· Guides
Practical systems for tax season and the rest of the week.
Start with the CPA firm tax season workflow, then the collection, review and consent guides that hang off it. Also: client accounting, paperless records, choosing an AI tool, plus dispatch and delegation for 1 to 5 person service teams.
Tax season · 12 min read
How to Get Clients to Send Tax Documents on Time
A practical system for tax firms: build each request from last year's return, set a deadline clause, chase only what is missing, and know when to call.
Templates
Missing Tax Documents Email Templates: 5 Emails and Texts
Five copy ready emails for chasing missing tax documents, with short text versions, a reply for "that does not apply to me", and a free download.
Tax season
TaxDome Document Chasing Workflow for Tax Season
Build a TaxDome pipeline that sends checklists, reminds clients and moves jobs on when documents arrive, plus where reminders stop and a person takes over.
Tax season
Karbon Client Request Reminders: How to Run Them in 1040 Season
Karbon client request reminders for 1040 season: send the request, schedule follow ups, move due dates when clients finish, and know when a person steps in.
Assistant
What to Delegate to an AI Assistant (and What to Keep)
A practical list for founders and small service teams: what an AI assistant can run alone, what it should draft for approval, and what stays with you.
Automation
What Small Accounting Firms Should Automate First
A task by task list for firms of 1 to 20 people: score each job by time, risk and how often it repeats, then start with the work that waits on clients.
Tax season
CPA Firm Workflow During Tax Season
Stage by stage pipeline for a 1040 season: who owns each stage, what done means, and where TaxDome, Karbon and Canopy fit without replacing judgement.
Practice ops
How to Go Paperless at a Tax Firm
Scanning, intake, portal and retention for a small tax practice, with IRS Publication 583 and Rev. Proc. 97-22 on electronic records.
AI tools
How to Choose an AI Tool for a CPA Firm
An evaluation checklist covering data security, IRS Publication 4557, the FTC Safeguards Rule, AICPA standards and human review before anything reaches a client.
Assistant
Field Service Dispatch for 1 to 5 Person Shops
A daily scheduling and dispatch routine an owner can run, with a clear split of what an assistant can handle and what stays with you.
Practice ops
How Small Firms Run Accounting for Many Client Companies
One company file per legal entity, a switch routine, a close board, and the work you standardize so a small team can keep many client books without mixing records.
Automation
What a Client Advisory Services (CAS) Firm Can Automate for Each Client
A per client checklist for client advisory services (CAS): the monthly cycle, bank rules with review, and the work a person still owns.
Practice ops
Document Routing Workflow for a Tax or CPA Firm
Classify each file, send it to a named folder and owner, park exceptions, and use an evaluation checklist before you buy a routing tool.
Practice ops
Client Intake and Task Tracking for Small Accounting Firms
Intake form fields, when the engagement letter has to exist, and a task board template from first inquiry to a live recurring job.
Tax season
Canopy Client Request Reminders: How Tax Firms Set Them Up
Canopy client request reminders for tax season: named requests, reminder schedules, bulk send, and when a person still has to call the client.
Practice ops
Month End Close Checklist for Small Accounting Firms
A board of named close steps for bookkeeping clients, with owners, stop rules, a worked week, and a CSV you can copy into each file.
Bookkeeping
Automating Bookkeeping Categorization in QuickBooks Online
Intuit documented steps for bank rules, auto add, recurring templates and the Receipts inbox, plus a review policy a small firm can keep.
Bookkeeping
Bank Reconciliation Prep in Xero for Bookkeeping Clients
Feed checks, suggested matches, find and match, bank rule order, cash coding and reconcile period, from Xero Central, for a client file you close every month.
Practice ops
Client Onboarding Workflow for a CPA Firm
From signed yes to a live recurring job: access, folders, first request, first close date, and a CSV checklist you can copy for each new client.
Templates
Engagement Letter and Onboarding Email Templates for Bookkeeping Clients
A bookkeeping letter outline you can paste, plus four emails from send the letter through the first close calendar, with AICPA sources on when a letter is required.
Practice ops
How a Small Accounting Firm Gets More Capacity From Its Existing Team
A map of admin work to pull off the CPA and bookkeeper, plus a worked weekly schedule for a four person firm.
AI tools
What an AI Operator Does Inside a 1 to 5 Person Accounting Firm
A Tuesday hour by hour in a three person firm, the daily tasks an operator can run, the drafts a person still reads, and the work that never leaves a CPA.
Templates
Chasing Bookkeeping Receipts: Missing Statements Emails That Name the Item
Chasing bookkeeping receipts for monthly books: a named missing list, a close calendar, and emails for statements, receipts and 'that does not apply'.
Bookkeeping
AP Bill Approval Workflow for Bookkeeping Clients in BILL or QuickBooks
AP bill approval workflow for a small client: who enters, who approves, who pays, BILL and QuickBooks settings, and a weekly AP run a bookkeeper can follow.
Bookkeeping
Monthly Client Reporting Package for Small Business Bookkeeping
An outline you can copy: cover note, profit and loss, balance sheet, AR, AP, recon status and open questions, plus how to pull the reports in QuickBooks Online.
Tax season
Drake Documents and E-Sign: Client Document Workflow for Tax Season
Drake documents workflow: prior year checklist, questionnaires, portal uploads, and Drake E-Sign Online, plus where a person still chases a missing W-2.
Practice ops
TaxDome Client Onboarding Pipeline for New Accounting Clients
Stages, automations, proposals, folder templates and signup jobs from TaxDome help, so a new client gets a signed letter, folders and access before anyone opens a 1040.
Tax season
Liscio Document Request Workflow for Tax and CPA Firms
Build Liscio requests with file upload questions, set due dates that control reminders, bulk send templates, and use eDocs for Form 8879 and Form 2848.
Templates
Form 4868 and Form 7004 Extension Season Client Communication
A board, three emails and IRS rules for individual and business extensions, with Form 8878 or Form 8878-A when you enter the PIN for an electronic funds withdrawal.
Practice ops
IRS Notice Response Intake Workflow for Small Tax Firms
Capture the notice, the year and the deadline, get Form 2848 on file, then agree or disagree with copies using Publication 5181 and the CP2000 instructions.
Templates
1099 Season Data Collection Workflow with Templates
A vendor list from the books, copy ready W-9 emails, the $2,000 threshold for 2026 payments, and IRS rules for filing Form 1099-NEC and Form 1099-MISC.
Assistant
Inbox Triage and Follow Up for a Solo Consultant
Four exits for every message, Gmail labels and filters from Google's help, and a waiting list so promised replies live on a dated row.
Assistant
Appointment Reminders and Invoice Follow Up for a Small Service Business
Calendly Automations for reminders, no shows and after meeting notes, plus QuickBooks Online invoice reminders, with copy you can paste.
Tax season
Estimated Tax Payment Reminders for Clients: A Firm's Quarterly System
How small tax firms remind clients about 1040-ES due dates, collect proof of payment and catch missed quarters before the return. Includes a reminder calendar and email copy.
Practice ops
Form 8821 and IRS Transcripts: Submit Authorization, Then Pull TDS Records
How a small firm gets a signed Form 8821, submits it online, and pulls named client transcripts through TDS, with an intake checklist and the client explainer email.
Bookkeeping
Year End Payroll W-2 Checklist for Small Business Bookkeeping Clients
Year end payroll W-2 checklist for bookkeeping clients: December questionnaire, owner items, Form 941 tie out, and a download you can run.
Practice ops
CPA Disengagement Letter: End the Engagement and Return Client Records
CPA disengagement letter for a small firm: what to put in the letter, what Circular 230 section 10.28 says to return, and a letter outline. Not legal advice.
Tax season
Tax Organizer Workflow: Send, Track and Close Organizers Before Tax Season
How small firms build a short questions only tax organizer, send it in bulk in TaxDome, set reminders, and treat submit as intake. Includes a 15 question list. Document checklists live on a different page.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping Cleanup Checklist: Scoping a Catch Up Job Before You Quote It
A step by step checklist for scoping and running a bookkeeping cleanup: what to request, how to find the gaps, reconciliation order and when to stop. Built for small firms.
Assistant
Quote Follow Up Emails for Small Service Businesses: Three Touches Then Stop
When to follow up on a quote, what to say in each of three messages, and how Jobber quote follow up automations actually work. Includes three email templates and a log.
Bookkeeping
QuickBooks Online Year End Close Checklist for Bookkeepers
A year end close checklist for QuickBooks Online client files: reconcile to 12/31, review adjusting entries, run the reports your CPA needs and lock the books with a closing date password.
Tax season
Tax Return Review Checklist: A Second Look Before the Client Sees the Return
Tax return review checklist for small firms: who reviews, the one page 1040 list, how notes move, and when the return may go to the client. Not legal or tax advice.
Bookkeeping
Sales Tax Filing Calendar: Tracking Every Client's Due Dates Across States
How bookkeepers track sales tax filing frequency and due dates for each client and state, reconcile collected tax to the return and avoid missed filings. Includes a tracker layout.
Tax season
S Corp Reasonable Salary: The Year End Review Your Firm Should Run
A December check for S corp clients: compare officer wages to distributions, document how salary was set, handle more than 2 percent shareholder health insurance on the W-2 and fix gaps before payroll closes.
Assistant
Missed Call Text Back: Setting It Up Without Annoying Customers
How a 1 to 5 person service business can text back missed callers fast, what the first message should say, consent and 10DLC basics, and when a human should take over.
Assistant
How to Ask Customers for Google Reviews (and Stay Inside the Rules)
When to ask, what to send and how to get your Google review link, plus what Google and the FTC prohibit, like gating or paying for positive reviews. Templates for small service businesses.
Tax season
PTIN Renewal Checklist for a Tax Firm: Roster, Sequence, Hard Stop
PTIN renewal checklist for a small tax firm: what each preparer needs, a roster you can run, and a December sequence before anyone prepares a 2027 return.
Tax season
WISP for Tax Preparers: Writing a Security Plan a Small Firm Will Actually Follow
What a written information security plan needs for a 1 to 5 person tax practice, how to work through IRS Publication 5708, and the yearly review to do before filing season.
Tax season
7216 Consent Form: When Tax Preparers Need It and How to Collect It
7216 consent form for tax preparers: there is no IRS numbered Form 7216. Use this sample, the decision table, and the FAQ before you share or reuse return information. Not legal advice.
Tax season
Tax Preparation Engagement Letter: What to Include and How to Get It Signed
Tax preparation engagement letter for 1040 and business returns: what to include, how to send it each January, and an outline to adapt with counsel. Not legal advice.
Tax season
Year End Tax Planning Checklist: The December Client Outreach Small Firms Can Run
A December checklist for small firms to send clients: income changes, estimated payments, retirement contributions and RMDs, withholding checks and records to keep, plus how to schedule it.
Assistant
How to Reduce No Shows: Reminder and Rebooking Steps for Small Service Businesses
A simple system for 1 to 5 person service businesses to cut no shows: confirmation, reminder timing, easy rescheduling, a fair cancellation policy and same day gap filling.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping Client Onboarding Checklist for Small Firms
A practical onboarding checklist for new bookkeeping clients: access list, questionnaire, first close date, folders and the first month handoff, with a CSV style tracker you can copy.
Practice ops
Secure Client Portal for Accounting Firms: What to Require Before You Switch
What a small CPA or tax firm should require in a client portal: MFA, encryption, audit logs, who gets access, and how to move clients off email attachments without a messy cutover.
Tax season
Form 2848 Power of Attorney: A Small Firm Workflow From Signature to CAF
When a small firm needs Form 2848 instead of Form 8821, how to get it signed, submit it online, track CAF posting, and keep a clean authorization file. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
CAF Number for Tax Professionals: How to Get, Link and Find Yours
What a CAF number is, how it differs from PTIN and EFIN, how to get or link it in Tax Pro Account, and what to do if you cannot find it. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Drake Tax Organizers: Batch Send Before Tax Season Without Drowning Clients
How small Drake Tax firms run Summary vs Comprehensive vs New Client organizers, batch filters, Drake Documents and Drake Portals options, and a tracker so unanswered organizers get a human follow up.
Bookkeeping
How Bookkeepers Choose Client Accounting Services Software
A plain framework for bookkeepers picking CAS or practice tools: client portal, bank feeds, workpapers, reporting, pricing shape, and a scorecard you can fill before a sales call. Not a ranked review.
Tax season
Form 8879 E-File Authorization: A Small Firm Workflow Before You Transmit
When a small tax firm needs Form 8879, how to get it signed, match it to the return, keep the authorization file, and know when a person must stop the e-file. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
EFIN Application for Tax Firms: Get Authorized to E-File
How a small CPA or tax firm applies for an EFIN, what Principals and Responsible Officials must do, how EFIN differs from PTIN and CAF, and what to track until the acceptance letter arrives. General information, not legal advice.
Practice ops
Form 4506-C and IVES: A Tax Firm Workflow for Income Verification Requests
When a lender or participant asks your firm for Form 4506-C, how IVES works at a high level, what to collect from the client, and how to track the request without inventing turnaround times. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
W-9 Collection Workflow for Bookkeepers Before 1099 Season
How bookkeeping and CAS teams request Form W-9 from vendors, chase missing forms, validate TIN fields at a checklist level, and feed clean data into 1099 prep without drowning January.
Bookkeeping
Form 8655 Reporting Agent Authorization: A Bookkeeping Firm Checklist
When a payroll or bookkeeping firm needs Form 8655, what the form authorizes at a high level, how to get it signed, and how to track authorizations next to client payroll access. General information, not legal advice.
Practice ops
CPA Firm Client Offboarding Checklist: Access, Records and Clean Handoff
A practical offboarding checklist for small CPA and bookkeeping firms: revoke access, return records, close portals, update IRS authorizations, and confirm the engagement file is complete.
Tax season
Form 8867 Due Diligence Checklist for Small Tax Firms
When a paid preparer needs Form 8867, how to run the due diligence questions, keep notes, and stop a return before e-file if something is missing. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Identity Protection PIN for Tax Firms: Capture, Store and Use on E-File
How small tax firms ask clients for an IRS Identity Protection PIN, where to record it, and what to do when e-file rejects for a missing or wrong IP PIN. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
Form 8822-B Business Address Change: A Bookkeeping Firm Checklist
When a bookkeeping or CPA firm should help a business client file Form 8822-B, what to collect, how to track mailing, and how it differs from Form 8822 for individuals. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
EFTPS Enrollment for Bookkeeping Clients: A Firm Admin Checklist
How bookkeeping and payroll support teams help clients enroll in EFTPS, what to collect, how long to expect for the PIN mailer using only IRS stated timing, and how to track first deposits.
Tax season
Form 8878 E-File Authorization for Form 4868 Extensions
When a tax firm needs Form 8878 to e-file a Form 4868 extension, how it differs from Form 8879, and a checklist before you transmit the extension. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
Form SS-4 EIN Application: A Checklist for Bookkeeping and CPA Firms
How firms help new clients apply for an EIN with Form SS-4 or the IRS online assistant, what to collect, how to store the CP 575 letter, and what never to invent about entity choice. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Form 2553 S Corp Election Checklist for Tax Firms
What a tax firm collects before filing Form 2553, who signs the shareholder consent, how to track the IRS acceptance letter, and what to do if it is late. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
Form 941 Quarterly Filing Checklist for Bookkeepers (With Schedule B)
A quarter end Form 941 checklist for bookkeeping and payroll support teams: tie payroll to deposits, decide when Schedule B applies, and track who reviews and files. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
Form W-2c Corrections: A Payroll Firm Workflow After Year End
How bookkeeping and payroll teams handle a wrong W-2: confirm the error, prepare Form W-2c and W-3c, tell the employee, and log the fix. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Form 9465 and IRS Payment Plans: A Tax Firm Client Checklist
When a client cannot pay their balance, how a tax firm compares the online payment agreement with Form 9465, what to collect, and how to track it. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit: What a Tax Firm Does Next
When a client's e-file is rejected because a return was already filed with their SSN, how a tax firm helps them complete Form 14039, what to keep, and how to follow up. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Form 8453 E-File Transmittal: Sending Paper Documents After E-File
When an e-filed return needs paper supporting documents, how a tax firm uses Form 8453, how it differs from Form 8879, and a checklist to track mailing. General information, not legal advice.
Practice ops
Print Automation for Accounting Firms: Batch Client Copies, Signature Packs and PDFs
How a tax or bookkeeping firm automates the printing and PDF output it still has to do: client copies, Form 8879 signature packs, filing copies and mailed letters. General information, not legal advice.
Practice ops
Record Retention Policy for CPA Firms: A Template and Schedule
A written record retention policy for a CPA or tax firm: what to keep, for how long according to IRS guidance, who can destroy files and how to log it. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Tax Document Checklist for Clients (2026 Season): Printable and CSV
A client facing tax document checklist a firm can send before the 2026 filing season, grouped by income, deductions and life changes, with a printable PDF and CSV. General information, not legal advice.
Tax season
Form 1040-X Amended Returns: A Tax Firm Workflow From Error to Status Check
How a tax firm handles an amended return: confirm the change, scope and bill it, prepare and review Form 1040-X, get the signature, and track status. General information, not legal advice.
Bookkeeping
Small Business Recordkeeping Checklist to Send Bookkeeping Clients
What small business clients should keep and send each month, based on IRS recordkeeping guidance, with a checklist bookkeepers can share at onboarding. General information, not legal advice.
· Tax season operator