Tax Season: Go Be a Hero

Strains of “Holding Out for a Hero” (Bonnie Tyler/Footloose) are racing through my head along with the statements made by Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning at his retirement press conference, and I’m looking at the stacks of tax returns I need to prepare for my clients and reading yet more reports of phishing and scamming, and it’s all coming together.

Ever since I started in public accounting at Deloitte, I noticed that the tax accountants seemed to be viewed as the white knights. Auditors were viewed by clients as necessary, consultants the fascinating innovators, but tax accountants were there to save the day.

Our job, in the eyes of our clients, is to save them money. In our eyes, our job is to prepare taxes accurately and yes, where there is a choice to be made, choose the most cost effective method, but at the end of the day, we want to do it right. Of course our clients want things done correctly too, but you know that eager anticipation as they wait for the unveiling of their tax return – how much money am I going to get back?

It’s the hero element that we tax accountants share. We lead the charge, carrying the flag into (IRS audit) battle, we quarterback the team and determine the plays, we find the best solutions to the tax problems. And our clients need us more than ever.

Think about taking some pages from the Peyton Manning preparation book when getting ready to meet with clients, and keep that hero image in mind:

Use your down time (I know, there’s not much of it during tax season, but you can grab a few minutes here and there) to make sure you’re up-to-date not just on all of the latest tax laws but on the latest phishing scams going around.
Know the competition. Familiarize yourself with how your clients’ competitors perform in the marketplace, know the industry trends, and be prepared to talk intelligently about the business issues that keep your clients up at night.
Arrive early for appointments – feel the energy that comes from being ready and excited to talk with your clients about their tax situations.
In advance of your meetings, review your notes from the prior year. Practice what you will say about tax situations relating to your clients. Anticipate their questions and prepare your answers.
Bring a coworker to meetings. Discuss what will occur in advance, explain how the coworker should prepare in advance, dissect the meetings afterwards and point out how the advance preparation paid off.
Don’t back off from conflict if your clients or coworkers disagree with your results. If you know your subject inside out, you will have the confidence to handle disagreements and confrontations.
Rebound from mistakes by taking ownership and doing it better the next time.
Know the people who work with your clients. Know who their key staff members are, what their responsibilities are, and be able to recognize them on sight.

Most importantly, remember you’ve got the backs of your clients, you’re going to be there with them all the way to the end zone, you’ll sail through any examinations, you’ve got the answers to their tax questions. If they receive any notices, calls, emails – they should know they go to you first and last – you’re their tax hero!