Tax season means an increased workload, and increased stress, for accountants. Between managing tight deadlines, demanding clients, and an ever-present pressure to be at your best, it’s easy for accountants to become overwhelmed, or worse, burned out.
However, burnout doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of the tax season. By creating strong relationships with clients and colleagues, and taking care of your well-being, it’s possible to navigate this busy season while maintaining your mental and physical health.
What Is Burnout?
Burnout is a state of exhaustion brought on by prolonged periods of stress. Though it’s not an official diagnosis you’ll receive from your doctor, it is a ‘workplace phenomenon’. In fact, it’s listed in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases as “A syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
Why Does Burnout Disproportionately Affect Accountants?
Burnout is by no means uncommon. The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Workplace Survey found that 57% of respondents had experienced burnout-like symptoms after stressful periods at work. Among accountants, this number jumps up to 75%!
Accountants may be more susceptible to burnout during tax season than many other professionals because of the poor work/life balance, and looming threat of penalties for incorrect work. But pushing yourself too hard to avoid these things can result in months or even years of diminished motivation and passion for your work.
Below are our tips for avoiding burnout, organized into three essential areas of focus.
Managing Client Relationships
How many times have you breathed a sigh of relief and thought ‘job done’, only to find that your client has sent through a list of extra requests or issues you need to solve? Yes, the customer’s always right, and keeping them happy is a surefire way to ensure your firm’s success.
However, unrealistic demands, never-ending delays, and obscure or nonexistent communication are all cause for you to, very gently, put your foot down. Establishing boundaries is more important during tax season than at any other point in the year. Here’s how to do it:
Set Clear Expectations from the Start
During tax season, clients are often as on-edge as their accountants. They’ll expect quick responses and turnaround times, as well as frequent updates, especially if they receive this high standard of service throughout the rest of the year.
If you know that it’s not going to be possible to cater to clients’ exacting needs and get your work done to the best of your ability, you’ll need to communicate this up front. Let them know exactly when you’ll designate time to respond to their queries, and remind them that they can help you both by getting their documentation sent in by the pre-agreed deadlines.
It’s also worth designating priority levels for requests and inquiries so you’ll be able to sort the clients in need from the clients who simply want an update. Include this information in a tax season booklet that clients can refer to for guidance.
Learn to Say No
Accounting is a service profession and, as mentioned earlier, happy clients mean successful accounting firms. As a result, you’re likely not used to saying no to clients.
But taking on too many requests on top of your existing workload can quickly lead to burnout. You’ll need to learn to say no to clients who demand more time than your schedule allows or those whose projects don’t align with your priorities. Here are a few ways to do this politely:
- “I’m currently at capacity, but my colleague (Name) specializes in this area and may be able to assist you. Would you like me to connect you?”
- “Given the complexity of this project and my current commitments, I can begin work on it starting (date). Would that timeline work for you?”
- “To maintain the highest level of service, I need to focus on existing projects at the moment. I’d be happy to revisit this request once my current priorities are under control.”
- “While I appreciate your trust in my expertise, this request falls outside my professional scope. I recommend consulting (relevant specialist/professional).”
Use Technology to Improve Client Communication
The adoption of technology has long been a hot topic among accountants. Fortunately, digital communication, usually through full-service platforms, has become standard. Even back in 2019, an estimated 94% of accountants used cloud accounting services with secure communication portals.
During tax season, these platforms will help you send and receive necessary documents quickly, let clients track the status of their requests, and provide updates at regular intervals. They also help to automate repetitive tasks and free up your time, as well as making working efficiently with your team much easier.
Collaborating with Colleagues
At times during tax season it may feel like you’re on a sinking ship. Fortunately, you’re rarely alone, and your colleagues can help shoulder the load.
Collaboration can ensure an even task distribution throughout your firm, maximize resources, and reduce pressure on any one individual, preventing burnout across your floor. Here are some strategies to foster efficient collaboration with colleagues during tax season:
Delegate Tasks Based on Strengths
One way to avoid burnout as a team is to recognize each other’s strengths and delegating accordingly. For example, some accountants may specialize in tax preparation, while others might be better suited to client communication and administrative tasks. Take some time in the run up to tax season to discuss these workflows and divide responsibilities evenly.
Communicate Clearly and Regularly
You might think chasing Mr. Smith for that receipt he shredded last June is as stressful as it can get. But, according to a survey by Canopy, 70% of accountants actually find it harder to get a response from colleagues than from clients.
With remote working still standard practice across the US, breaks in the chain of communication are common. Not to mention, your colleagues are probably just as swamped as you, and replying to your message is on the bottom of a long list of tasks.
To address these issues and ensure efficient communication among your team, you can:
- Designate a Point of Contact - Team leads or subject matter experts let colleagues know exactly who to approach with issues.
- Create Clear Communication Protocols - Establish guidelines for when to use email, instant messaging, or scheduled meetings.
- Schedule Regular Check-Ins - Set up recurring team meetings to discuss project updates, address concerns, and review priorities.
- Set Response Time Expectations - Agree on standard response times for internal messages to keep work moving without unnecessary delays.
- Encourage Status Updates - Have team members provide brief progress updates through daily or weekly reports.
- Build a Culture of Support - Encourage open dialogue and mutual support, making it easier for colleagues to communicate without hesitation.
Create a Supportive Work Culture
Often, tax seasons can turn accounting firms into the secret service, where everyone operates on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, and trust becomes a rare commodity. Colleagues may be hesitant to do favors for each other, withholding information because they’re unsure if the help will be returned or if assisting others will set them back in their own tasks. But, this mindset creates a cycle of isolation, slowing down the entire team.
While tax season can be stressful, fostering a culture of support and empathy among your colleagues will help reduce individual pressures. As long as you have the time in your schedule, don’t hesitate to ‘pay it forward’ and allow your colleagues to lean on you too.
In addition, though it seems counterproductive, try not to keep communication solely to your current projects. Be sure to ask colleagues how they’re doing and whether they need a break.
Prioritizing Your Personal Well-Being
Finally, we come to the most important, yet most difficult, section of all — maintaining a work/life balance. It’s a common belief among accountants during tax season that you’ll be chained to your desk for the foreseeable future.
However, maintaining personal health, and some semblance of normality, is crucial to avoid burnout. By prioritizing self-care, managing stress, and setting personal boundaries, you can make sure you have the necessary energy and focus for your tasks. In turn, this will help avoid mistakes and keep your workload to something that at least resembles the minimum.
Set Realistic Goals
Setting goals for each day, week, and month based on your expected workload and deadlines will give you an idea of where you should be at certain points, and when you can afford to take a break. Also, if you’re faced with daunting tasks and feel yourself starting to procrastinate, split them up into manageable chunks and check one off at a time.
Sleep, Nutrition, and Exercise
Though burnout is a mental health issue, you can prevent it by taking care of your physical health. The temptation to work late and skip breaks will result in tiredness, lead to mistakes, and ultimately make your job harder in the long run.
Here’s what you should aim to do every day:
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep.
- Do 30 minutes of exercise.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water.
- Complete 10 minutes of meditation, deep breathing exercises, or post-work stretches.
- Get 30 minutes of fresh air and natural light.
During the busiest periods when it seems as if you can’t sacrifice even a single second, this is when these tasks become even more important, and even more detrimental if not completed.
Use Time-Blocking Techniques
If you’re an accountant who really struggles to take breaks, time-blocking techniques can be a lifesaver. Here are a few of the most popular:
- The Pomodoro Technique - Work in 25-minute intervals followed by 15-minute breaks. After completing six intervals, take an hour break to recharge.
- The 52/17 Rule - Work for 52 minutes and then take a 17-minute break. This method is based on research showing that most people are most productive in 52-minute stretches before needing a break.
- The Two-Minute Rule - If there’s a task on your to-do list that will take two minutes or less to complete, do it right away. This will prevent little things from piling up and taking over.
- Task Batching - To avoid multi-tasking or skill switching, group similar tasks together. For example, dedicate specific blocks of time to answering client emails or reviewing financial reports.
- Eat That Frog - Begin each day by tackling the most difficult or time-consuming task first. It won’t be enjoyable, but once it’s out of the way, the rest of your day will feel far less overwhelming.
Take Time Off After Tax Season
You deserve a vacation every once in a while, and at no point in the year is this more true than after tax season is finally over. So, use a few vacation days to recharge, reconnect with loved ones, and relax. This might mean taking a trip, but it might also mean simply spending time away from the office. When you return to work, you’ll be refreshed and ready for the next challenge.
In Conclusion…
Tax season always comes with challenges, but forcing yourself to work through burnout doesn’t have to be one of them. By effectively managing client relationships, fostering strong collaboration with colleagues, and prioritizing your own well-being, you can navigate this busy season and come out stronger. We wish you a productive and happy tax season!
Sources and Resources
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
- https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/how-to-avoid-burnout-during-this-tax-season-and-beyond/
- https://www.titanfile.com/blog/tips-for-accountants-to-avoid-tax-season-burnout/
- https://qxaccounting.com/uk/blog/here-are-five-ways-to-keep-tax-season-stress-under-control/
- https://www.aiwyn.ai/resources/insights/8-tips-for-accountants-to-prevent-burnout
- https://www.spencerclarkegroup.co.uk/career-hub/blog/tax-season-survival--7-tips-for-thriving-during-the-busiest-times/
- https://softskillsforaccountants.com/communication-skills-accountants/
- https://asana.com/resources/what-is-time-blocking
- https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-use-time-blocking-to-manage-your-day-4797509
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