Tax season group therapy: Real-world solutions for a less painful busy season
Tax season stress? Learn real-world solutions from experts Jason Staats, Blake Oliver, and Keila Hill-Trawick on managing scope creep, client boundaries, and workflow efficiency.
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Key takeaways:
- Set clear boundaries with clients: Avoid scope creep by defining engagement terms upfront.
- Proactively schedule client work: Structured intake schedules prevent last-minute chaos.
- Implement smart pricing strategies: Tiered pricing or surge pricing can help manage demand.
- Use technology to automate workflows: Client portals and tax software reduce admin time.
- Collect payments upfront: Getting paid before the work begins improves cash flow.
- Foster a community for support: Connect with other accountants to share challenges and solutions.
The stress is real—but so are the solutions
Tax season can feel like an endless cycle of late nights, tight deadlines, and constant client requests. But what if you could make it just a little bit easier?
That’s exactly what we tackled in Ignition’s recent webinar, Tax season group therapy: Share your pain, find your solutions. Hosted by Ignition, the webinar panel featured Keila Hill-Trawick, Jason Staats, and Blake Oliver, who shared their biggest lessons learned from years of running firms, supporting clients, and managing the chaos of the busy season.
From handling scope creep to implementing structured intake schedules and rethinking pricing, these experts broke down real-world solutions you can implement immediately.
Setting boundaries: Stop scope creep before it starts
One of the biggest stressors during tax season? Scope creep—when client work expands beyond what was initially agreed upon, often without extra pay.
It’s a problem that Keila Hill-Trawick, founder of Little Fish Accounting, knows all too well:
“Once a client knows that you know how to do something, they’ll ask you to do it—even if it’s not part of your service. Early on, we answered too many questions for free. Now, we tell clients where to go for information but don’t provide personalized advice unless it’s part of their engagement.”
Her solution? Set clear boundaries upfront. Define what’s included (and what’s not) in your services. Then, reinforce those expectations throughout the engagement.
How to prevent scope creep
- Define the scope early—Engagement letters should clearly outline what’s included (and what isn’t).
- Stick to your policies—Refer clients to additional services or resources instead of doing extra work for free.
- Use technology—Platforms like Ignition help automate engagement letters and track scope changes.
Pro tip: Use Ignition engagement letter automation to set expectations upfront and avoid confusion.
The power of proactive scheduling
One reason tax season feels overwhelming is because firms often let clients dictate their own timelines. The traditional model of tax prep often leads to last-minute client submissions and bottlenecks. Instead of waiting for clients to send everything at the last possible moment, consider structured intake schedules.
Jason Staats highlighted the shift happening in forward-thinking firms:
“As you’re doing work coming into tax season, it’s important to be explicit about your turnaround times but equally important is the flip side of that, explaining to the client their responsibilities to ensure work gets completed on time…The biggest shift for tax firms in particular is a move toward more scheduled work. We put ourselves in a really tough spot when we set a hard deadline, like March 15, and there's nothing to stop everyone from making a run on the bank on the deadline date. More firms are taking control over the intake schedule so that they can deliver on a consistent delivery schedule. That's probably the biggest thing I see changing right now in the industry.”
By setting staggered deadlines and giving clients clear expectations, you can smooth out the workload and avoid the “run on the bank” effect of everyone dumping their documents on the same day.
How to control your workload
- Set staggered deadlines—Divide clients into batches with different submission dates.
- Use automation for reminders—Send automated emails to clients, nudging them to upload documents.
- Penalize late submissions—Charge extra fees for documents submitted after the deadline.
Pro tip: Use automated reminders to nudge clients about upcoming deadlines and required documents.
Surge pricing: Should you charge more during peak season?
A controversial but effective strategy discussed in the webinar was surge pricing—charging more for work completed during peak season. Firms are implementing this strategy to ensure they’re charging their worth.
Blake Oliver, founder of Earmark, explained:
“If you have limited capacity at a certain time of year, consider raising your prices and charge less at other times of the year. Whether you frame it as a premium for last-minute work or a discount for off-season work, it’s a way to incentivize better client behavior, but I don’t see many firms doing this but I have done this and recommend it because it’s worked.”
Some firms increase fees for work done before April 15, while others offer discounts for clients who submit early or opt for off-season filings. The key is to structure your pricing to reflect the true cost of high-stress, high-volume work.
How to implement smarter pricing
- Introduce early-bird discounts—Reward clients who submit documents early with lower rates.
- Charge rush fees for late clients—Make last-minute work more expensive to discourage procrastination.
- Offer tiered service levels—Provide different pricing packages based on complexity and timing.
Pro tip: Adjust your pricing structure in Ignition to account for peak-season workload.
Securing payment details upfront: The key to better cash flow
Late payments and unpaid invoices can add even more stress to an already hectic season. One of the biggest takeaways from the webinar? Secure payment details upfront from clients to eliminate chasing down clients for payment and reduce—or eradicate—A/R entirely.
Getting clients’ payment details upfront doesn’t have to be awkward or complicated. Jason explains how for his practice, they thought of it in the same way that a hotel request a credit card for security and guarantee of payment:
“When we put all of our clients on Ignition, we went from all after-the-fact hourly billing to step one, which was just getting a payment method upfront, and then we would auto bill when the project was complete. So, I wasn’t asking for any money. It’s kind of like a deposit at a hotel…we want to have your card on file, and by giving us that, and to agreeing to the engagement letter, you give us permission to charge the card when the project’s done.”
Jason Staats
Keila also shared how her firm avoids payment issues by getting paid upfront for services—especially during the busy tax season:
“We don’t take standalone tax returns, so clients have to be part of our annual service and you pay that all up front, we don’t do payments month over month.”
Keila Hill-Tarwick
How to ensure you get paid
- Collect payment details upfront—Use software that requires clients to enter payment information when they sign their engagement letter.
- Offer subscription-based services—Move away from one-off tax returns and toward year-round accounting.
- Enforce payment policies—No payment means no work.
Pro tip: With Ignition’s automated billing, payments are processed as soon as a client signs an agreement—no more chasing invoices.
Tax season can feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be.
Jason Staats emphasized the value of community support:
“When I was running my firm, I felt like I was alone in the chaos. Finding other accountants who understood the struggle made a huge difference.”
How to build your support network
- Join industry groups—Engage in online forums, LinkedIn groups, or accountant communities.
- Attend webinars and events—Stay updated on best practices and share experiences.
- Collaborate with peers—Lean on other professionals for advice and moral support.
Pro tip: Follow experts like Blake Oliver, Jason Staats, and Keila Hill-Trawick for ongoing insights and discussions.
Over to you: How will you improve your tax season?
While tax season will never be stress-free, the right strategies can make it far more manageable. Here are three quick takeaways to implement right now:
- Set clear boundaries with clients and define scope in your engagement letters.
- Structure your work intake to prevent last-minute chaos.
- Rework your pricing to reflect the value (and stress) of peak season.
With the right tools—like Ignition—you can automate invoicing, reduce scope creep, and get paid faster, all while improving your client experience.
