7 Last Minute Tips to End Tax Season Strong

Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Right about this time, we bet you’re up to your eyeballs in tax returns, so it may be tough to think about how to make sure the tax season ends on a high note. Here are a few tips we think will help you finish tax season strong—and plan to make next year’s busy season even better.

Tip 1. Take notes

You probably have a method you use to jot down important notes. Whether it’s a favorite notepad, a date book or a mobile app, be sure you keep your tax season notes all in one place for future reference. Document specific things that went right and wrong during the season. If you take notes that are specific to a certain client, make sure you enter that information into your CRM system so it will pop up automatically when you search for that client in 2019. The more you can remember about this year’s tax season, the better prepared you’ll be to handle next year.

Tip 2. Stay healthy

With every spare moment spent working, taking care of yourself has probably taken a backseat to taking care of clients. Unfortunately, if you don’t maintain your health, your frantic work hours could leave you prone to illness—and the same is true for your employees. Encourage good hygiene throughout the office by providing hand sanitizer and tissues. When an employee starts to feel symptoms, require them to either take the day off or work remotely so he or she does not infect the entire office. Finally, have lots of healthy snacks and beverages on hand to keep your team energized, and encourage quick exercise breaks to rejuvenate the team during their long hours.

Tip 3. Hire last minute help

If you didn’t plan on hiring extra help for the busy season, there’s still time to change your mind. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to finish your clients’ tax returns on your own. Even if you can’t afford to hire qualified tax preparers, you can find people to take care of accounting, invoicing and administrative tasks. You can hire virtual temporary help online at websites such as Indeed.com and Flexjobs. Another option: Ask a family member to help out temporarily.

Tip 4. Be prepared for problems

Daily crises such as complaining customers or crashing computers are inevitable during this time of year. Try to build in a little time every day to handle these emergencies by not scheduling every minute of your day. If you have a bit of wiggle room, you’re better able to recover from a crisis. Of course, the best plan is to prevent problems in the first place. Back up all your data to the cloud, have a plan for working remotely if needed, and keep your IT support numbers handy for emergencies.

Tip 5. Delegate

Do you usually handle paying your business’s bills or ordering supplies? Your time can be better spent on other things, especially this time of year. Delegate these types of tasks to your employees. Another option for better time management: Have another team member handle all your clients’ follow-up questions. This will reduce the number of interruptions you get. (Just be sure to let clients know ahead of time that your associate will be helping them so they don’t feel like they’re getting second-class treatment.) Pay attention to how your employees handle the pressure and who can be trusted with more sensitive tasks. Delegate by outsourcing incorporation and business filings to a full-service partner so you can concentrate on more important matters.

Tip 6. Plan for time off

Be sure to thank everyone for their hard work by giving much-needed time off after tax season is over. You can also hand out bonuses, take the team to dinner, and/or give out gift cards to show your appreciation. Don’t forget to take time for yourself, too: It’s important to regroup and reenergize. You’ve most likely ignored your family and friends during this hectic time of year, so make it up to them and make plans to spend some downtime with the loved ones who support you.

Tip 7. Review and plan for 2019

Before you let the team go to rest and rejuvenate, take a few hours to analyze what went right and what went wrong while tax season is still fresh in everyone’s minds. In addition to asking your employees, make sure you ask your clients. Was it difficult to get answers from the office? Did your team respond to questions in a timely manner? What could you do for them to make next year’s tax return season easier? The more feedback you get from your team and your clients, the better you’ll be able to plan for next year.

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Nellie Akalp is a passionate entrepreneur, business expert and mother of four. She is the CEO of CorpNet.com, a trusted resource and service provider for business incorporation, LLC filings, and corporate compliance services in all 50 states. Nellie and her team recently launched a partner program for accountants, lawyers, and business professionals to help them streamline the business incorporation and compliance process for their clients.