{"id":27946,"date":"2024-10-22T12:47:37","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T12:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/synder.com\/blog\/?p=27946"},"modified":"2024-10-29T12:08:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T12:08:25","slug":"beyond-tax-season-elevating-client-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/synder.com\/blog\/beyond-tax-season-elevating-client-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Tax Season: Elevating Client Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Accountants worldwide do the happy dance and take a collective sigh of relief once tax season is finally behind them. After the long nights, filing deadlines, and stacks of paperwork, the question is: now what<\/em>? It’s tempting to just kick back and enjoy the calm after the storm, but this post-tax season period isn’t just for catching one’s breath \u2013 it’s also the perfect time to level up client relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, in Synder\u2019s webinar, we shared insights on how to capitalize on the moment and transition away from compliance-focused duties, how you can elevate your client relationships and prove to them that you\u2019re a lot more than their tax-season savior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Featured guest:
<\/strong>Geni Whitehouse<\/a>, CPA, is an author and founder of The Impactful Advisor<\/em>, a mission-driven organization to transform accountants into trusted advisors. With over 20 years of experience, she’s known for making accounting engaging and empowering professionals to communicate better, connect deeper and create real impact.
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Post-tax season client engagement: Time to ask deeper questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, tax season is over. The returns are filed<\/a> in, the extensions sent out, and maybe even a little party thrown to celebrate the survival of yet another year. Now, however, is the time to get back into the game. As Geni points out, “Once it’s over, we can step back and ask ourselves how we can better serve our clients<\/em>.” Rather than using the typical script, wouldn’t this be an excellent time to ask your clients questions with a deeper meaning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When was the last time you talked with your clients about their business goals? “We need to stop just asking for documents and start asking about their dreams<\/em>,” Geni said. It’s time for more than just paperwork and finding out what keeps them up at night (besides waiting for that tax refund). The more you know about their aspirations, the better you can guide them toward their goals and position yourself as a partner in their success\u2014not just the person they call in a panic every April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping clients with online sales<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let’s get real: ecommerce is booming. Recent studies<\/a> show that, with over one-third of the world’s population purchasing something online, ecommerce has grown into a $6 trillion industry and is on course to hit $8 trillion by 2027. And all this sounds fabulous\u2014until your clients start drowning in online sales headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything, from sales tax<\/a> compliance to reconciling transactions on all those different platforms, can be really a headache. “Many businesses set up online stores without understanding the complexities involved<\/em>,” Geni noted. It\u2019s not just about clicking “Add to Cart” but having to handle different fee structures, payment gateways, and keeping up with sales tax across who-knows-how-many states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let’s discuss some of the major accounting pain points related to ecommerce businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online sales accounting challenges:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Sales tax compliance:<\/strong> Following all the different tax rates and rules concerning sales, as required by different states and jurisdictions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Transaction reconciliation:<\/strong> Aggregating and reconciling sales from various sales platforms like Amazon, Shopify, eBay, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Platform fee management:<\/strong> Recordkeeping of different fee structures of various sales platforms and marketplaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Payment gateway reconciliation<\/strong>:<\/strong> Dealing with discrepancies in payment processors\u2014Stripe, PayPal, or credit card transactions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Multicurrency transactions<\/strong>:<\/strong> Maintaining conversions of currency for international sales with regard to exchange rates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Shipping and fulfillment costs<\/strong>:<\/strong> Accurately booking actual shipping cost and related expenses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Refunds and chargebacks<\/strong>:<\/strong> Processing returns, refunds, and chargebacks and correctly updating those in the books.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    And now it\u2019s time to learn how you can tackle those online sales challenges in accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Addressing these pain points: Synder’s impact <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Chances are, every accountant has had that “Are you kidding me?” moment, at least once, in an attempt to untangle the chaos of online sales, whether dealing with reconciliation discrepancies<\/a> or data inconsistency from different platforms. And Geni shared hers: “It was a mess\u2014trying to reconcile sales across platforms, account for payment processor fees, and get everything to match in QuickBooks<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately, Synder turns that chaos into a well-oiled machine and automates the most complex of tasks. \u201cSynder changed my life, and I\u2019m sure it\u2019s changing the lives of many business owners and accountants every day<\/em>,” Geni says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Synder <\/a>goes way beyond the simple aggregation of transaction data from 30+<\/a> sales channels and payment platforms into accounting software such as QuickBooks, Xero, or Sage Intacct. It addresses other key challenges of online sales accounting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n