The modern accounting firm challenge
Accounting firms juggle unique pressures:
📅 Deadline-Driven Work
Tax deadlines are immovable. Miss one and you're filing extensions, paying penalties, and explaining to unhappy clients.
📄 Document Collection Chaos
Chasing clients for W-2s, 1099s, and receipts via email. Documents arrive in every format—PDFs, photos of receipts, Excel sheets, paper mail.
🔐 Security & Compliance
SSNs, financials, and sensitive data require secure handling. Email attachments don't cut it for IRS data protection requirements.
Building an efficient client management system
1. Centralized Client Records
Every client should have a single profile containing contact info, service history, documents, communication logs, and billing records.
→ BBos client profiles show everything in one place.
2. Secure Document Collection
Give clients a secure portal to upload documents directly. No more email attachments with sensitive financial data floating around.
→ Client portals in BBos provide secure, encrypted document upload.
3. Automated Document Requests
Instead of manually emailing clients for documents, set up automated request templates that go out at the right time with the right checklist.
→ Client onboarding workflows automate document collection.
4. Service Workflow Templates
Tax returns, bookkeeping, payroll—each service type should have a standardized checklist that ensures nothing gets missed.
→ Task templates standardize workflows across all clients.
5. Time Tracking by Client & Service
Know exactly how much time each client consumes. This data informs pricing, identifies unprofitable clients, and supports value billing.
→ Time tracking linked to clients shows true profitability.
6. Deadline Management
Tax deadlines, quarterly estimates, filing dates—track them all in one calendar with alerts before things become urgent.
→ Team calendar tracks all client deadlines with notifications.
Tax season survival guide
Pre-Season Checklist (January)
- Send automated document request to all tax clients
- Create task templates for each return type
- Set up deadline calendar with buffer time
- Assign clients to staff based on capacity
During Season (Feb-April)
- Dashboard view: returns complete vs. pending vs. blocked
- Auto-reminders to clients missing documents
- E-signature for engagement letters and tax forms
- Time tracking for accurate billing