By Steve Saah.
For many tax and accounting firms, busy season is a paradox. You know exactly when it’s coming, yet tax season preparation slips down the list of priorities until deadlines are looming. By the time you start to adjust your staffing levels, rethink workflows or roll out new tools, your core team is already stretched
That “too little, too late” pattern doesn’t just fuel short-term stress across your workforce. It increases employee burnout risk and makes it harder to deliver the high-quality service your clients expect.
The good news is that it’s not too late—yet—to make some strategic moves that can put your employees in a much better position to handle the workload burden ahead. These 5 tax season preparation tips can set up your core team for success before the crunch really hits.
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1. Conduct a capacity analysis early
Before you can develop an effective plan to support your team this busy season, take stock of exactly what they’ll need to manage in the months ahead. Look at last year’s engagements and compare them with your current book of business. Has your CPA firm added clients, expanded offerings to include advisory or client accounting services (CAS), or taken on other more complex assignments? Are regulatory changes or economic conditions likely to drive additional demand?
Then, compare that projected demand to your current team capacity. Factor in vacation time, existing commitments and the learning curve for newer staff you’ve recently hired or plan to recruit soon. If partners and senior managers are still routinely jumping in to clear work that could be handled by less-seasoned staff, that’s a sign your staffing model is already stretched.
Conducting this capacity analysis early can help you pinpoint where you may need to hire more full-time staff, engage skilled contract talent, or employ technology to help relieve pressure on your core team.
2. Be proactive about hiring more full-time staff
January is no longer “early” to staff up for the busy season. It takes time to identify, interview and onboard strong hires—sometimes several weeks, depending on the position you need to staff. And if you wait too long to make a move in this tight labor market for finance and accounting professionals, you’ll likely be competing for talent already fielding other offers.
Open requisitions now so that new hires can get acclimated before tax season work peaks. Prioritize roles that can lift pressure off the rest of the team—for example, senior associates who can oversee staff and take on review responsibilities. Also, be willing to hire for potential, not just years of experience, so you can build a pipeline of skilled talent for your CPA firm to tap all year.
Early, strategic hiring at the start of the year gives new team members a critical runway to learn your systems, understand your clients and connect with colleagues before deadlines stack up. Just as important, it shows your existing core team that you recognize the pressure they’re under and are proactively taking concrete steps to support them this busy season.
3. Use contract talent as a pressure valve
Even with a solid roster of full-time staff in place, there will be weeks when client demand outpaces internal capacity. That’s why engaging flexible resources like contract talent shouldn’t be a fallback plan, but a vital component of your busy season staffing strategy from the outset. Whether you need support on complex tax issues, industry-specific work or financial reporting, contract talent helps you stay responsive while reducing burnout risk for your core team.
The key is to build relationships with talent solutions providersbefore you’re in crisis mode. When you have a staffing partner who understands your CPA firm’s work demands and organizational culture, you can add skilled contract talent swiftly, giving your existing staff the backup they need when it matters most—and for as long as they need it.
4. Let AI capabilities take on routine work
Tax season requires intense focus and attention to detail. Yet, many of your core team members still spend hours bogged down by routine work—gathering documents, checking data, performing basic reconciliations and drafting standard communications. That time adds up quickly during busy season and contributes directly to workload burden and burnout risk.
The strategic use of AI capabilities and automation tools can help relieve that pressure. Even if your CPA firm isn’t ready for a large-scale technology overhaul, there are practical, low-friction ways to apply AI to support your team during peak periods. For example, many firms use AI-enabled tools to:
- Extract data from client documents and populate workpapers
- Automate status tracking and reminders for missing information
- Generate first drafts of routine emails or summaries that professionals can then refine
The goal of implementing AI capabilities isn’t to replace your people—it’s to amplify their effectiveness and give them back time. By removing repetitive tasks from their to-do list, AI capabilities allow your team to focus on higher-value work—such as advising clients, resolving complex issues and reviewing engagements—with the level of care your firm is known for.
To get the most value from AI tools, you’ll also need to invest in staff training and set clear expectations for how AI can support daily workflows. That includes guidance on the responsible use of AI, data protection measures and the importance of reviewing AI outputs.
5. Apply sustainable work practices to ease burnout risk
No matter how well thought-out your staffing plans or technology investments are, they won’t be effective if your people still feel they’re facing unrealistic demands. That’s why tax season preparation for CPA firms should include instituting sustainable work practices to help reduce stress for everyone.
Consider how you can:
- Set clear expectations with clients about availability and response during peak work periods
- Reinforce to employees that high-quality, accurate work and effective collaboration matter more than being “always on”
- Encourage staff to take breaks after hitting major deadlines, not just after tax season wraps up
- Recognize and reward contributions in visible, specific ways throughout the busy period
These measures, combined with realistic capacity planning, proactive hiring of additional full-time staff, thoughtful deployment of contract talent, and the practical application of AI capabilities, can help CPA firm leaders avoid the trap of doing too little, too late. You can give your core team the best chance to deliver outstanding client service without burning out in the process.
Sustainable work practices can also improve retention at your firm beyond the busy season. In a recent Robert Half survey, 38% of employed workers said they plan to look for a new job in the first half of 2026. That’s up from 29% one year ago. Among the top factors driving job search plans? Burnout.
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Steve Saah is the executive director of permanent at Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized financial talent solutions service. The company has more than 300 locations worldwide. He is responsible for leading U.S. operations, based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He was named executive director in 2017, previously serving as director of permanent placement services.
Saah has been with the company since 1998, where he started as a recruiting manager, following a career as an internal auditor and assistant controller. He is a noted expert, author and presenter on career, management and hiring trends, particularly those affecting the accounting and finance fields. Saah earned a finance degree from Virginia Tech.
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