Don’t Go at it Alone This Off-Season

Between post-season client follow ups and working on extensions, you’re probably ready to say “so long!” to the 2016 tax season and start your off-season vacation. Once you’ve had a moment to relax, put your toes in the sand and fully rested, you should begin to think about how you are planning to stay connected and updated with the tax community during this slower tax time.

If you’re not working for a medium or large firm, the time between May and December can often seem lonely … but you don’t need to go at it alone! There is a whole community of professionals out there.

The beauty of the off-season is that it provides tax professionals the time to decompress and focus on learnings. There is so much education and information shared during this time that you cannot afford to miss out. Here are some of the best ways you can stay involved throughout the upcoming months.

Join an Association

The National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) offers in-person and online educational events to help you advance your expertise to help grow your firm. Their live events are the perfect excuse to get away for a few days to network with fellow tax pros and fulfill your education requirements. You’ll dive into some highly relevant tax topics with industry-leading instructors and earn CPE.

If you’re a CPA, look into the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) for conferences on a wide variety of topics and niches, including tax, or access your own state CPA society’s webpage for state-specific and local chapter opportunities. Membership to the AICPA includes professional skills trainings, programs, services and information you need to keep you at the top of your professional life. Think of it as an investment in your future career.

With more than 7,000 members, membership to the American Accounting Association (AAA) brings you networking opportunities with colleagues from around the world. Increase your visibility in the tax community by participating in a meeting as a participant, reviewer, moderator or committee volunteer.

Check out Publication Webinars and Community Forums

The Accounting Today community is deeply engaged through interactions on social media, comment forums, research panels and an authoritative network of contributors. From webinars to podcasts, the site offers ways to connect with other professionals in the industry to share best practices on building client relationships, increasing profitability and incorporating new technologies.

AccountingWEB’s community is also a helpful resource to get information and learn from other tax professionals through various blogs and industry updates. If you have a specific question, you can ask others in the community, or join discussion groups in a specific category.

Get Social! Media, That is

With the countless number of social groups and communities online, finding trusted and useful online communities to turn to for information and help can sometimes be difficult. We’ve outlined four online communities that are full of great conversation and connections for tax professionals:

1. Intuit® Accountants Facebook: The Intuit Accountants Facebook page is a place where accounting and tax professionals can go to for the latest industry news and events, as well as learn how the various Intuit products can help you save time and grow your practice.
2. Intuit ProConnect™ Tax Pro Center: Our Tax Pro Center is a great resource for a timely collection of valuable articles, infographics and insights to help you take your practice to the next level. Come here to learn and read about recent tax laws and news, client relationships, and workflow optimization.
3. AICPA LinkedIn Group: This LinkedIn Group Page, facilitated by AICPA, is a great place for current AICPA members to build connections and serves as a resource of rich conversations with others within the community.
4. AICPA Young CPA Network Facebook: The AICPA’s Young CPA Network’s Facebook page is a resourceful networking and information-sharing group for young CPAs. This is a place where up-and-coming professionals can build valuable relationships, and find the information and resources they need to help support their growing careers.

The Intuit ProConnect Training Center also offers resources to help you continue learning, including live and recorded webinars, how-to videos, and peer training via forums. Our training can help you stay up to date on the latest tax law changes, as well as the impact these changes have on ProConnect software, the latest technology updates, best practices to keep your client’s data secure, how to grow your firm and more.

There’s no need to go it alone this year – or any other year. Now is a great time to attend a conference, network with colleagues at local gatherings or simply connect with peers individually. Good luck!