Tax Preparation Workflow: Choosing the Right Customers for Your Tax Preparation Business
- Timalyn S. Bowens
- Oct 6
- 7 min read
One of the questions I am asked most often by new tax professionals is, "What's next?". Whether you are new to the tax industry or seasoned, having a written-out workflow is pertinent to your success. It allows you to be more efficient.
But your workflow doesn't begin after the client has retained you. It begins as soon as your marketing funnel leads them to book a call with your tax preparation business. You do not have to work with everyone who reaches out about working with your tax preparation business. I'll show you how to filter those people out in part one of this tax preparation workflow series.
If you are reading this, you are likely an Enrolled Agent or aspiring to be one. You started this journey, so you can choose who you work with, not the other way around. It is tempting not to tell prospects no in the beginning. Because you need the money. But you are not Wal-Mart. Everyone with a green dollar is not your customer just because they come in and want to work with you.
Drawing a clear boundary from the beginning with who you want to work with and how you want to work, then you will have a solid foundation. Trust me, it will make your job much more enjoyable if you have certain criteria that your clients must meet.
This is why I encourage members of my mentorship community to use the template I share with them to create a vision map and marketing plan. It helps you stay focused on your goals and keep yourself accountable. If you're interested in joining that community, check out Enrolled Agent Mentorship.
In this article, we'll cover the following:
At the end of this article, you will find a sample intake form for your prospects to fill out before they can book a call with you. This will empower you to choose if you even want to spend time speaking with this person or let them know that they aren't a good fit without going through the phone call.
Tax Preparation Business vs. an Enrolled Agent Firm
A tax preparation business is different than an Enrolled Agent Firm. Anyone with a PTIN can prepare tax returns for pay. This is the first step to being a tax person and even toward becoming an Enrolled Agent.
However, these tax people can prepare only tax forms when it comes to the tax world. Some may offer some tax planning. But they don't have any authority from the IRS. They cannot represent their tax clients before the IRS. The only other credentialed tax professionals who have this authority are CPAs and Tax Attorneys.
Some PTIN holders may pursue the Annual Filing Season Program participant certificate. This will allow them to have limited representation rights before the IRS. Check out Who's Who in the Tax World for more information about that.
Enrolled Agents own and operate Enrolled Agent Firms. Enrolled Agents have the highest license awarded to tax professionals by the IRS. These firms have the ability to not only prepare tax returns but also represent taxpayers before the IRS. This gives them the ability to offer more services. I cover some of these services in the video below.
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