It’s tax season. Your inbox is full. Deadlines are looming. You’re gathering documents, signing returns, and hoping everything lines up the way it should.
For many business owners, this is the only time they talk to their CPA all year. And while that annual meeting may satisfy a filing requirement, it rarely supports proactive planning, smarter decisions, or long-term growth.
Here’s why building a year-round relationship with your CPA—and taking a few intentional steps now—can change that.
1. Tax Season Shouldn’t Feel Like a Fire Drill
By the time March or April arrives, the year is already over. At that point, it’s no longer tax planning—it’s tax reporting.
Quarterly or mid-year check-ins create space to make decisions before they’re locked in—whether that’s accelerating purchases, deferring income, or planning for major expenditures.
Action step: During your tax meeting, ask to schedule at least one mid-year and one year-end planning meeting before you end the meeting. Getting them on the calendar now prevents another reactive tax season.
2. Your Business Changes Faster Than Your Tax Strategy
Growth brings complexity—new employees, new locations, new services, or new debt. Each change affects taxes, cash flow, and long-term planning.
If your CPA only sees your business once a year, your strategy may already be outdated.
Planning tip: Send your CPA a short list of what’s changed in your business over the past year and ask whether those changes warrant a strategy check-in.
3. Cash Flow Problems Don’t Appear Once a Year
If your revenue looks strong but cash still feels tight, the issue may not be profitability—it’s timing.
CPAs can be valuable partners in understanding cash flow, budgeting, and forecasting, but only if there’s ongoing dialogue. Regular check-ins allow you to identify seasonal patterns, prepare for uneven cash cycles, and spot inefficiencies before they become problems.
With the right insight, your financials become a roadmap for decisions—not just a report card of what already happened.
Get it on the calendar: Request a cash flow or budget review meeting after tax season to identify seasonal pressure points and plan ahead for uneven cash cycles.
4. Most Tax Strategies Require Action Before Year-End
The biggest missed opportunities we see during tax season are the ones that required action months earlier—retirement planning, payroll adjustments, equipment purchases, or entity-level strategies.
Waiting until returns are being filed often means those options are already off the table.
How to take action: Ask your CPA to project your current-year tax liability by mid-year and outline any planning moves that need to happen before December 31.
5. Compliance Doesn’t Pause Until Next Tax Season
Tax laws and reporting requirements change throughout the year. Payroll rules, sales tax obligations, industry-specific filings, and new regulations don’t wait for tax season.
Regular communication helps you stay ahead of changes and avoid surprises. It also reduces the risk of penalties, missed filings, or scrambling for documentation at year-end.
Food for thought: How confident are you that nothing important is being missed right now?
6. Big Decisions Deserve Financial Clarity
Buying property, taking on a partner, or planning an eventual sale all come with long-term tax and financial consequences.
Your CPA is most helpful when they’re part of the conversation before decisions are finalized.
Friendly reminder: Consider looping your CPA in early on major decisions—even if it’s just a quick call to pressure-test the financial impact.
7. Life Changes Affect Your Business Strategy, Too
Your business doesn’t exist in a vacuum—and neither does your tax strategy.
Life events like marriage, divorce, inheritance, or major purchases can all have financial and tax consequences. Ongoing CPA relationships make it easier to adjust strategies as life evolves and ensure business and personal planning stay aligned.
Plus, they can coordinate with your other advisors, like estate planners or investment professionals, to ensure your whole financial picture is working together.
The Best Time to Schedule These Meetings? Right Now.
Tax season is actually the perfect time to set this up—because you’re already talking.
Before your return is finalized, ask:
- What should we review mid-year?
- When should we reconnect before year-end?
- What decisions should I be thinking about before next tax season?
Put the meetings on the calendar now—and let tax season become the starting point for better planning, not the finish line.
Final Thought
Meeting with your CPA once a year may keep you compliant, but it won’t help you get ahead. A few intentional conversations throughout the year can reduce stress, uncover opportunities, and give you more control over your financial future.
If you’re ready to move beyond the annual tax appointment, let’s talk. Contact us today!
