The 2022 tax season, stretching from January 24 until April 18, 2022, was a busy one for CPA firms. Around 46,000 CPA firms worked around the clock to file their clients’ tax returns on time. This period presents a lot of stress and challenges for CPA firms as well as opportunities to improve their overall operations and productivity for the next year.
For the 2022 tax season, taxpayers should be expecting delays in processing their tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) continues to have operational problems due to the pandemic, budget cuts, distributing federal economic relief payments, heightened workload, and dealing with a 2021 backlog of tax filings (and even older!). More than 6 million individual tax returns and 2.3 million amended tax returns filed dating back to 2019 were yet to be processed. Many taxpayers can opt for an extension that enables them to file until October 15, 2022, which may help with the IRS backlog.
The IRS backlog is a definite headache for many CPA firms. They have expressed much frustration with the chaos at the IRS and have expressed that they felt powerless to help clients. While they can file tax returns electronically, they need to ensure the tax returns are accurate to help speed up refunds. The IRS is increasing their enforcement efforts, so businesses need to have better recordkeeping compliance. With a number of CPA firms having a remote workforce, using a secure cloud-based platform is key to ensuring their clients’ tax information is safe and accurate so their tax returns are not held up or audited by the IRS.
While the 2022 tax season has been a bit chaotic due to the IRS issues, CPA firms faced their own challenges. Many CPA firms had to navigate these challenges throughout the 2022 tax season and get their clients’ taxes filed on time.
Despite the tax season being a stressful—yet very lucrative—time for CPA firms, it always presents opportunities to review current software, organize files, upgrade staff, improve communications, and help tax preparers avoid burnout. With cybersecurity threats on the rise, CPA firms can be proactive and review their firm’s cybersecurity practices and implement security trainings for employees to better avoid cyber threats. Additionally, CPA firms can decrease their overhead costs by moving to a cloud-based platform and retiring those expensive servers as well as reducing the number of IT professionals on the payroll.
The tax season is often measured by the revenues a CPA firm generates, so this time period is make-or-break for the whole year. Adopting a reliable, secure cloud-based platform designed especially for CPA firms will help reduce stress for tax preparers because they can access the necessary files at any time as well as have assistance should an application crash or a cybersecurity problem arise.
Is your CPA firm’s C-suite concerned about their ability to handle and adapt to the current threats within the cybersecurity industry? Consider the possibilities of upgrading to a cloud-based solution to meet your needs and close the gaps in your cybersecurity.
At Cetrom, we offer an all-in-one IT hosting solution for CPA firms that is 100% cloud-based so your employees can work from anywhere securely. All they have to do is open the app on their computer, smartphone, tablet, or other IoT device. Cetrom works with IT professionals to confirm that our cloud-based platform is running smoothly so CPA firm employees can effectively work no matter where they are located.
Cetrom is responsible 24x7x365 for making sure our technology works for CPA firms, especially during tax season so they don’t lose any productivity. We ensure uptime and improve our systems. We are looking for ways to improve systems and increase production. Our enterprise-level security combined with around-the-clock support makes our CPA-focused, cloud-based system an excellent choice for ensuring a smooth 2023 tax season.
Contact Cetrom today to learn how we can help your CPA firm’s 2023 tax season be a good one!