Category: Practice Management

The Time to Embrace AI in Your Tax Practice Is Now—Here’s Why

For licensed tax professionals, artificial intelligence has moved from theoretical threat to practical reality. It’s automating workflows, transforming client expectations, and fundamentally disrupting the foundational services that have sustained many practices for decades. The question facing practitioners today isn’t whether to adopt AI—it’s whether you’ll integrate it strategically now or be forced to react desperately later.

The stakes have never been higher, and the window for proactive adaptation is closing. Here’s why waiting is no longer an option.

The Disruption Is Already Underway

While many tax professionals debate whether to adopt AI, well-funded technology companies are already deploying it to attack the most profitable segments of the traditional practice model. Tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services—the bread-and-butter offerings that generate consistent revenue for most firms—are being rapidly transformed by AI-powered platforms that promise faster turnaround, lower prices, and 24/7 availability.

Consumer tax preparation software now incorporates sophisticated AI that can interview users, identify deductions, and prepare returns with minimal human intervention. Small businesses that once needed a bookkeeper can now use AI-driven accounting platforms that automatically categorize transactions, reconcile accounts, and generate financial statements. Payroll services have become increasingly automated, with AI handling calculations, compliance updates, and even employee inquiries through chatbots.

These aren’t incremental improvements—they represent fundamental disruptions to traditional service delivery models. A solo practitioner spending four hours on a straightforward corporate return is competing against AI platforms that complete similar work in minutes. A firm charging premium rates for monthly bookkeeping faces AI tools that cost a fraction of the price and work continuously without breaks.

The competitive threat is real and immediate. Clients comparing options increasingly ask why they should pay traditional professional fees when AI-powered alternatives promise equivalent accuracy at significantly lower costs and faster speeds. For routine compliance work, they have a point.

The Strategic Response: Beat Them at Their Own Game

If AI is disrupting tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services, the answer isn’t to ignore it or hope clients remain loyal despite better alternatives. The answer is to deploy the same technology in your own practice, achieving the speed and efficiency advantages that make you competitive while preserving your profit margins.

Incorporating AI into your workflow allows you to match or exceed the efficiency of technology-first competitors while maintaining the professional judgment and relationship advantages that pure software cannot replicate. When you can prepare returns faster, handle bookkeeping with greater accuracy, and process payroll more efficiently, you … Continue reading

Delegation and Productivity for Tax Pros – How to Work Less and Get More Done

If you’re running a tax resolution practice, there’s a good chance you’re doing too much. Between managing IRS deadlines, handling client communication, prepping cases, marketing your services, and overseeing your team, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that everything has to go through you.

But here’s the truth: doing it all is not a badge of honor—it’s a bottleneck. As Admiral Ackbar would say “It’s a TRAP!”. It’s a trap we all fall into, don’t realize we are there and then don’t know how to get out of the hole we dug. The most successful tax pros don’t just do more; they delegate better.

As John C. Maxwell put it, “If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.”

Why Tax Pros Struggle With Delegation

Many practitioners—especially solo or small firm owners—resist delegation because they think:

  • “It’s faster if I just do it myself.”
  • “No one else can do it as well as I can.”
  • “Clients expect me, not my staff.”

While those feelings are understandable, they’re also a trap. Holding onto every task limits your capacity, increases stress, and stunts your growth. Delegation is not giving up control—it’s creating more space to focus on the work that matters most.

Identify What to Delegate

Start by categorizing your weekly tasks. Which ones require your expertise—and which ones don’t?

Delegate these immediately:

  • Appointment scheduling and calendar management
  • Document collection and filing
  • Data entry and tax prep basics
  • Email follow-ups and client reminders
  • Social media posting or blog formatting

Keep these on your plate:

  • High-level client strategy and consultations
  • IRS representation and resolution planning and case work
  • Business development and key relationship building

Use the 80/20 rule. If 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities, focus on those top 20%. Everything else can likely be automated, delegated, or eliminated.

Build Systems That Support Delegation

Delegation works best when you have clear, repeatable processes. That’s where SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) come in.

Document how each task should be done—step-by-step—with tools like Loom (for video walkthroughs), ScribeHow, or Google Docs. The goal is to make it easy for anyone on your team to step in and follow the playbook.

Use tools like:

  • TaxDome to assign and track tasks
  • IRS Solutions to centralize case management
  • Google Meeting or Zoom for team communication
  • Asana or ClickUp
… Continue reading

Time Management for Tax Pros – Get More Done Without Burning Out

Time is a tax professional’s most valuable—and most limited—resource. Whether you’re dealing with IRS deadlines, juggling client demands, or managing your team, it can feel like there’s never enough time in the day. But effective time management isn’t just about getting more done—it’s about doing the right things.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.” To succeed in tax resolution and grow your practice without sacrificing your sanity, you need to master how you spend your hours.

Start With a Time Audit

Before you improve your schedule, understand where your time goes. Track everything for a week—calls, emails, meetings, client work, admin tasks. You’ll likely discover that your time was involved in activities that can be reduced or eliminated.

Prioritize Revenue-Generating Activities (RGA)

IRS representation cases, initial consults, referral meetings—these are the tasks that move the needle. Administrative work and routine follow-ups are important, but they can often be delegated. Focus your energy on work that brings in business or directly serves clients.

Use Time Blocks

Group similar tasks and tackle them in dedicated chunks. For example:

  • Monday mornings for case reviews
  • Tuesday afternoons for prospect calls
  • Friday mornings for team check-ins
  • Wednesday mornings for marketing activities like networking or blog/book writing

Time blocking reduces the mental friction of task switching and helps you stay in flow.

Limit Interruptions

Turn off notifications during deep work. Let your team know when you’re unavailable unless it’s urgent. Consider setting up client communication hours so you’re not constantly checking messages.

Automate What You Can

Billing, appointment scheduling, document requests—many tasks can be automated using tools like TaxDome. The less time you spend on routine admin, the more you can focus on strategic work.

Delegate and Let Go

Practitioners should act competently and with promptness. Delegation helps you maintain that standard by letting others handle routine work under your supervision.

Set Clear Daily Goals

Start each day with the 3 most important top priorities. Don’t let your to-do list run your day—choose what matters most. Crossing off meaningful tasks creates momentum.

Batch Email and Communication

Instead of responding to emails all day long, batch them into 2–3 slots daily. This protects your focus and prevents distraction-driven work.

Review and Reflect Daily and Weekly

Spend up to 15 minutes each day and 30 minutes each Friday reviewing what worked, what didn’t, and what needs adjusting. Continuous improvement is key to effective time management. Document your … Continue reading