Tax Season Preparedness Presented by: Bill Parrish (oneplusone) 3

Those Pesky Disclaimers This Information is copyright protected by (oneplusone) 3 and may not be reproduced or otherwise distributed without the written consent of (oneplusone) 3 This presentation is for informational purposes only and should only be implemented by a practitioner after appropriate due diligence has been performed Not all of the concepts and strategies proposed in this presentation may be appropriate for all practices. Careful study must be undertaken by anyone considering the implementation of these concepts and special attention should be given to individual state laws governing the practice of professionals.

What Worked Last Year? Scheduling? Fees? Staffing? Space? Tax Program? Computer System?

What New Things to Try This Year A firm needs something different each year Tax Returns on CD More Detail Statements Concierge position Fire some clients Jan 2nd

Define Your Image Clean up that office Replace waiting area reading material Listen to your answering machine Update your stationary Look at employee appearances Are you proud of firm’s image?

Paperless Office Now is the time to make that switch Prices have come down Ease of use has increased May gradually make the change

Engagement & Representation Letters Engagement: Contract with client Should be used for all clients Updated annually Representation: Prepared after completion Clients reviews returns and signs

Pre-Schedule Appointments Lets clients know you are thinking about them Base upon same day and week as previous year Notify clients in early January by mail Send postcard reminder 1 week before appointment Schedule a get-a-way

Increase Those Fees Fees need to be increased yearly Fees should reflect our pride Bill based upon value, not time Consider discounts for returning clients Predicated upon increased fees for new clients Do you want to be the cheapest in town?

Utilize Client Data Base Capture client data for future use Interface with word documents Record client history Create client journal

Add On Services Clients may look to us for additional services Need to be relevant to our services Must not dominate our time Often easy to integrate Can produce additional and non- seasonal revenue

Privacy Notice Must be separately stated At least annually Describe what client info we accumulate Identify how we protect that info Declare to whom client info may be given

Red Flag Regulations Our program to combat Identify Theft Has fines for non-compliance Implementation delayed till May 1, 2009 No disclosure required

Technology Inventory Use as much technology as you can afford Replace obsolete equip Review Software  Tax  Research

Marketing Your Services  Internal vs External Marketing  Target your message recipients  Talk about client needs  Emphasize benefits

Wrapping it all Up Year End Tax Letter Organizers CPE Updates Purchase all needed supplies Relax

Want to Participate in a Discussion Blog on Client Letters? You are invited to become part of a discussion blog on Client Letters at Just go there, click on “join” from the home page, and when you are given Subscription Type, enter “WEBINAR” as your code and you will be given a free affiliation through May 31, Once signed up, you will be contacted with specific information about the Client Letters. The goal will be to jointly create Engagement, Representation, Marketing, Appointment Notification, and other communications needed by every practitioner.

For Information About ConnectEd: Jodi Goldberg, Director of Member Services National Society of Accountants Ext 1304 About the Presentation Bill Parrish, Founder & CEO (oneplusone) Ext

C P E Credit Jodi Goldberg with NSA has sent you an with the qualifying questions for today’s webinar. Complete that questionnaire and submit to NSA. They will then provide you with the CPE credit certificate.