Thursday thoughts: Upcoming in August 2024
At last week’s NATP Taxposium, I was really excited for a panel on C corporations. I was hoping for a discussion of entity planning, fringe benefits, state tax issues, succession planning, and more. Unfortunately, the speaker was woefully unprepared and underqualified to give the talk, lost control of the room, and covered none of the issues.
So now I’m planning out a series on these topics myself. I need to understand these planning points better, especially as we approach the expiration of much of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I plan to roll out the first one or two posts in the series this month.
In the meantime, I’m working on my materials for four classes I’m teaching at the New Hampshire/Maine Chapter of the NATP in October:
Corporate Transparency Act
Fringe Benefits and Accountable Plans
Accepting and Pricing Tax Work
Generative AI for Tax Professionals
I’m especially excited for the last topic on AI. Brad Messner, EA did a great job on our webinar this week on “Navigating AI in Tax Practice: Techniques and Precautions.” (If you’re looking for CPE, check the Earmark app next week. I’ll also share on social once it’s available.)
Finally, my firm, Steadfast Bookkeeping, rolls out our new “Customer Success Teams” (CSTs) today. We are reorganizing our staff and client roster into two (for now) CSTs. Each CST includes a customer success manager (CSM), who acts as both a liaison between the firm and the client and as an administrative support for the rest of the team. The CST also includes at least one accountant and one tax professional.
We divided our firm client roster by the three niches we’re focusing on and assigned each niche to a CST. Eventually we will have (at least) one CST per niche. We’re looking to develop niche-specific expertise and service offerings within each CST, so that they act almost as standalone miniature firms within the bigger firm. The ultimate goal is a more specific, dedicated, and personal level of service for each client.
I’ll share more on how these work as we roll them out.
Now for your thoughts…
What are you working on this month? How is your summer going? Have you taken a break or vacation?