Accounting · Checklist

7 Workflows You Should Automate
Before Next Tax Season

A checklist for accounting firms that are tired of rebuilding the same manual processes every January.

For each workflow below, check the items your firm already has running. The reflection question at the bottom of each section is the one that matters most. Be honest with yourself.
— 01

Client Intake & Onboarding

  • Engagement letter generation and e-signature
  • New client folder and file setup
  • Welcome email with portal access
  • Initial document request list sent automatically

Do new clients set themselves up, or does someone on your team do it manually every time?

— 02

Document Collection & Follow-Up

  • Automated document request emails (W-2s, 1099s, bank statements)
  • Reminder sequences for missing items (Day 3, Day 7, Day 14)
  • Dashboard showing which clients still owe what
  • Secure upload portal

Can you see at a glance who has submitted everything and who has not?

— 03

Appointment Scheduling

  • Self-service booking (clients pick their own time)
  • Automated confirmations and reminders
  • No-show follow-up
  • Seasonal capacity management

Are you still doing scheduling by phone or email?

— 04

Client Status Updates

  • Real-time status portal (“In Progress,” “Under Review,” “Filed”)
  • Automated notifications when status changes
  • Eliminates “where’s my return?” calls

How many times per day does someone on your team answer “what’s the status of my return?”

— 05

Recurring Deliverables

  • Monthly financial statements auto-generated
  • Quarterly estimate reminders
  • Annual engagement renewal
  • Report templates that populate from your data

Are you rebuilding the same reports from scratch every month?

— 06

Billing & Collections

  • Time tracking integrated with invoicing
  • Automated invoice generation and delivery
  • Payment reminders (Net 15, Net 30)
  • Aging report alerts

Are overdue invoices sitting in a spreadsheet somewhere?

— 07

Post-Season Client Nurture

  • Thank you emails after filing
  • Tax planning touchpoints (June, September, December)
  • Referral requests at the right moment
  • Year-end prep reminders

Do you disappear from clients’ lives between April and January?

— Score yourself

How many boxes did you check? If fewer than four — next tax season is going to feel exactly like this one.

— 0–2 workflows

Critical gaps. Your team is rebuilding the same manual processes every January. The time cost is compounding.

— 3–5 workflows

Room to grow. The foundation is there, but the gaps are slowing you down during the months that matter most.

— 6–7 workflows

You are ahead of most firms. Time to refine and automate what is already working.

Ready to close the gaps?
Thirty minutes. No pitch.

Thy will be automated.