Category: Practice Management

Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Clients

Working with the wrong clients can cost your firm more than money—it can drain your energy, slow your progress, and create reputational risk. IRS guidance requires due diligence and timely handling of matters. But if your clients won’t cooperate or respect your time, you’re not just risking your sanity—you’re risking the quality of your work as well.

Here’s how to filter out the tire-kickers and build a client base that fuels your growth:

Set Minimum Engagement Fees

Publishing your base fees on your website or intake form can instantly filter out people who aren’t serious (but know your fee disclosure rules in your state). If your minimum is $3,500 for IRS Collections cases, make that clear. This doesn’t scare off good clients—it helps them self-select.

Use a Structured Intake Process

Instead of offering free 30-minute calls, use a short questionnaire to pre-qualify leads. Ask about debt amount, compliance history, and financial condition. Clients who don’t fill it out likely won’t follow through later either.

Require a Consultation Fee

Charging even $99 for an initial consultation changes the dynamic. It shows your time has value and discourages shoppers. Make it clear that the fee applies to future services if they move forward. Plus, if they pay once, they are willing to pay again.

Listen for Red Flags

Clients who talk over you, argue about pricing, or say they’ve been through five tax pros already are waving warning signs. Trust your gut.

Create an Ideal Client Profile

Define the types of cases you want: $25K+ in IRS debt, self-employed business owners, recent levy notices, etc. Then market to that profile and say no to others.

Protect Your Time

Use Calendly or another scheduler to allow only qualified leads to book time. Limit intake to specific days or hours. Guard your calendar the same way you guard your bank account.

Use Engagement Letters with Clear Boundaries

Spell out what is—and isn’t—included in the scope of services. Set expectations on communication, deadlines, and fees. This protects both sides and avoids scope creep.

Know When to Walk Away

Some clients just aren’t a fit. Be polite, but firm. Refer them elsewhere if appropriate. Saying no to the wrong client makes space for the right ones.

Steve Jobs once said, “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” That includes clients.

The best tax pros aren’t just good at IRS work—they’re good at client selection. At … Continue reading

How to Build a Leaner, Happier Tax Team Without Burning Out

Managing a tax practice is as much about people as it is about numbers. Yet too many firm owners struggle with high turnover, overworked staff, or teams that just don’t seem aligned. As Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” If you want a sustainable and profitable tax practice, you need more than talent—you need a healthy, focused team.

The IRS offers guidance on practice operations, which outlines rules around representation and ethics. But creating a people-first firm culture is largely up to you.

Here’s how to do it:

Clarify Your Firm’s Mission and Values

Staff want to know they’re part of something meaningful. Define why your firm exists—whether it’s to defend taxpayers from IRS abuse, help small businesses thrive, or something else—and talk about it often.

Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

You can teach someone the technicalities of tax return prep, installment agreements and Offer in Compromise processes. What’s harder to teach is empathy, communication, and a client-focused mindset. Focus on soft skills during interviews.

Create Clear Roles and Workflows

Confusion leads to burnout. Everyone on your team should know what they’re responsible for and how their work contributes to the client experience. Use tools like Loom, Asana, or SnagIt to document processes and keep tasks visible.

Offer Flexibility and Autonomy

According to Gallup, employees who feel they have control over their work are more productive and less likely to quit. If possible, allow for remote work, flexible hours, or project-based timelines.

Invest in Development

Even entry-level staff appreciate a path forward. Offer CPE opportunities, pay for professional development, or assign junior staff to assist on more complex cases. This builds loyalty and increases your firm’s overall competence.

Hold Weekly Team Meetings

A 30-minute check-in once a week can go a long way. Celebrate wins, discuss roadblocks, and keep everyone aligned. Keep it structured: updates, priorities, and shout-outs. Stick to the agenda and time.

Use Tools to Reduce Repetitive Work

Automate data entry, document collection, and invoicing. The less time your team spends on tedious tasks, the more they can focus on high-value client work.

Protect Your Team’s Time

Don’t overload them with too many clients or unrealistic deadlines. Build buffer time into your workflows. Burnout is expensive.

Create a Culture of Feedback

Ask for input. What’s working? What’s not? An open-door policy—or regular anonymous surveys—can help you spot and fix issues before they become big problems.

A happy team isn’t … Continue reading

Still Manually Sending Invoices? Here’s How to Save Hours Every Week

If you’re still manually creating invoices, chasing payments, or reminding clients to pay by email, it’s time to rethink your billing process. These small tasks may not seem like a big deal—but over time, they drain hours of your week, fragment your focus, and create unnecessary stress.

I used the same thing. Fortunately, I had my wife involved in the practice and she does the billing. I have also had my admin employees do this as well. It really should be anyone but you. This would also include collections.

Billing doesn’t have to be this way. With the right tools and automation systems in place, you can eliminate most of the manual work, reduce overdue payments, and maintain a more professional image—all while protecting your cash flow.

Here are 8 strategies to automate and streamline your billing process as a tax resolution pro:

  1. Use Practice Management Tools with Built-In Billing

    Tools like TaxDome, Practice Ignition and Karbon integrate client communication, task tracking, document management, and billing—all in one system. These platforms allow you to:

  • Generate invoices automatically from engagement templates
  • Collect payments securely via ACH or credit card
  • Send recurring bills or one-time charges
  • Monitor payment statuses from a centralized dashboard

If you’re using multiple tools or spreadsheets for billing, switching to a platform with built-in billing features can eliminate redundancy and improve turnaround time.

  1. Set Up Recurring Invoices for Ongoing Clients

    Have clients on monthly retainers or long-term resolution plans? Don’t manually create an invoice every month. Set it once, and let your system send recurring invoices automatically.

Most platforms let you choose the frequency (monthly, quarterly, annually), apply sales tax if needed, and even auto-charge saved payment methods—so you don’t have to follow up repeatedly.

  1. Automate Payment Reminders (and Stop Chasing Clients)

    Even good clients forget to pay. Rather than sending awkward “just checking in” emails, let your invoicing system handle this for you.

Set up automated reminders to go out:

  • 3 days before the invoice due date
  • On the due date itself
  • At regular intervals after a missed payment (e.g., every 5–7 days)

This alone can drastically reduce the number of overdue invoices.

  1. Combine E-Signature with Upfront Payment Collection

    Want to improve cash flow and reduce non-payment? Require payment at the same time clients sign your engagement letter. Best way to deal with Accounts Receivable is to never have Accounts Receivable. Get paid in advance before work is to be completed.
     With

… Continue reading