SURVEYS
BUSY SEASON 2008 STRESS-O-METER
Tax practitioners appear well-positioned at the halfway point for the final days of Busy Season 2008.
Join the survey; get the updates. To comment, contact Rick Telberg here.
With data from the latest two weeks ending March 29, the trend lines are:
- Stress levels at mid-season have eased from earlier in the season.
- We’re seeing week-by-week improvements in profits and client traffic.
- And early-season problems with technology, software and workflows are diminishing as we head into the final stretch.
Busy Season 2008 appears to be running like clockwork
Compared to last year with about 30 days to go before April 15 Tax Day, all major gauges are running better this year than last year.
STRESS-0-METER 2008: The 2008 busy season gets off to a smooth start.
In the runup to season opening, only about 1 in 6 accountants say they are extremely stressed. And the forecasts split three ways — with roughly equal numbers predicting a better season, a worse one, or about the same. Most accountants forecast, as well, healthy improvements in revenue, profits and clients.
Get the details. See the charts and comments here…
SURVEY RESULTS: How to Fire a Client
Response to our article, “Four Reasons to Fire a Client Today: Turn problems in profits,” has been brisk.
Practically every accountant has at least one client they wish they didn’t. And about two-thirds of accountants are doing something about it — by firing a client within the last year. Every practitioner may have a different threshold for pain, but few don’t have at least one “client from Hell” story. And just as many have some advice for colleagues.
Here are the initial results from our survey, How to Fire a Client…
BUSY SEASON 2007 STRESS-O-METER
Based on 958 Responses through April 2007
Highlights:
• In 2007, 32% of accountants reported they experienced at least “frequent’ or “constant” stress.
• About 40% reported a “worse” year overall in 2006.
• More than 7 in 10 CPAs said revenues and profits had increased from 2006
• The most troublesome issues in 2007 was late or unprepared clients, with 52% of CPAs reporting the problem as significant
