It’s almost here again – tax-filing “crunch time.” The time of year when accounting professionals and small business owners burn the midnight oil gathering information and completing tax forms. Stress levels can be high, but there are steps you can take to save your sanity.
Take Proactive Client Measures
Here are some things you can do now to help prepare for the upcoming season:
- Send out engagement letters: Plan on distributing these to your clients as soon as possible so this is handled before the start of the New Year. This isn’t something you want to have looming when you’re in the thick of tax season.
- Remind clients to check data accuracy: Now is when clients should check their data. For example, they should verify which vendors are being paid more than $600 and confirm the accuracy of all 1099-related information. Let them know that January is too late to be making changes if they want to meet the distribution and filing deadline (and avoid IRS penalties).
- Make a move toward digital solutions: Consider using programs like RightSignature or Hubdoc to allow your clients to sign documents, send payments and more. E-signature software and cloud-based recordkeeping can help you move toward a paperless office, which will save you valuable filing space and time.
Use E-filing to Your Advantage
Efile4Biz.com extends many appealing benefits to streamline tax filing. For example, we offer multiple software integrations, including QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online Plus, QuickBooks Online Accountant and Xero. These additional features can be a big help during your busiest time of year:
- Set up multiple payers: Our site allows you to file on behalf of many clients from a single account. You can also tap into volume discounts by filing for all your clients at once, or by purchasing Form Credits in advance and processing forms as you complete them.
- Access lesser-used forms: We have a wide variety of forms available on our site -- including numerous versions of 1098s, 1099s, W-2s and ACA forms. When you’re in a pinch and you need to file one of these forms, you can use our site instead of purchasing a paper pack (containing too many forms you probably won’t use).
- Give clients what they need: Have you ever had clients call you asking for “a couple 1099 forms?” Simply refer them to our website. It’s a low-cost way for them to file, since they’re only charged a low set fee per form. And you won’t have to be their supplier. Similarly, if you have clients requesting that you file a couple W-2s or 1099s, you can have them do it themselves on our site – so you can attend to more pressing matters.
- Use our high-capacity filing capabilities: Have lots of forms to file? Upload them all at once with Excel templates, or import form data from software like QuickBooks and Xero for even greater efficiencies.
- Say goodbye to printing and filing: We store your data, in addition to providing full availability to your filed forms for four years. You don’t need to save and print copies for offline storage, which is another significant time- and space-saver.
Here’s to a Successful Tax Season
We understand that you juggle a lot of different tasks to keep your business humming. Taking advantage of time-saving measures -- especially during your busiest season -- can help make this a great year for you and your clients.
