Staying ahead of potential issues is one of the keys to reducing your stress in life, but this can be difficult when managing your tax and financial affairs. It’s easy to get behind, bogged down, or even overwhelmed. When this happens, you may feel like your free time is nonexistent and your peace of mind remains elusive.
One way to avoid this unpleasant feeling is to work with a proactive CPA. Not only will a proactive CPA help you avoid a last-minute scramble ahead of tax deadlines, but they can also give you more clarity and calm around your tax and financial situation.
Here’s how to know if you’re working with a proactive CPA.
1. Your CPA is responsive from day one
If you leave a message or send an email to a CPA and you don’t hear back, this is a concern. Of course, technology doesn’t always work as intended, so it’s possible your message or email was lost en-route. But if you’ve followed up once and still don’t have a response, it’s time to move on. A proactive CPA with a dedicated team will not ignore your communications.
2. Your CPA has a system for staying ahead
Being proactive doesn’t happen by accident. CPAs who stay ahead of tax deadlines and client needs have a system for doing so that is supported by a dedicated, qualified team. If your CPA is truly proactive, they should be able to tell you at the onset exactly how they’ll proactively serve you.
3. Your CPA asks questions
Proactive CPAs want to get to know you beyond your tax return—they’re inquisitive right out of the gate. Their first order of business is to invest time in getting to know you and your entire situation and goals. Expect them to ask questions about your current and future financial and tax world as well as what keeps you awake at night. The more they know about your challenges, the more quickly they can begin to solve them.
4. Your CPA is thinking ahead
In addition to asking about your future, a proactive CPA will be actively planning for it. This means coming to you to suggest ways to mitigate your taxes well before the end of the year, looking for ways to improve your situation, and systematically checking in often throughout the year, not just at tax time. The result: You won’t be wistfully looking in the rearview mirror, or uttering “if only…”
At Origin CPA Group, we believe the only way to serve clients is to do so proactively. We’re not interested in simply doing tax returns, although we do excel at this! Our strengths lie in delivering an elevated client experience that proactively addresses the unique complexities you face. In our experience, this is what truly allows you to live freely and fully in the moment and beyond.
If you’d like to learn more about how our tax expertise could help you live more freely, contact us today.