How to Showcase Value in Tax Services

If your clients don’t see you as a strategist, they’ll never think to ask for strategy. Most accountants don’t struggle with technical skills. They struggle with positioning themselves as more than just bean counters. If your clients only see you as the person who files taxes or reconciles books, it’s not because they don’t need strategic advice. It’s because they don’t realize you offer it. So how do you shift from being “just another accountant” to a trusted financial strategist? 1️⃣ Stop Talking About What You Do And Start Talking About Why It Matters ❌ “I reconcile your books monthly.” ✅ “Every month, you’ll get a financial snapshot so you can make proactive decisions instead of reacting to surprises.” ❌ “I prepare your tax return.” ✅ “We’ll build a tax strategy that ensures you’re making the most of your money year-round, not just at filing time.” 2️⃣ Ask Better Questions Great accountants answer questions. Great financial strategists ask them. ➡️ “What’s your revenue goal this year and how confident are you in reaching it?” ➡️ “What would you do differently if you knew exactly how much you could pay yourself every month?” ➡️ “Are you undercharging for your services? Let’s look at the numbers.” When you lead the conversation, you shift from being the person who reports the numbers to the person who helps clients understand and use them. 3️⃣ Build Pricing That Reflects Strategy, Not Just Compliance If you’re charging hourly or pricing based only on deliverables, clients will always see you as a task-based expense instead of a long-term investment. ✅ Offer advisory services, not just tax prep. ✅ Bundle compliance work with strategic insights. ✅ Charge for results, not just reports. 4️⃣ Show Up as the Expert A trusted strategist isn’t just knowledgeable, they’re also visible. ✔️ Share insights where your clients hang out (on social media, IRL, in their email!!) ✔️ Host client strategy calls instead of just sending financials ✔️ Position yourself as the go-to person for business clarity Because if your clients don’t see you as a strategist, they’ll never think to ask you for strategy. #AccountingLeadership #FinancialStrategy #KnowYourWorth

Want your CFO to see the true value of tax? 📍 Start tracking this business partnering KPI 👉 Many tax teams mention in their mission that they aim to be the 'business partner of choice'—providing ongoing, high-quality support to the business. But what does that mean in practice? And how do you measure it? Ultimately, most tax teams want a seat at the table 📍. They want to show that tax isn't just about protecting value, but also about contributing to growth and business success. Here are a few practical ways to start measuring your tax team's business partnering efforts: —Map key business interactions: Identify the key touchpoints where tax engages with the business. Understanding when and how you're involved helps track the team's integration into critical decisions. — Track business wins: Document cases where tax contributed to outcomes like cost savings, risk mitigation, or strategic advantages (e.g., R&D incentives). CFOs love these success stories, and it can help unlock more resources. — Count consultations: Track how often the business consults tax. Some teams use ticketing systems; others track only significant interactions. Either way, this metric shows if you really have a seat at the table. — Conduct business surveys: Run regular surveys to measure tax awareness across the business. The more the business understands tax, the more autonomously it can operate. — Monitor escalations: Track how often tax is left out of key projects or processes. Fewer escalations mean better, more proactive collaboration. — Measure response times (optional): You can track the time it takes to provide tax guidance, though this can be operationally burdensome depending on your team's setup. These are just a few ways to build a KPI around tax-business partnerships. Hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss it further.

Tax planning as a #financialadvisor has to be a journey, not an event #taxes are complicated and painful, telling your clients about a strategy and even helping them execute it are not enough It’s more like  - learn the strategy  - create a process for implementing  - provide client education (broadly)  - identify specific opportunities  - introduce opportunity (individually)  - reinforce value  - create plan  - execute plan  - reinforce value  - provide and maintain supporting documentation  - reminder of tax planning at tax time  - address concerns from tax preparer when you get thrown under the bus  - obtain tax return and confirm correct reporting  - reinforce value and show client the impact of the tax planning on the return you might even be “lucky” enough to add  - alleviate concerns about IRS letter  - help with response to IRS letter  - reinforce value of tax planning What am I missing? Thats not meant to discourage anyone from doing tax planning, just recognize what goes into creating a great client experience over time (not one and done) and that having an intentional process is key Happy Tax Planning!

“You’re too expensive.” If a lead says that to you, the worst thing you can do is defend your price. Because the moment you start justifying, you’re confirming their belief that price is the most important thing. Let me show you a better way to handle it. Step 1: Empathise “Yeah, I totally get that. When you’re comparing accountancy services online, price is often the only thing you’ve got to go on. Especially if you haven’t worked with us before.” This disarms the objection. You’re showing that you understand their perspective, rather than getting defensive. Step 2: Reframe “But truthfully, we’re not trying to be the cheapest. We’re trying to offer the best value. Our goal is to be the partner that helps you grow, not just submit your tax return.” Now we’ve shifted the conversation away from cost and toward outcomes. Step 3: Tell a story “When I first started out, I dropped my prices to win more clients. And it worked. I won more clients. But I hated it. The clients I attracted were focused on cutting costs, not growing their businesses. They were late with info. They questioned every invoice. And they didn’t value the work. Eventually, I realised it’s better to charge what the service is worth and work with business owners who want a real partner, not a cheap accountant.” That story builds trust and filters your audience into two groups: 👉 Those who just want cheap 👉 And those who want to grow Step 4: Progress “So look, we’re not the cheapest. But our clients stay for years because we help them build profitable, scalable businesses. We do that by being proactive, communicative, and focused on growth, not just compliance... Are you solely basing your search on the lowest cost provider?" 💬 Want help building a practice with clients who never push back on price? Drop me a message with the word VALUE and I’ll my free training guide.

One secret only the most successful tax firm owners understand: Do less tax prep and more tax planning. Tax preparation, while necessary, is ultimately an expense to the client. Tax planning, on the other hand, is one of the best ways firm owners can provide high value to their clients. Tax preparation typically involves preparing and filing tax returns, but it's often a low-margin service. The intense focus on service delivery means firms generally earn less per return, usually under $1,000 (for traditional tax). In contrast, tax planning offers a more lucrative avenue. This service, focused on strategizing to legally minimize tax liabilities, commands a higher market rate, ranging between $2,500 and $9,800 per plan. By offering tax planning, firms not only enhance their profitability but also provide a more comprehensive and financially beneficial service to their clients. Tax firm owners, do you provide tax planning services? Why or why not?

Too many advisors wait for clients to bring up tax questions. That’s a missed opportunity. Clients don't always spot easy tax savings on their own—that’s your job. I’ve learned simple tax wins generate massive client loyalty. Here’s what you can start doing immediately: - Flag overlooked deductions early in the year. - Recommend smarter pension contributions proactively. - Point out tax-efficient ways to handle bonuses. - Check in quarterly—not just at tax time. Clients notice when you save them money they didn't expect. They trust you more.  They refer more. It’s the easiest way to show tangible value—without working harder.

Ironic but true: You can increase your prices without spending more time or doing more work. How? By increasing the value you provide. Some examples of simple ways to provide more value: ✅ have a client portal where the client can get information about their matter 24/7 (this also means less status update calls you have to field!) ✅ incorporate e-signature capabilities so your clients can sign admin paperwork and even matter documents electronically without having to print things out or drop them off/mail them ✅ let your client know, up front, what they are going to be paying for your services ✅ communicate with your clients in understandable English rather than using legalese and trying to sound smart ✅ offer proactive advice to your clients rather than only being reactive to their fires ✅ provide new clients a matter roadmap explaining the process and answering common questions None of these require you doing extra “work” for the client, but all make the client’s experience working with you better. And all allow you to increase your prices. Because the amount you can charge is based on the amount of value you can create. (the other piece of the equation is that you have to value the value you create, but that is for another day) What other ways can you provide value for your clients that doesn’t require spending more time on their matter? #LawPractice #Value #Pricing #DitchHourly #NML