Tax planning questions firm owners ask
These are questions CPA and EA firm owners type into Google and post in tax professional forums about selling planning work. Each answer is short. Each one links to the guide that covers it in full. For definitions of the tax terms, see the tax planning glossary.
Finding planning clients
How do I get more tax planning clients from the clients I already have?
Start with last season's returns and sort them by who had a surprise: a big balance due, a new business, a sale or a jump in income. Those owners already trust you and already feel the problem. Offer each one a separate planning engagement with its own scope, fee and a date. Read more: How to get more tax planning clients.
How do tax firms get new clients without relying on word of mouth?
Pick one outside source you can run on a timetable, such as ads, LinkedIn or a marketing firm, and check fit before anyone reaches your calendar. Referrals are good clients, but you can't schedule a referral. Read more: Inbound vs outbound for tax firms and Tax planning leads vs booked meetings vs referrals.
How do I build referral relationships with financial advisors and attorneys?
Choose two partners who serve the owner type you want, meet them each quarter, and send them work too. A partner who never gets anything back stops sending. Read more: How to get more tax planning clients.
How do I market tax planning services?
Plan the year around the gap after busy season. Book planning meetings from May to early September and deliver year end work from October to December. Read more: A 12 month marketing plan for planning work.
What kind of business owner is the best fit for tax planning?
Owners whose numbers change each year and who have decisions left to make: S corporation owners with payroll, partnerships with more than one owner, and sole proprietors whose profit jumped. Firms that know one industry well sell planning faster to that industry. Read more: Accounting firm niches for tax planning.
Pricing planning work
How much should I charge for tax planning?
Quote a fixed fee up front, built from the hours the work really takes, the complexity and the risk. Hourly billing punishes you for being fast and makes clients watch the clock. Test the price on a few clients and adjust. Read more: Tax planning fee objections.
Should tax planning be a one time project or a retainer?
The client's situation usually decides. A one time plan fits a single event like a sale or a new entity. A retainer fits owners whose numbers move through the year. Read more: Tax planning retainer vs one time plan.
How do I stop giving tax planning advice away for free?
Decide where free ends before the meeting and say it out loud. Once a question needs the owner's numbers to answer, that is planning, and planning is paid. Read more: Stop giving free tax advice on consultations.
How do I handle "your fee is too high" from a planning prospect?
Ask what they are comparing it to before you defend the number. Often it is the prep fee, and the fix is to show what planning covers that prep doesn't. Read more: Tax planning fee objections.
Running the consultation
What should I cover in an introductory meeting with a prospective planning client?
Find out what made them look now, what they expect from planning, and whether your firm can deliver it. End with a clear next step and a date. Read more: How to run a tax planning consultation and Tax planning consultation questions.
How do I explain the difference between tax planning and tax preparation?
Preparation reports what already happened. Planning changes what happens next. Use one decision from the client's own year as the example, and don't promise a savings figure. Read more: How to explain tax planning to business owners and How to sell tax planning without promising savings.
How do I spot a bad fit planning lead before the meeting?
Ask why they want to talk and what they expect to get. Owners who only want a return filed, or who want a free answer to one question, rarely buy planning. Read more: Bad fit tax planning leads and Prospect qualification questions.
What do I do when a prospect says they need to think about it?
Ask what is still open for them and answer what you can from what you know so far. If they want time, agree the date you will talk again before the meeting ends. Read more: Tax planning objections and Tax planning consultation mistakes.
After the booking
How do I reduce no-shows for tax planning consultations?
Send a calendar invite straight away, a reminder the day before, and a short note on what to bring. When someone misses, offer two new times the same day while they still remember why they booked. Read more: Reduce no-shows for tax planning consultations.
How fast should I follow up with a new planning inquiry?
The same day, and ideally within the hour. Decide in advance who in the firm owns new enquiries so nothing waits for the owner to get free. Read more: Who should handle tax planning enquiries.
How do I keep planning clients after the first year?
Show them what the plan did, in writing, before you ask them to renew. A short year end report makes the value easy to see. Read more: Tax planning report template, Year end tax planning letter and Tax practice growth numbers to track.
State rules worth a meeting
Thirty seven states offer a pass-through entity tax election for 2026, and the deadlines differ a lot. See the 2026 PTET elections by state table and the state pages for California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.
About Financial Sales Insider
Financial Sales Insider is a marketing company that fills US CPA and EA firms' calendars with qualified tax planning meetings.
See if your firm is a fitJohnny Logan, Founder, Financial Sales Insider. General information for tax firm owners. Not tax or legal advice.
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