by Crystal Daliya, CPA, MSAT
Most people are aware that CPA’s have “season” during mid-January to April 15th each year (or, the 18th, as it was this year). But what most people don’t know is what we do “out of season”.
To clarify, season can be all year long for most CPA’s, though it does tend to slow down after mid-April until about August. There are several IRS deadlines scattered throughout the year which cause our workflow to stay pretty steady depending on the mix of clientele and services offered.
Here’s what a typical CPA’s year may look like:
January through April: prepare income tax returns, Quarter 1 payroll tax returns, county tangible tax returns, and Quarter 1 sales tax returns
May through July: catch up on business client’s bookkeeping or write-up work; work on client’s extensions for income tax returns; prepare Quarter 2 payroll and sales tax returns
August through October: finalize any client’s extensions and file with reporting agencies; prepare Quarter 3 payroll and sales tax returns
November and December: work with clients on tax planning for year-end reporting; prepare Quarter 4 payroll and sales tax returns
It’s rare that your CPA truly gets time to take a vacation, and if you think you’re faced with deadlines, look no further than the nearest CPA firm to feel a little better about your situation. Thankfully, a good CPA knows this cycle and usually works with a balanced attitude of timeliness and healthy caution to ensure your needs are met while not skimping on the details where necessary.
Understanding what your CPA’s schedule may look like can help you better address the best time of year to contact them for non-deadline matters. It also may tell you the better times of year to stop by with some extra coffee! Now is a good time to call us to see how we can help you get your finances in order before we get even further into the year!
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