The popularity and reach of social media – and particularly the world’s most popular social media platform, Facebook – cannot be denied.

Monthly, a staggering 2.5 billion people around the globe turn to Facebook for news, communication, shopping, games, videos, and much more. There’s a seemingly endless supply of information and entertainment available on the web-based platform, which is completely free to use.

While the information-sharing advantages of Facebook are clear from the individual user’s perspective, millions of businesses and organizations have created business pages of their own. They are bolstering their digital presence by connecting with customers via post comments and Facebook Messenger, as well as touting the advantages of their products and services to many.

In short, more and more companies realize that they cannot afford to forego having a strong presence on Facebook.

However, for accounting firms such as Refund Kingdom, it isn’t enough to establish a Facebook account. On the contrary, accounting businesses must take practical and calculated steps to stand out from the Facebook crowd for the right reasons.

The following guidelines will help large and small accounting houses alike to make Facebook work for them.

A Picture is Worth a Million Words

A substantial portion of Facebook users access the platform while on the go – during bus rides, between meetings, and amid long grocery-store lines, for example – and don’t care to read long-winded bodies of text before knowing the gist of the story. Other Facebook regulars maintain busy schedules while dedicating a set amount of time to the website/app each day. But informative story or not, everyone enjoys crisp, meaningful, and attention-grabbing pictures.

Building on this point, accounting firms stand to increase impressions (the number of times a post from your page is displayed to potential and current clients) and attract potential clients not only with multi-paragraph posts or newly designed logos but with notable, fun and eye-catching images. From office parties to special occasions and seemingly minor happenings (like the purchase of a new office espresso machine), to company outings, Facebook users love pictures and learning more about the people behind the brands.

Accounting firms should include links to in-depth articles and should publish pictures and videos frequently. Facebook users – those seeking detailed knowledge and those seeking amusement – will appreciate the effort, and long-term profitability will grow in tandem with the additional attention to brands, products, and services offered.

Use Facebook to Tell a Story

Facebook users (and clients in general) love to learn more about companies and organizations – how they got started, new services offered, and how the company can help solve a problem for their clients. In this vein, accounting firms would do well to tell a story on Facebook.

It’s highly recommended that accounting houses use Facebook to showcase employees (possibly with lists of their hobbies, interests, and accomplishments), employees’ pets, community initiatives, and other similarly refreshing content so that potential clients can learn more about the people they will be working with when doing business with a particular firm.

The perks of telling a story on Facebook (as opposed to relaying general information and business-as-usual media) are multifaceted. First, potential clients will be drawn to the brand at-hand – even if they’re not immediately in the market for accounting or tax services. Secondly, the relationship with existing clients will be better solidified. And finally, a strong presence on social media will illustrate tech-savviness and a commitment to innovation.

Cumulatively, these three points make for more business and a broader overall reach, for accounting firms.

The Bottom Line: Facebook as an Accounting-Firm Marketing Tool

There’s never been a better time than now for accounting firms to see how Facebook can prove beneficial. The enrollment process is free, the posting is straightforward, and the possibilities to reach a broader target audience are endless.

Thanks for reading… and remember to consult Refund Kingdom for all your accounting software needs.

If the COVID-19 global pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we are capable of finding ways to stay productive. This is especially true for accountants and tax preparers. Working from home may pose some challenges, but it has also forced professionals to seek creative ways to communicate via teleconferencing with screen sharing and video chats. In the era of COVID-19, though, what is the best way to communicate with your tax clients and prospective clients?

Are you interested in learning more? Keep reading for suggestions on how to best communicate with your tax clients.

Face-to-Face Communication

Many times, clients want to meet in an office to discuss their tax situations or tax needs. While this method may be the riskiest, it is still possible to meet safely. As recommended by the CDC, many states must wear face masks. This means your staff and your clients should have their mouths and noses fully covered. Utilize large conference rooms to meet so that all parties can remain 6 feet apart. Avoid exchanging paperwork if at all possible. Instead, send over electronic copies of all documents and then discuss them in person. Also, have sanitizer readily available and make sure to skip the routine handshake.

TeleConferencing

With technology, it’s even easier to discuss tax situations with your clients over the phone. Especially in the era of COVID-19, your clients may prefer to skip the face-to-face meeting. Before launching a teleconference with multiple parties, ensure that all parties have the documents they need readily available. Ask your current tax clients to make a list of questions, too, so that you can be more helpful and make the most of the time you have during the teleconference.

Video Conferencing

One of the best alternatives to meeting in person is the use of video conferencing. When you can see your clients, and they can see you, it may minimize any miscommunication that could occur on a telephone call. You get the opportunity to gauge your clients’ understanding of the materials presented and help clarify tax laws and tax situations. Video conferencing also allows accountants and tax preparers to make an excellent first impression when meeting prospective clients.

Preparing for Any Tax Client Meeting

It’s always best to make the process of preparing and taxes as easy as possible for everyone involved, which is why we recommend Refund Kingdom. This comprehensive tax prep software offers a user-friendly interface and web-based and desktop versions of the tax software. Refund Kingdom features various software package options that include easy-to-use forms and on-call exclusive account managers to help navigate intuitive features. With Refund Kingdom, you can create electronic reports to send directly to your clients before or after a face-to-face, teleconference, or video conference call.

The Ultimate Tax Prep Software: Refund Kingdom

If you’re seeking to simplify the process of running your tax prep or accounting business, it’s time to invest in one of the Refund Kingdom packages. This innovative software is perfect for accounting professionals who need a simpler option for organizing documents, receipts, and forms. Refund Kingdom offers professional tax preparation software with bank products and best-in-class technical and tax prep support. Including software for form 1040 preparation and 1120, Sigma has everything you need to make your tax preparation business successful this season.

COVID-19 has raised several new issues for accountants. Clients’ finances have often been thrown into disarray, and it’s up to their accountants to help make sense of a complicated situation. Dealing with stimulus checks, disaster relief loans, the sudden loss of income, and possibly even bankruptcy are just some of the issues that accountants now have to help their clients with as they navigate a dramatically changed financial landscape.

Loss of income

Loss of income is one of the most common financial effects of the pandemic. Many entities are affected, from individual earners up to the largest companies.

On an individual level, many people have found themselves suddenly out of work. Businesses have cut staff to stay afloat during the crisis or have been forced to cease operating altogether, resulting in multiple sudden job losses. Where businesses have been able to retain their staff, personnel may have dramatically altered their working arrangements. Some have been furloughed, allowed to remain on the payroll at a reduced rate of pay. Others have been shifted to home-working and may receive less compensation in their new roles. Still, others have had their hours cut, with a corresponding reduction in pay.

Of course, this has a knock-on effect as those people can no longer pay their usual rent or other expenses. Many landlords have been impacted by this, losing the income from their properties. This has left some unable to meet mortgage payments or other costs associated with property ownership.

Financial effects on enterprises

Many businesses have sustained significant losses, either as a direct effect of the pandemic and the regulations put in place to contain it or indirectly through a loss of custom. For example, a restaurant that is forced to close due to emergency restrictions would immediately suffer a loss of income. Even if the restaurant was able to continue operating by serving take-out and delivery food, they might still struggle to survive if customers can no longer afford their services.

Stimulus checks

While some people are eligible for unemployment if they lose their jobs due to the pandemic and the attendant restrictions, not all are. Stimulus checks have been issued to many individuals who have been impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 virus. As a way to help those affected make ends meet and help the economy continue functioning, stimulus payments have been provided. Accountants will need to help their clients understand what payments are available and how these might help them.

Small business disaster assistance

Some small businesses affected by the pandemic may be eligible for a low-interest loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Providing that there has been a declared disaster, small businesses and some homeowners may be able to obtain one of these loans to cope with the pandemic’s effects.

The Paycheck Protection Program

The SBA also assists with the Paycheck Protection Program. This is a loan paid to small businesses as an incentive to keep employees on the payroll, rather than laying them off or putting them on unpaid leave during the ongoing crisis.

These and many other issues continue to affect individuals and businesses of all sizes. Helping clients to understand the complicated situation, particularly if they’re facing bankruptcy, can be a difficult task for any accountant. Investing in quality professional tax software can be a great help to all concerned. It allows users to calculate taxes correctly, no matter how complex a financial situation may have become.

It’s no secret that tax time is the busiest time of the year for accountants and tax preparers. While it’s important to get some much needed rest and relaxation during the off season, it’s also the best time to evaluate what’s working for your tax business and what’s not.

One important consideration is the current tax prep software you are using. It is providing you with a user-friendly experience? Does your tax prep software have all the bells and whistles you need to better serve your clients? If not, the offseason is the best time to consider changing tax prep software.

Making the Choice

We know that the market is flooded with software promising to simplify tax preparation. We also know you, as a tax professional, have many options. That’s why we’d like to walk you through the benefits of using Refund Kingdom, a comprehensive tax prep software that allows you to not only prepare taxes with ease and file the best returns for your clients, but also allow you to organize documents and keep track of your clients throughout the year – not just during the busy tax season.

Interested in learning more? Keep reading.

Refund Kingdom takes innovation to the next level. And, the offseason is the perfect time to explore its capabilities. Whether you are a small accounting firm or a tax preparer with a large client base, know that Refund Kingdom can offer you the solution you need to not only simplify tax preparation, but also help you organize your financial and accounting records.

Your Tax Preparation Software Options

Refund Kingdom is happy to provide you with two very viable options of our innovate tax preparation software.

• Option 1: Sigma 1040-CL, our most popular service software package, offers both web-based and desktop versions. You can utilize the CrossLink Professional Tax Software that offers support during the off season and through the busy tax season months. You have the ability to assign an account manager and utilize the bank products that give your clients the choice of receiving funds through direct deposit or on prepaid credit cards. In addition, Sigma 1040-CL is equipped with easy-to-use forms, the ability to create customized reports and a library of state and federal forms that are easy to access.
• Option 2: The Sigma 1040-DR package takes the basic Sigma 1040-CL to the next level. Not only do you get the same innovative features, but you can also convert archived files directly into the software platform, utilize the step-by-step tax preparation interview method and process state and federal business tax returns. Find the support your need with an exclusive account manager and utilize the features that allow you to compare the results of filing jointly or separately.
• Option 3: Prepare yourself for the big time with Sigma 1040-TW, the top-of-the-line tax preparation software that includes forms and interview methods to simplify data entry as well as the option to transfer files from previous years into the software. Take advantage of the profiling, executive and power accounting features, as well as all of the features available with the Sigma 1040-CL and Sigma 1040-DR packages.

While time is limited during the busy tax season, your off season is the perfect time to explore the capabilities of Refund Kingdom tax preparation software.

The Ultimate Tax Prep Software: Refund Kingdom

If you’re seeking to simplify the process of running your tax prep or accounting business, it’s time to invest in one of the Refund Kingdom packages. This innovative software is perfect for accounting professionals who need a simpler option for organizing documents, receipts and forms. Refund Kingdom offers professional tax preparation software with bank products and best-in-class technical and tax prep support. Including software for form 1040 preparation as well as 1120, Sigma has everything you need to make your tax preparation business successful this season.