Tax Season Blog Series – Next Steps After Tax Season Is Over [9/10]

Even after tax season ends, the work doesn’t stop. Once the rush of documents and forms is over, accountants and CPAs may feel some relief, but there are still plenty of tasks that keep them busy throughout the year. 

In the last post of our Tax Season 2026 blog series, we explored practical ways to have more fun at work. Continuing this series, this post explores 10 key steps accountants and CPAs can take after tax season ends to organize their business finances and prepare for the next busy season. 

Here are some ways accountants and CPAs can make the most of their post-tax season. 

1. Take a Well-Deserved Break 

After months of long hours and constant deadlines, accountants and CPAs should take a break immediately after tax season to recharge both physically and mentally.

This break can be simple yet meaningful, such as sleeping in, spending time outdoors, enjoying hobbies, or planning a short getaway with family. Coordinating time off with family right after the season helps restore balance before work ramps up again. 

Moreover, you should also take deliberate steps to help employees fully disconnect and reset after the tax season. Clear time-off policies and simple recognition efforts ensure teams return refreshed and motivated. 

• Block mandatory time off: Schedule firm-wide time off in advance so teams can disconnect without worrying about ongoing work. 
• Encourage digital disconnection: Ask employees to turn off email and client portals for a few days to prevent slipping back into work mode. 
• Plan light team activities: Organize team lunches, small outings, or a firm-wide retreat to help teams relax and reconnect after the tax season. 
• Celebrate the effort: Recognize hard work with small gestures like a team brunch, gift cards, or a half-day off to boost morale before the next work cycle begins. 

2. If You Filed an Extension, Start Early 

Often, companies, small business owners, and accountants need to file for various extensions, which means that tax season isn’t actually over. This allows companies to organize their financial information, determine goals, and catch up accounts before filing the return.  

Don’t wait until the last moment to file the extended return. Try taking advantage of the post-busy season lull and finish your returns. Also, if you are getting a refund, the sooner you file, the sooner you will get the money. 

3. Do a Post-tax Season Analysis 

After the tax season is over, various firms engage in self-examination and analyze how successful they were as compared to previous years.

Whether it is done through a standardized process or through informal conversation, the goal remains to evaluate the overall performance, build up their strength, and get rid of all the weak points faced during the season.  

It’s important to talk to your CPA or tax preparer about things that went well or didn’t go well during the season. Discuss how things can be improved for a smooth process in the coming years. 

4. Train Staff  

Post-tax season is the right time to strengthen internal capabilities and prepare teams for the next busy cycle. Provide professional training on tax law updates and preparation skills to ensure staff stay current and confident in their work. Bringing in external experts for training can add practical insights and expose teams to improved methods and industry best practices. 

Use this period to review staff workloads and hours to identify tasks that consume excessive time. This review often reveals opportunities to improve processes, reduce inefficiencies, and lower burnout risk.

However, if your firm faces ongoing workload pressure, outsourcing tax preparation can be a practical option to reduce strain on internal teams and allow them to focus more on delivering higher-value client services.  

5. Enroll in Professional Courses 

The post-tax season provides an ideal opportunity for accountants and CPAs to focus on professional growth without the pressure of filing deadlines. Invest in continuous education to strengthen skills and prepare for long-term success. 

Pursuing certifications such as CPA or EA credentials, enrolling in leadership training, or developing complementary skills like public speaking, data analytics, or marketing can expand both technical and business capabilities.

Joining professional accounting or bookkeeping associations also helps professionals stay informed about industry changes, build peer connections, and remain engaged throughout the year. 

6. Strengthen Client Relationships Beyond Tax Season 

Enhancing the client experience plays a critical role in retention, especially after tax season ends. Two common client concerns are unresponsiveness and a perceived lack of ongoing value once returns are filed. Addressing these issues requires consistent and intentional engagement throughout the year. 

Avoid being seen as a once-a-year accountant and maintain regular, meaningful communication that builds trust and reinforces value. Client surveys help firms understand expectations, service gaps, and areas for improvement.

Additionally, send automated email reminders and newsletters to keep clients informed and organize client lunches or informal office events to strengthen relationships. Consistent contact and personal connections increase client loyalty and improve overall satisfaction. 

7. Start Document Collection Early 

Late document submission often delays tax preparation and strains client relationships. Design and document a clear document collection process immediately after tax season ends, including standardized checklists, timelines, and client instructions. Automating reminders through email templates and tax software ensures clients receive consistent communication without manual follow-ups.  

This is also the right time to define policies for early submissions and late filings, such as incentives for clients who submit documents early or fees for those who miss deadlines. Preparing these systems in advance helps firms enter the next tax season with fewer delays and smoother workflows.  

8. Consulting and Financial Advising 

If you have never taken the services of a tax professional in the past, consider reaching out to them now. Since most of your time is consumed with purchases, taxes, financial contracts, etc., getting more business becomes difficult.  

If there are major changes happening during the year, a tax professional can offer you support to understand what implications they may have on your business before the busy season and keep your finances on track.  

Touching base before the end of the year provides a chance to minimize tax obligations before it is too late, more than reporting and cleaning up what has been done already. For people with variable income, coordination with your tax professional is the key to ensuring that there isn’t any over- and underpayment of tax. 

9. Focus on Marketing 

It’s understandable if you haven’t been paying much attention to marketing because of tax season. However, marketing isn’t something that would work well if you don’t focus on it for very long, and needs attention to spur along the growth of your company.  

Even if you trust 100% in referrals, marketing is important to ensure the best ROI. While it may seem like a daunting task, creating a marketing plan for your accounting firm would not require much time or a large investment. Create targeted campaigns, newsletters, or social media updates to deliver meaningful results and keep your firm positioned for success throughout the year. 

10. Seminars and Workshops 

Although tax seasons may not afford practitioners the opportunity to get involved in the community, the post-tax season can easily make up for those busy times. Continuing education is one of the key aspects of career growth in any field.  

After the busy season, many CPAs and accountants turn to lecturing and training. You can connect with the state CPA society to find prospects to mentor students or get involved with an organization to present tax-focused seminars during the off-season, when people may not be thinking about taxes.  

For example, CPAs might give lectures on hosted QuickBooks or other tax and cloud accounting software, or lead a webinar on tax preparation and planning. 

What Do You Do After Tax Season Ends? 

Reaching the end of the busy tax season can feel like a relief. However, the next tax season is closer than it seems. Apply the right post-tax strategies now, so you can set your practice up for a smoother and more profitable tax season in 2025 and beyond. 

In the next post of this blog series, we’ll discuss why Ace Cloud Hosting is the ideal choice for hosting your tax software and data in the cloud and how it can help you save time, reduce costs, and minimize effort.