{"id":24897,"date":"2022-01-27T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/?p=24897"},"modified":"2022-01-26T08:24:49","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T14:24:49","slug":"prepare-your-firm-for-the-reality-of-tax-season-2022-with-this-remote-readiness-roadmap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/practice-management\/prepare-your-firm-for-the-reality-of-tax-season-2022-with-this-remote-readiness-roadmap\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepare your firm for the reality of tax season 2022 with this Remote Readiness Roadmap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almost two years have gone by since COVID-19<\/a> first began to infiltrate our collective consciousness. The impact of the pandemic has been far reaching, touching businesses and individuals around the globe. From a business perspective, the pandemic has transformed many tax and accounting firms, and the individuals and businesses they serve in ways that were not anticipated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, the rapid shift to remote work<\/a> and client service models is a trend that will continue through this tax season, if not indefinitely, as many firms make the move to remote work permanent. If your firm is adopting, or continuing to use, a completely remote or hybrid (remote and in-office work) to support this new \u201cremote reality,\u201d then you need to have a plan and a system in place to make sure you can do this as efficiently and effectively as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adapting to the remote reality of tax season 2022 requires cloud-based document management<\/h2>\n

At the heart of preparing for the remote reality of tax season is preparing your team and clients to work seamlessly in the cloud<\/a> with secure access<\/a> to all required documents and systems so everyone can collaborate throughout your tax preparation workflow.<\/p>\n

As accountant and author Dawn Brolin, CPA, CFE<\/a>, has said, being remote-ready is also good for your \u00a0firm\u2019s bottom line: \u201cBeing ready, and I mean really<\/i> ready, to operate remotely is not only a no-brainer when it comes to scaling your business to serve more clients more efficiently; \u00a0it\u2019s an essential point of control to make sure our future livelihoods and those of the employees we have are protected as we navigate the unexpected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawn was able to keep her firm operating and<\/i> growing exponentially during the past two tax seasons, which, given the negative impact of the pandemic on the overall business landscape is no easy feat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur firm didn\u2019t skip a beat during Covid-19\u2014we were even able to add new clients,\u201d Dawn reported at the end of last tax season. \u201cWe were able to onboard and serve more clients while keeping our profit margins high and our stress levels low.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dawn\u2019s strategy is not a secret, it\u2019s one that she shares widely with her professional peers and a philosophy that we share at SmartVault<\/a>: Leverage cloud-based technologies to create a secure, sustainable, and successful remote business model. This will ensure not only that you can meet all of your tax preparation needs, but be fully prepared to continue serving your clients all year long, no matter what happens.<\/p>\n

Dawn’s firm, Powerful Accounting Inc.<\/a>, provides the perfect example. Given her practical and proactive implementation of a robust remote work plan for her firm, even prior to the pandemic, Dawn has been able to provide key insights to help support other practitioners as they take action to meet the challenges of the remote realities of tax season 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prepare now for the realities of another remote tax season with these best practices included in SmartVault\u2019s Remote Readiness Roadmap<\/h2>\n

Here are some of the best practices Dawn shared with us and we want to pass them along here to help your firm create a tax season 2022 Remote Readiness Roadmap. If you take a day or two now, and hone in on these steps, it will help you maximize the benefits of a remote firm model while reducing any negative impacts to your productivity or profitability.<\/p>\n

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  1. Make a comprehensive list of your critical business functions and partners who are part of your business processes.<\/li>\n
  2. Identify the financial and operational risks related to these processes in your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. List the\u00a0 kind of contingencies or processes you need to add to ensure you can keep functioning and serving your clients.<\/li>\n
  4. Make a prioritized list of needs based on your findings above.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. The next phase of the process is to identify the specific actions you need to change based on your remote work needs. A central component will be the need to structure your remote team for success.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These questions can help you think through the process:<\/p>\n