Category: Time Management/Productivity

How to Improve Your IRS Collections Workflows (Even If You’ve Been Doing It for Years)

If you’ve been working IRS Collections cases for a while, you already know the basics. But being familiar with the process doesn’t always translate to handling collections cases efficiently or profitably. Many experienced tax pros still find themselves reinventing the wheel, repeating avoidable mistakes, or getting bogged down by delays and client missteps.

Here are 8 practical ways to improve how you manage IRS collections cases and get better results for your clients (and your business):

  1. Build a Standardized Intake Process

    Don’t wing the initial client intake. Use a standardized checklist or digital intake form to gather all necessary financial documents and IRS notices from day one. This prevents back-and-forth emails and ensures you’re not starting the case with missing data.

  2. Pre-Educate Clients About What to Expect

    Before diving into the work, set expectations clearly. Tell clients how long the process can take, what documents they’ll need to provide, and the importance of timely responses. This avoids frustration later—and reduces micromanagement from anxious clients.

  3. Use Technology to Your Advantage

    Stop relying on spreadsheets and paper folders. Use a CRM or tax resolution software to track deadlines, store forms, and automate reminders. A centralized system keeps your cases organized and helps your team stay on the same page.

  4. Improve Financial Analysis with Templates

    Instead of analyzing each client’s financials from scratch, create templates for common resolution paths: Offer in Compromise, Installment Agreement, Currently Not Collectible. Pre-built frameworks make your casework more efficient and reduce human error. But for the fastest analysis, use a tax resolution software like IRS Solutions.

  5. Create a Resolution Strategy Roadmap

    Each case should have a simple written plan: what resolution path you’re pursuing, why it fits the client, what forms are needed, and key upcoming deadlines. Having this roadmap on file helps if a client calls with questions—and makes handoffs smoother if you work with a team.

  6. Set Communication Boundaries (And Stick to Them)

    IRS collections cases can stretch over months. To protect your time and avoid burnout, set defined days/times when you update clients. For example: “We’ll send progress updates every Friday unless there’s urgent news.” This keeps clients informed while giving you space to focus on the work.

  7. Build an Appeals Playbook

    Don’t wait until you need to file a CAP or CDP appeal to figure out the steps. Have templates, timelines, and procedural guidance ready. This helps you act quickly—and makes appeals a routine tool in your toolbox instead

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Tax Pros: Who’s Really Running Your Day?

Is Your Schedule Controlling You?

You sit down at your desk, ready to tackle the big projects that will move your business forward. But before you even get started, your day is hijacked.

Client emails. IRS notices. Last-minute calls. The “Got a minute!” quick questions that somehow take 15-45+ minutes to answer.

And just like that, the work you planned to do? It never even started.

The truth is, if you don’t control your time, someone else will.

The Difference Between Reactive and Proactive Work

Many tax professionals spend their days in reactive mode—responding to what’s in front of them instead of intentionally focusing on what will truly grow their business.

Common signs you’re stuck in reactive mode:

📌 You start your day by checking emails (and get sucked in for hours)
📌 You take calls whenever a client reaches out—no matter what you’re working on
📌 You feel like you’re always working, but never making real progress
📌 Your most important projects keep getting pushed to “later”

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The good news? There’s a way to take back control.

The Time Block Rule: How Productive Tax Pros Stay Ahead

The most successful tax professionals don’t just work harder—they work smarter by following The Time Block Rule.

Here’s how it works:

✅ Pick 1-2 “protected work blocks” per day. Usually in the morning or when you are the most energized and productive. These are non-negotiable. No emails, no phone calls, no internal meetings, no distractions—just focused work.
✅ Communicate boundaries. Set response times for emails and calls—your availability shouldn’t be 24/7. This should be a normal thing. Remember, we are not doctors and there is no financial emergency that you need to deal with outside of regular business hours. Your time is your time.
✅ Own your schedule. You don’t need to answer client requests the moment they come in. Set the rules for when and how you engage. Train (or retrain) your clients on your schedule, not the other way around. Does your doctor, dentist, attorney take your call when you call or return your call immediately. Probably not. They have a schedule and return calls or messages according to that schedule.

This isn’t about ignoring clients—it’s about creating space to actually work on the things that will build a profitable, sustainable tax practice.

How to Implement Time Blocking in Your Business

If you’re not used to protecting your schedule, … Continue reading

You’re Busy—But Are You Actually Productive?

The Biggest Lie We Tell Ourselves: “I Don’t Have Time”

If you’re a tax professional, you probably start each day feeling like you’re already behind. Your calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and your phone doesn’t stop ringing. You’re constantly working—yet somehow, at the end of the day, the most important tasks remain untouched.

You’re not alone.

We’ve all said it: “I don’t have time.”

But here’s the truth—being busy and being productive aren’t the same thing.

Why Being Busy Feels Like Progress (But Isn’t)

There’s a reason tax professionals fall into the “busy” trap so easily. We thrive on solving problems, responding to client needs, and handling urgent tasks. The problem? Urgent doesn’t always mean important.

Many tax pros spend their best energy on:

📌 Answering never-ending client emails, immediately when they hit the inbox.
📌 Attending meetings that could have been an email
📌 Handling administrative work instead of high-value cases. You know, that $10-20/hour work.
📌 Jumping between tasks without real focus

At the end of the day, you’re exhausted—but what actually moved your business forward?

If you feel stuck in a cycle of busyness without progress, it’s time to shift your approach.

The Productivity Hack: The Priority Filter

Instead of starting your day by reacting to emails and client requests, try this instead:

🔥 The Priority Filter 🔥

Before you start your workday, ask yourself one question:

“If I only get ONE thing done today, what would make the biggest impact?”

Not just on today’s work—but on your long-term business growth.

This could be:

✅ Following up with a high-value prospect who could become a premium client
✅ Streamlining a process that wastes hours of your time every week
✅ Working on marketing efforts that attract better clients
✅ Raising your fees to reflect the real value of your services
✅ Delegating a task to a VA, contractor or employee. Or hiring one of these if you do not have them

Once you identify that task, block out time for it first.

Do it before checking emails.
Do it before responding to client messages or returning phone calls.
Do it before distractions pull you in 10 different directions.

The Power of Focused Work

Most tax professionals don’t need more hours in the day—they need better focus.

Think about the last time you had a completely focused hour. No interruptions. No checking notifications. Just deep work on something that actually … Continue reading