Practical, no-fluff articles on tie-out, automation, and running a modern tax practice.
Peak season exposes the same weakness in a lot of CPA firms. Returns move fast, source documents pile up, reviewers start hunting through workpapers for one mismatch, and a clean
Most firms talk about audit risk as if it starts with aggressive positions, gray areas, or unusual fact patterns. That's incomplete. In 2021, the IRS sent nearly 16 million automated
At many firms, the tax return is technically “done” before the review is manageable. The preparer has a draft. The source documents are somewhere in a portal, a shared drive,
Every firm reaches the same point eventually. The portal is in place, PDFs are arriving on time, and the staff can find last year's return in seconds. Yet review still
By late March, most tax firms are running the same exhausting quality control loop. A preparer has entered W-2s, 1099s, and brokerage activity. A reviewer opens scanned source documents on
You open the renewal email, scroll to the bottom, and feel the same irritation you felt last year. The license fee is up. A few line items are vague. The
An IRS examination notice lands in your inbox for a complex return your firm filed two years ago. The agent wants the full workpaper file, all supporting documents, review notes,
