Tax season is a whirlwind for small to mid-size CPA firms. Between small business K-1 returns, complex individual tax filings, and reviewing staff-prepared returns, time is in short supply. Partners juggle accuracy, packaging, and delivery—leaving little room for proactive client engagement. Yet, this is the perfect time to uncover advisory opportunities for clients.
The key is shifting the focus from compliance to strategy. Uncovering how you might be able to best help clients with advisory work during a busy compliance season can help to guide your conversations and build out advisory/consulting work for the rest of the year. Fintech tools can help identify and act on these opportunities.
Challenges of tax season
Tax season generates a mountain of data, particularly from client conversations about changes in the past year. These updates often reveal more than compliance-related details; they provide insights into challenges and opportunities. Yet, many CPAs don’t ask forward-looking questions like:
- What’s on the horizon for next year?
- Are there upcoming capital needs or growth plans?
- How can we align your financial strategy to meet these goals?
These discussions can lay the foundation for advisory services, helping clients not only meet compliance but also plan for growth.
Opportunities in financing advisory
Financing is a prime area for advisory. Many small businesses face capital challenges for expansion, equipment purchases or cash flow management. Tax season is when these issues often surface. By leveraging this information, CPAs can help their clients identify capital requirements, establish budget and forecasting strategies and address performance metrics and payroll needs.
This approach adds value for clients and positions your firm as a trusted advisor beyond tax season.
Simplifying advisory with fintech
Fintech solutions make it easier for CPA firms to provide financing advisory by offering tools that simplify complex processes. For example, with the right fintech platform, your firm can:
- Identify tailored funding options for clients. Fintech tools streamline the process of finding financing solutions that align with your client’s business needs—whether for expansion, managing cash flow or purchasing equipment.
- Save time while offering a seamless experience. Features like a “refer to funding specialist” option or an easy-to-navigate funding application process reduce administrative burdens and create a smoother client experience.
- Gain real-time insights into funding opportunities. Track where your clients are in their funding journey, identify bottlenecks and proactively offer guidance to ensure success.
- Deliver actionable advice informed by data. Integrated dashboards and reports can reveal trends in client needs, enabling your team to deliver practical and timely solutions.
These tools not only simplify advisory but also make it more accessible, allowing firms of any size to build stronger relationships with their clients.
Conclusion: Following up post-tax season
While tax season presents the perfect opportunity to uncover advisory needs, the real value comes in the follow-up. Once the rush of filing deadlines has passed, reaching back out to clients can help solidify your role as a strategic advisor.
- Revisit key tax season discussions. Identify clients who expressed growth plans, capital needs, or financial concerns and schedule meetings to explore solutions.
- Help clients take action. Many businesses recognize their financial gaps but struggle with next steps. Proactively guiding them toward financing options, budget strategies, or operational efficiencies strengthens your advisory role.
- Establish a regular advisory cadence. Offering a structured follow-up—such as a mid-year check-in or quarterly planning session—demonstrates your commitment beyond compliance work and builds long-term engagement.
These touchpoints reinforce your role as more than just a tax preparer—they position you as an ongoing, trusted partner in your client’s success.
Building growth together
Advisory services empower your clients to achieve their goals. By leveraging tax season as a springboard and integrating fintech tools into your workflow, you can uncover opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The CPA Business Funding Portal is a purpose-built platform designed to help CPAs simplify financing advisory, connect clients with funding options, and strengthen client relationships. Learn more about how the portal can help your firm stand out as a trusted partner in client success.
Tax season may always be busy, but with the right approach and tools, it can also be the most rewarding time of the year for both you and your clients.
About the author
Matt is a product account manager at CPA.com, focusing on financing advisory services. He started his accounting career in the banking sector and spent the majority of his career as a consultant in the franchise space. He brings together his banking and consulting backgrounds to work with firms in building deeper relationships with their clients.
