Why Send Income Tax Return Filing Reminder Message to Clients?

Procrastination doesn’t just impact your clients. It also makes the upcoming tax season more stressful for you.

When clients wait until the very last minute, you have to juggle an overwhelming number of filings in a short time. The workload piles up, which increases the risk of errors and missed deadlines.

Many clients avoid filing because they associate it with stress, confusion, or financial strain. It’s a psychological response to tasks that feel overwhelming.

The method you use to remind clients can shape how they respond. Traditional reminders like emails and phone calls often go unread or ignored.

You need a solution that grabs their attention and prompts action. Text messaging is the best way to ensure clients see and respond to tax filing reminders in real-time.

In this article, we will explore how sending an income tax return filing reminder message to clients can help. We’ll also discuss why texting is the most effective method and how SMS automation can help you reduce last-minute stress.

Hidden Costs of Late Filings for Clients and Tax Professionals

When clients miss tax deadlines, it comes with real financial consequences for them and added stress for you.

Some clients even misunderstand extensions, assuming they can delay payments if they request one.

But as you know, an extension only applies to filing, not payments. It can lead to unexpected penalties and interest charges that they could have avoided if they had acted sooner.

The IRS doesn’t wait when payments are due. If your clients miss the deadline, they face:

• Failure-to-file penalty: 5% of the unpaid tax per month, up to 25%.
• Failure-to-pay penalty: 0.5% per month on unpaid taxes.
• Interest on unpaid balances, which compounds daily.

To put it simply, when clients file late, they lose money, and you lose time. They face penalties, interest fees, and unnecessary stress. You deal with extra workload, frustration, and fewer opportunities to grow your business.

That’s why your reminder strategy matters. If emails and phone calls aren’t working, it’s time to switch to a method that gets attention. That’s where text messaging comes in!

Why Texting Is the Best Tax Filing Reminder Option

You’ve probably sent countless email reminders only to realize most clients never open them. By the time they remember, it’s too late, or they expect you to handle the last-minute rush.

That’s why text messaging has become the best way to send tax filing reminders. It gets your message in front of clients instantly, increases response rates, and makes your job easier.

95% of SMS messages are opened within three minutes of receipt. Compare this to emails, where many remain unread or get lost in spam filters.

It’s clear that SMS is the fastest and most reliable way to reach clients. When tax deadlines are approaching, a well-timed text can be the difference between a client filing on time or facing penalties.

If your current reminder system isn’t getting results, texting is the fastest way to fix it. Instead of chasing clients with emails and phone calls, send a quick text that they’ll actually read and respond to.

How SMS Platform Can Increase On-Time Tax Filings

If you’re still sending tax return preparation reminders manually, you’re spending too much time chasing clients. The good news? You can automate SMS reminders so that your clients get timely filing notifications without requiring constant follow-ups.

With the right tax professional tool, you can schedule tax reminders in advance and send them to multiple clients at once. Here’s how a text-messaging platform can help you as the tax season approaches:

Make It Easier to Work With You

Your clients want convenience, and texting makes it easier for them to reach you.

Rather than dealing with missed calls and voicemail messages, you can add texting to your business phone line so clients can send quick questions at any time.

Going one step further, Textellent’s “Text Us Now” button can be added to your website. This feature acts as a text-chat widget for potential and existing clients.

Prospective clients can inquire about services, and returning clients can get quick answers without waiting on hold.

Keep Past Clients Coming Back

Retaining clients year after year is more valuable than constantly trying to attract new ones. However, reminding clients to return at the right time can be tricky.

Texting solutions like Textellent solve this by syncing with your tax software to send personalized texts based on when a client files.

If a client usually files in April, they won’t receive an unnecessary reminder in February. Instead, they’ll get a well-timed SMS at the exact moment they’re likely to take action.

Boost New Client Acquisition

Growing your tax practice requires innovative ways to bring in new clients, especially younger ones who expect instant communication.

With Textellent’s text-in keyword feature, prospective clients can send a quick text to learn more about your services.

If you advertise on social media, radio, or even traditional mailers, you can include a keyword like “TAXHELP” that interested prospects can text to receive an instant response. It’s easier to capture leads and convert them into paying clients.

Get More 5-Star Reviews

Positive client reviews improve credibility, SEO rankings, and referrals. However, many happy clients don’t think about leaving a review unless prompted.

With Textellent’s automated review request feature, you can send a text right after a tax return is completed, thanking the client and asking them to leave a review.

Adding a five-star image can encourage clients to rate their experience. Textellent users report a 300-400% increase in positive reviews simply by automating this request.

Improve Client Communication

Tax season involves constant back-and-forth communication. Clients have questions about their returns, forget to bring documents, and call repeatedly asking about refund status.

Handling these requests one by one wastes billable hours that could be spent completing returns.

Textellent’s automated texting system solves this by sending reminders about missing paperwork and letting clients send pictures of tax documents via text. It can also notify clients when their tax return letter is ready or when their refund has been processed.

Since many tax professionals report that clients call multiple times just to check their refund status, automating this notification saves you and your staff ample time.

Turn Happy Clients Into Referrals

Instead of depending on random word-of-mouth recommendations, you can proactively encourage referrals with an automated text campaign from satisfied customers.

With Textellent’s referral feature, you can send clients a special offer, such as a discount for each successful referral. Tax professionals using this strategy have seen referral rates increase by 10-20%.

Never Miss a Client Message After Hours

When tax season is in full swing, you and your team may not have time to respond to every text immediately. Textellent’s after-hours responder feature ensures that clients receive an instant response, letting them know when to expect to hear back.

This reduces frustration for clients while allowing you to manage responses on your own schedule. Even during peak hours, automated replies help set expectations and prevent unnecessary follow-ups.

Build Long-Term Client Loyalty

Client relationships don’t have to stop after tax season. Staying engaged throughout the year keeps your business top-of-mind when it’s time to file again.

Textellent’s automated outreach features let you send automated birthday greetings to make clients feel valued or quarterly tax planning tips to position yourself as a trusted advisor.

Keeping in touch year-round helps clients see you as their trusted tax advisor, not just someone they hear from once a year.

Integrate Texting With Your Tax Software

Switching between different platforms to communicate with clients wastes time. Textellent integrates with leading tax software to send texts without leaving your workflow.

For browser-based tax software, Textellent Messenger (a free Chrome extension) lets you open a texting window while working on a return and view past conversations with a client.

You can also send messages without losing your place in the tax prep process. Therefore, your communication stays organized and efficient.

Sign up for a free trial today and find out how Textellent can help you prepare for the busy tax season.

How to Craft the Perfect Tax Filing Reminder Message

Text reminders work best in the accounting industry when they are clear, concise, and action-driven. For a tax reminder to be successful, it should include:

1. Personalization: Clients are more likely to respond when addressed by name.
2. Urgency: A deadline creates a sense of importance.
3. Clear action step: The message should guide the client on what to do next.
4. Brevity: Keep messages under 160 characters to ensure they are fully delivered.

For example, instead of:

“Tax season is here. Don’t forget to file your taxes before the deadline. Schedule your appointment now to avoid penalties and late fees.”

A better version would be:

“Hi [Name], your tax filing deadline is approaching. Book your appointment now: [Link]. Need help? Reply TAX to chat with us.”

This version is direct, urgent, and easy to act on.

Here are other tax reminder SMS templates that help you get results:

Early Reminder (Before Tax Season Starts)

“Hi [Name], tax season is here! Get ahead of the deadline and book your filing appointment now: [Link]”

Two Weeks Before Deadline

“Reminder: Your tax return is due soon! Avoid penalties by filing before [date]. Book now: [Link]. Need help? Reply TAX.”

Last-Minute Urgent Reminder

“URGENT: The tax deadline is [date]! File today to avoid IRS penalties. Need assistance? Call us now: [Phone].”

Missed Deadline Follow-Up

“Missed the deadline? Let’s talk about your options for late filing. Call us at [Phone] to avoid additional penalties.”

Appointment Confirmation

“Your tax prep appointment is set for [date/time]. Bring all necessary documents. Questions? Reply HELP.”

Textellent Helps You Craft and Send Perfect Tax Reminders!

If you’re still relying on emails and phone calls that don’t get answered, it’s time to upgrade to automated texting. Textellent eliminates the frustration of late filers, missed appointments, and endless follow-ups by delivering:

Pre-Built Tax Reminder Templates

Writing a new reminder for each client takes too much time. Textellent provides pre-written tax reminder templates that can be customized and scheduled in advance.

These templates take the guesswork out of crafting the perfect message. Instead of spending hours writing reminders, you can select a ready-to-use SMS template and send it in seconds.

Reminders With MMS Capabilities

A plain text message can get the job done, but adding MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) makes it more engaging. With Textellent, you can include images, branded visuals, or even short videos in your reminders to increase the likelihood of clients taking action.

Instead of just sending a text saying, “Your tax appointment is confirmed for Tuesday at 3 PM,” you can send an appointment confirmation with an image of a calendar or office logo to make it more visually appealing.

Segmentation and Personalized Messaging

Generic mass texts feel impersonal and can be ignored. Textellent makes personalization effortless by integrating with your client database, automatically inserting their name, tax status, and other details into each message.

Not every client needs the same tax reminders. Some prefer to file early, while others wait until the last minute. With Textellent’s advanced tagging and segmentation, you can send the reminder to the right client at the right time.

You can categorize clients based on filing history, preferences, events attended, or when a client requested an estimate but hasn’t scheduled an appointment.

Two-Way Texting

Clients can reply to Textellent reminders if they need to reschedule, ask a question, or confirm an appointment.

They can also confirm appointments with a single keyword. If a document is missing, they can send a photo via text instead of making an office visit.

You can also answer common tax questions quickly, keeping communication smooth and efficient. Two-way texting saves you and your staff hours of unnecessary back-and-forth calls.

Automated Scheduling

Keeping track of when to send reminders to different clients can be overwhelming. Textellent automates the entire tax filing process and syncs with your tax software.

If a client files in March, they will automatically receive a reminder around the same time this year. If another client is a last-minute filer, they’ll get strategic nudges closer to the deadline.

Textellent eliminates the need for constant follow-ups through the client’s behavior. Therefore, you can focus on preparing returns instead of chasing responses.

Ready for a Stress-Free Tax Season?

Keeping up with tax deadlines, chasing late filers, and managing client communication shouldn’t drain your time and energy. Textellent makes it effortless to stay connected with your clients before, during, and after tax season.

Textellent isn’t just about reminders. It also helps convert leads into clients and keep them engaged year-round. It automatically responds to new inquiries, follows up with personalized drip campaigns, and nurtures leads until they’re ready to take action.

The platform integrates with your tax software to schedule reminders based on each client’s filing history. So, if they’re an early filer or a last-minute procrastinator, they receive a message at the perfect time.

You can even improve your reminders with MMS, attaching appointment confirmations, tax checklists, or branded visuals to reinforce your message.

Tax season doesn’t have to be stressful. Textellent automates every step of client communication, from reminders and scheduling to follow-ups and confirmations.

Sign up for a free trial today and see how Textellent can help you automate tax filing reminders and keep your clients on track!

FAQs About Income Tax Return Filing Reminder Message to Clients

Why should I send tax return filing reminders to my clients?

Sending timely paperwork reminders ensures that they stay on track and avoid late filing fees. It also helps accounting services manage their workload efficiently, reducing the end-of-season rush.

How can tax return reminders improve client relationships?

Clients appreciate proactive communication. When you send well-timed reminders—including their client name in messages—it shows that you are attentive and invested in their financial well-being. This builds trust and increases the likelihood of repeat business and referrals.

Can tax reminders help clients maximize their tax credits?

Yes, reminders can play a key role in helping clients claim all available tax credits. Many taxpayers miss out on credits simply because they forget to provide necessary documents. Sending targeted paperwork reminders helps clients gather receipts, expenses, and eligibility information ahead of time.