How to Expand and Promote Your IRS Tax Resolution Practice

November 7, 2022

Imagine this: you’re at a cocktail party, and someone asks what you do for work. You say, “I’m an IRS tax resolution pro,” and what do they envision? Chances are that your companion has an outdated idea of what a career in accounting entails. They might imagine you working long hours (evenings and weekends, too!), wearing a green visor and sitting under a banker’s lamp, using an adding machine to prepare one tax return after another, hour after hour, and day after day. Even worse, it’s not only laypeople who are mistaken. This common misunderstanding is limiting students’ choices to pursue a career in tax work and is causing an industry-wide labor shortage. In a recent article titled More Predictions about the Profession’s Future published in The CPA Journal, CPA Yigal Rechtman worried that the future of his profession is at risk and offered some thoughts about what’s driving the decline, writing, “The current impediments to growth are mostly driven by the perception of prospective entrants to the CPA profession.” Research supports Rechtman’s assessment of the effect of this negative perception. The International Federation of Accountants reports that “one impact felt by professional accountancy organizations is a diminishing pipeline of graduates ready to enter certification programs.” The IFAC attributes this to “fewer young people than historically has been the case [being] attracted at an early age to pursuing a career as an accountant.” These people don’t know that the work itself has changed, as has the cutting-edge technology that top firms are using to get it done. Do you? These days, to maximize both profits and professional satisfaction, you’ve got to focus energy in two directions: broadening your services to create more revenue streams and attracting new business from existing and potential clients. The team at IRS Solutions, a Tax Pro’s Best Friend, has some tips to help you.

Expand Your Practive to Include IRS Tax Resolution

The best thing you can do for your practice is to find ways to serve your clients beyond tax preparation. Tax prep is valuable and important work, but if you’re still making it the primary focus of your practice, there are drawbacks to consider. Chief among these is the seasonal and inconsistent nature of the workload and attendant income. It’s great in the spring and fall– although it might come at some cost to your family or social life – there’s much less going on and coming in during the rest of the year. You’ve got to budget for those lean months. Many of your colleagues have gotten off the tax prep roller coaster by shifting to a practice in tax resolution. Professionals who specialize in tax resolution help grateful clients in a wide range of difficult situations. No two days in tax resolution are exactly the same. You might help a client in need of tax resolution services by:

Submitting a successful Offer in Compromise (OIC), determining that the client’s account status should actually be Currently Not Collectible (CNC), or even that CSED (Collection Statute Expiration Dates) have elapsed without notice.
Proposing a payment plan for back taxes.
Getting your client qualified for a first-time abatement.
Protecting client assets from liens and their wages from garnishment.
Supporting your client in a defense against an IRS audit.
Protesting an error on an IRS transcript.

Be Your Own Best Advocate

Once you’ve decided to add IRS tax resolution services to your practice, there’s only one thing left between you and the professional life you’re ready to create: you’re going to need clients. There is a stigma around tax difficulties, and people are often reluctant to reach out. You’ve got to spread the word that you are available to help anyone who needs your services. While some firms hire outside agencies to handle their marketing, more do the work themselves instead. That’s why membership in IRS Solutions includes access to our exclusive Marketing Toolbox. We have created a Marketing Workbook as a roadmap to kickstart the marketing of your tax resolution services, grow your business, and succeed. In it, you’ll find 10 steps you can take to attract clients to your practice. Our Member’s Marketing Toolbox, which is included for FREE with the software, provides even more resources to help you promote your tax resolution services, constantly updated with new options.

Here are four areas where you can take action right away:

Email

More than 64% of small businesses use email to communicate with current and potential clients, and 99% of those who use email check their inbox every day. Some even check their email up to 20 times a day. Don’t be ashamed to let your clients know about your services. IRS Solutions has put together an infographic for you to share with your clients, friends, and family so that they will know what you can do for them.

Social Media

More than half of the world’s population uses social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Social media posts are a great way to let people know about all the different services you offer and to help them connect with you. But constantly ideating and generating fresh content can be exhausting. Reduce the amount of time you devote to this task by leveraging the IRS Solutions Marketing Toolbox. We give you a planning calendar complete with images and captions for you to post. By using Facebook posting in advance, you can create your posts two months in advance. View the demonstration: How to get an IRS Collection Client. Our members rave about the posts that they are given to share with their clients and friends.

Client Communication

Your existing clients are your best new clients! They’ve already seen you in action, and they trust you. Let them know about the new services you offer with a personalized letter sent in the mail. You can also ensure that new clients know about your range of services when you include an easy-to-read infographic in their onboarding paperwork. Printable copies of these communications and more are included with your IRS Solutions membership.

Online Reviews

You work hard on behalf of your clients, and they know it. Follow up successful work with an email thanking your clients for their business and include an invitation to leave a 5-star review online or to tell friends and family about your practice on social media.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Stone

Managing Partner at IRS Solutions | Tax Resolution Specialist| Enthusiastic Community Leader

Suzanne Stone, Managing Partner at IRS Solutions Software, combines 16 years of expertise in tax resolution with a passion for community service. She has been pivotal in developing software solutions that significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of tax professionals. Beyond her corporate achievements, Suzanne is passionately involved in philanthropy, working with organizations like Soroptimist International and Project Delta. Her efforts in these groups are focused on creating meaningful changes in the lives of women and veterans. Suzanne is committed not just to business success but to fostering a supportive professional community.