for non-itemized 1040s advances 6% to $176    |   the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it.   |   mandatory saturdays stir controversy 

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

it isn’t often that one category of concern reaches the mid-40s. in 2016, “clients late or unprepared” is the only one that’s consistently up there, ranging from a low of 47.3 in 2016 to 59.3 percent in 2010. but generally, the numbers for that category have been improving.

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survey results: who’s afraid of busy season 2017?

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卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research projects shake-out of weaker firms.

join the survey. get the results.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the difference between the potential winners and losers this busy season could hardly be more stark, according to a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis of the annual busy season outlook tracking survey.

while some 56 percent of accountants so far say they’re looking at a “better” or “much better” busy season this year than last year, a distinct minority of about 16 percent is bracing for problems, trouble and setbacks.

more on busy season:  bullish on busy season 2017  |  46 avoidable tax-filing errors – if clients only knew  |  tax prep gets off to strong start  |  sample fee schedule for 1040s  |  tax filings down, but irs blames the calendar  |  survey results: busy season 2017 gets off to strong start   |   2017 fee survey: price for non-itemized 1040s advances 6% to $176   |   the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it.   |   reader sound-off: mandatory saturdays stir controversy    |   tax season opportunity kit free instant download   |   world envies low u.s. tax rates on luxury real estate transfers   |   the new small-business loophole you can drive a truck through

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the annual survey tracks the attitudes, behaviors and benchmarks of tax and accounting professionals throughout the season, providing real-time metrics and trends by which practitioners can chart and steer their business plans. the survey remains open throughout the season, as an invitation to professionals to participate regularly. as a reward for joining the survey, participants are provided the first look at new topline findings. join the survey; get the results.

in examining some of their other responses, the reasons emerge with clarity. for instance, those expecting a “worse” year, are three times more likely than those expecting  “better” season to cite the “general economic situation” as a chief concern, twice more likely to blame “competition from others,” a third more likely to report “technology or software problems, and a quarter more likely to be having problems with “new accounting and auditing” and staffing” issues. those issues cut to the heart of fundamental and basic operations. read more →

tax return filings still lag, but pros hold 57% of market

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chart of irs filing data for the week ended feb. 3, 2017
[click for larger image]

four days fewer in 2017 still skewing statistics.

the irs continues to churn back tax returns nearly as quickly as it receives them, while the percentage that were self-prepared is tracking higher than the same point last year.

more: tax filings down, but irs blames the calendar | survey results: bullish on busy season 2017 | 2017 fee survey: price for non-itemized 1040s advances 6% to $176
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

with 20.18 million returns received as of feb. 3, the latest data available, the agency had processed 19.97 million or 98.9 percent of them.
read more →