Maximize Retention Year-Round With Tax Season Email to Clients

Once tax season is around the corner, it can bring a mix of anxiety, deadlines, and paperwork. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Keeping in touch with your clients through well-crafted emails and SMS can make this time much smoother for everyone. Clear and informative tax season emails and text messages help your clients stay organized and ensure they don’t miss any important deadlines.

You can outline key dates, explain your fee structure, and update clients on the latest tax laws. This helps them with their tax filing and gives you a chance to share some personalized tax planning advice.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create effective tax season emails and SMS messages. You’ll learn tips for personalizing your messages, structuring them clearly, and including all the vital information your clients need.

Why Should You Communicate With Your Clients During Tax Season?

Maintaining good communication with clients prior to and during tax season helps build trust. It also ensures that clients are well-informed about important deadlines and requirements. Let’s explore why sending tax season emails and SMS messages to clients is key:

Importance of Communication

Keeping clients updated demonstrates that you are proactive and attentive to their needs. Regular communication helps avoid any last-minute surprises and makes the tax filing process smoother for both you and your clients.

Building Trust and Transparency

Providing clear and timely updates builds trust with your clients. When clients know what to expect and receive regular information, they are more likely to feel confident in your accounting services. Trust is the foundation of a successful client relationship, and consistent communication is key to maintaining it.

Ensuring Compliance and Accuracy

Sending tax season emails and text messages helps clients stay on top of important deadlines and ensures that they have all the necessary information to comply with tax laws. This reduces the chances of errors and missed deadlines, which can lead to penalties. 

How to Prepare Your Tax Season Email to Clients

Crafting a well-prepared email requires gathering the right information and defining a clear purpose. Here are the steps to prepare an effective tax season email.

Gather Prospective Client Information

Before you start writing your email, make sure you have accurate and up-to-date contact details for your clients. This includes email addresses and any other relevant information. Accurate contact information is essential for effective communication.

Additionally, you have to understand your client’s preferences. Some existing clients may prefer detailed information, while others might appreciate concise updates. Knowing these preferences allows you to tailor your email content to meet their needs.

Define the Email’s Purpose

The next step is clearly defining the purpose of your email. What is the main objective of this communication? Is it to remind clients to submit necessary documents, inform them about upcoming deadlines, or provide updates on recent tax law changes?

Having a clear objective can help you focus your content and ensure it meets your client’s needs.

Structure the Email Content

A comprehensive tax season email should include important due dates, such as filing deadlines and document submission timelines. It should also provide information about your fee structure for tax return preparation services and highlight any changes or updates in the accounting industry. 

You may also offer tips for effective tax planning.

A well-structured email is easier to read and more likely to be effective. Here’s a suggested structure:

Introduction

• Start with a personalized salutation
• Briefly explain what the email covers

Main Body

• Highlight important tax season dates
• List the steps clients need to take
• Provide a summary of important updates
• Specify the documents clients need to provide

Conclusion

• Summarize the main actions and deadlines
• Provide details on how clients can reach you for help
• Invite questions and clarifications

Write an Engaging Subject Line

The subject line is the first thing your clients will see, so it needs to grab their attention. You should incorporate keywords like “Tax Season Update” or “Important Tax Preparation Season Information.” 

Creating a sense of urgency with phrases like “Action Required” can also encourage clients to open the email promptly.

The Role of SMS In Improving Tax Season Communication

In addition to emails, SMS can be a powerful tool to improve your communication strategy. 

In fact, SMS messages have an open rate of 98%, and 90% of them are read within 3 minutes. On the other hand, many consumers perceive 90% of their emails as spam. An average email campaign generates less than a 5% click rate.

Here are some of the benefits of using SMS:

• Generally have higher open rates compared to emails
• Perfect for sending last-minute reminders about deadlines or missing documents
• Serve as a quick nudge to remind clients to check their email for more in-depth details
• Clients can easily respond to SMS messages and even make appointments using links

How to Craft Effective Tax Season SMS Messages 

SMS is an excellent complement to emails, ensuring that your clients receive timely updates and reminders. 

Creating effective SMS messages for tax season involves striking a balance between clarity and conciseness. Here’s how to make the most of SMS in your tax season communications:

Concise and Clear Messaging

In SMS, brevity is key, but clarity is just as important. Your aim is to deliver the essential details in a quick manner. 

“Reminder: Please get your tax documents to us by March 15th so that we can prepare your return in order to make the April 15th deadline – thanks! ABC Taxes This message is short but communicates the critical information clearly. You should avoid unnecessary details that can clutter the message and make it harder for the client to grasp the main point.

Personalization in SMS

Personalized SMS messages can increase engagement and response rates. You can use the client’s name, the accountant’s name, and any relevant details to make the message feel personal and direct. For instance:

“Hi [Client’s Name], this is a reminder that your tax appointment is on April 10 at 2 PM. See you then!” Charles P. – Sr. Accountant

Personalization shows clients that you are attentive to their individual needs and can make your communication more impactful.

Highlighting Key Information

SMS is a great medium for highlighting important dates and deadlines. Ensure that the key information stands out and is easy to understand. For example:

“Your estimated tax filing deadline is June 15. Please submit your payments by this date to avoid late fees.”

Focusing on the critical dates and actions can help your clients stay on track without overwhelming them with too much information.

Encouraging Quick Actions with Clear CTAs

You should include clear and direct call-to-actions (CTAs) in your SMS messages. Encourage your clients to take immediate steps, such as submitting documents or booking appointments. For example:

“Schedule your tax appointment now by clicking this link: [Link].”

A clear CTA helps guide the client to the next step and can improve the overall efficiency of your communication efforts.

Compliance and Legal Considerations

Ensure that your SMS messages comply with all relevant regulations. Always confirm that you have permission to send texts and provide a simple option for clients to opt-out if they wish. A compliance reminder might look like this:

“Received this by mistake? Reply STOP to unsubscribe from our tax season reminders.”

Compliance with legal requirements not only protects your business but also builds trust with your clients. It demonstrates your commitment to responsible communication practices.

How Tax Professionals Use SMS Solutions During Tax Seasons 

Effective communication is key, especially during the busy tax season. You can improve your outreach and engagement strategies with the right SMS platform designed specifically for tax professionals.

Textellent automates the delivery of personalized messages, targeting essential touchpoints in the client’s tax journey. From the initial outreach based on last year’s filing date to timely reminders about appointments and missing paperwork, Textellent handles it all. 

It ensures that your clients are always well-informed and prepared without you having to manually send each message.

As tax season approaches, you might need to remind clients to schedule their appointments. Instead of drafting individual reminders, Textellent can automatically send a friendly nudge to each client. 

Textellent provides pricing options that are specifically designed for tax professionals due to the integration capabilities that enable it to work with third-party tax software solutions. You can use their customized calculator to determine costs tailored to your particular needs.

What You Get with Your Subscription

• Automatically invite clients back based on their previous interactions with your service
• Send reminders to clients about any missing paperwork required for their tax processing
• Reach out to clients who haven’t returned and encourage them to engage with your services again
• Promptly request referrals and reviews in a friendly and automated manner
• Automatically send holiday and birthday greetings
• Share tax tips and promote additional services

Additionally, Textellent integrates effortlessly with your existing tax software to text-enable your office phone number. 

This feature lets you send automated, relevant text messages based on your clients’ status and engage in two-way texting without needing to use your personal cell number. 

Optimize Your Tax Season Workflow with Textellent

Are you looking to boost your tax practice with efficient, automated communication?

Re-engage past clients, simplify your paperwork reminders, and ensure no important documents are missed. With Textellent, you can automate these critical touchpoints and focus more on providing exceptional service and less on manual follow-ups.

Simplify appointment scheduling, manage document collection, and maintain consistent updates while building lasting client relationships. 

Sign up for a free trial or request a demo consultation today.

FAQs About Tax Season Email to Clients

What strategies can I use to improve the readability of my tax season emails?

To improve readability, use a professional yet friendly tone, break up long paragraphs with bullet points, and highlight key information with bold or italic text. 

You may incorporate visual elements such as infographics and charts to explain complex information. Using clear and concise language ensures that clients can easily understand and act on your messages.

How can I explain the fee structure for tax return preparation in my email?

When explaining the pricing structure, provide a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with various services. This might include fees for individual tax returns, business tax returns, and any additional fees. 

Being transparent about fees helps manage client expectations and builds trust. With SMS you can send a link directly to a website landing page where your fees are described or attach a flier with the details.

How can I keep clients informed about changes in the accounting industry?

Include a section in your tax season email dedicated to recent updates to keep clients informed about changes in the accounting industry. You can summarize new tax laws, changes in tax credits and deductions, and any updates from the IRS. 

Providing links to authoritative sources or further reading can also be helpful. Using SMS you can remind people to look for your email or even include a link to your site where you have posted the details.

How can I ensure my clients provide the correct tax information and submit their tax returns accurately?

To ensure clients provide the correct tax information and submit their tax returns accurately, send clear and detailed emails outlining the required documents and steps. 

Include a checklist of necessary tax documents, set reminders for key deadlines, and offer to review their information before submission. SMS allows you to send multiple reminders that complement any emails they might be missing.