5-Part Framework to Refine Your Internal Processes After Tax Season

Tax season is finally behind us—but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop the grind! Now that you’ve taken a much-needed rest, you can take advantage of the lull in client demands as an opportunity to focus on something equally important: optimizing how you work. 

The accounting off-season is the perfect time to refine internal processes, improve team efficiency, and lay the groundwork for a smoother, more productive busy season. Now’s the time to invest in your firm—not just your clients.

Why the Post-Tax Season Is the Ideal Time to Refine Internal Processes

Post-tax season for client work doesn’t have to mean a slow season for your firm. In fact, there’s no better time to work on your business’s internal processes.

Less client pressure means your team has space to focus on internal improvements without constant external demands. It also allows you to test and implement changes well before tax season, giving your firm time to adapt and refine so no issues arise during crunch time.

All in all, it’s the calm before the storm, providing the perfect opportunity to address pain points before they cost you time and sanity when it really counts.

6 Key Areas to Refine

Ready to make the most of the off-season, ensuring your firm runs smoothly and keeps a competitive edge? When auditing and refining your operations, make sure you’re checking all of the following boxes. 

1. Workflow and Task Management

If your team is still chasing status updates or juggling spreadsheets, it’s time to simplify. Your workflows likely need a refresh; outdated processes can really bog you down.

Levvy helps streamline your task tracking, team collaboration, and client deliverables—all in one place. Our comprehensive platform allows you to save time on repetitive tasks and minimize manual follow-ups—all while utilizing customizable workflows built specifically for accounting firms. That way, your team can focus on what really matters.

Any practice management software—including Levvy—is what you make of it. It’s crucial to continue to refine your workflows in a way that works for your team. When it comes to smooth task assignments and hand-offs, remember that context is everything! As Levvy user and ArtSmart CEO Saruul Altantuya put it in a recent conversation: “Levvy is a blank slate; people need context and structure, not micromanagement.”

2. Client Communication Protocols

An accounting firm is only as good as its client relationships—and that means optimizing your client management protocols is absolutely crucial. Scattered emails and client info can cause more than just frustration; they could jeopardize your team’s efficiency and your clients’ satisfaction.

“Generic email handling instructions like ‘watch out for these things’ don't work,’” Saruul tells us when speaking about her experience with refining ArtSmart’s communication protocols. “Each client needs tailored instructions depending on scope and stakeholders. Managers now provide specific notes: who to reach out to for what, and frequency.” That’s a clear path to better client relationships!

Luckily, Levvy lets you do just that by organizing client communication and data in a centralized hub, making it easy for your team to stay aligned and respond quickly. No more digging through inboxes or missing messages. Plus, all-in-one client profiles give you all the info you need, exactly when you need it—including details like your client’s preferred communication methods. 

3. Onboarding and Training Systems

Training new hires and seasonal staff can be time consuming, making it difficult to focus on high-value work. Streamlining your onboarding process is one major key to optimizing your firm’s operations so that it’s smooth sailing when the busy season rolls around.

Levvy can help simplify onboarding with seamless document and knowledge sharing. That means you can give every new team member a consistent, efficient start—without reinventing the wheel each time.

4. Time Tracking and Billing Practices

No one is perfect (even accountants!) and there’s always the possibility of errors that can lead to missed billables and wasted effort. Optimizing and automating your time tracking and billing processes can be a game-changer for your firm.

Levvy’s time tracking and billing tools make it easy to capture every minute and invoice accurately. No headache necessary. 

Plus, Levvy gives your team flexibility to customize how they track time, like Saruul’s team did when they realized an associate had high admin time and low billables. “On paper, she had capacity, but she was burned out,” she explains. “The issue: she stopped tracking client time once budget was reached and shifted to admin time. Also, random Slack/email tasks confused her, leading to ad hoc task misuse and time misallocation.” The solution? “We introduced weekly client admin tasks for capturing unstructured work. It helped reduce stress and bring visibility to real workload and task priorities.” Small tweaks like these, backed by the right tools, can make a big difference.

5. Technology and Tools

Your tools are supposed to work for you. But with an inefficient, disconnected tech stack, your efforts could be counterproductive—and they may actually be creating more work. The off-season presents the perfect time to reevaluate and rebuild your tech stack for more streamlined operations, ensuring your firm is a well-oiled machine.

With Levvy on your side, building a seamless tech stack is easier than ever. Our all-in-one workspace, complete with helpful integrations, makes it easy to find everything you need exactly when you need it.

6. Strategies for Successful Process Refinement

It’s time to take advantage of the extra breathing room after tax season—but you don’t have to overhaul all of your internal processes at once. A few smart steps can go a long way:

• Involve your team: Ask what’s working, what’s frustrating, and what could be better.
• Set measurable goals: Know what success looks like for each improvement.
• Prioritize wisely: Start with the most time-consuming or error-prone processes.
• Pilot first: Test new workflows with a small group before rolling out firm-wide.

Improve Your Internal Processes with Levvy

Post-tax season is a gift. Use it wisely! Making small operational improvements now can lead to major time savings, reduced stress, and better client service later—and Levvy can do wonders along the way.

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Ready to make the most of this off-season? Try Levvy today and start transforming the way your firm works.