Why So Many Tax Pros Fail to Transition to Tax Resolution

Mitch, what does that even mean... 

Well, in many businesses—okay, almost every business—advertising and marketing are required to generate revenue. 

The tax prep business is a little different, though. 

For most tax pros, business has always just come to you. You've had the luxury of relying on referrals for years. Clients come back like clockwork, year after year, bringing along their friends and family who need their taxes done, too. 

No need to hustle for clients and you've likely built an excellent, comfortable referral-based practice. 

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me proudly that they'd built their whole business on word of mouth. I'd be off living on an island somewhere. 

Seriously though, it makes me cringe because I can't help but think how much further ahead they'd be if they had spent some time thinking about marketing and working on their business.

Maybe they'd be off on an island, too.

If you're thinking, shoot, that's me, don't panic. As the saying goes the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now. 

So, if you're with me and following along, it's probably becoming obvious what the biggest problem that tax pros trying to add tax resolution encounter is. 

Tax resolution is different from your standard tax prep. People aren't calling you because they love you and can't wait to see you again next April. 

They're calling because the IRS is breathing down their necks and they're freaking out. These aren't the same kind of clients that roll in with a handful of W-2s and a smile. 

And they're not finding you through Aunt Karen's recommendation; they're desperately searching for help, which means if you're not putting yourself out there, you're basically invisible.

Unlike tax prep, where just about everyone must file a return, only some need your tax resolution services.

And this is where the real pain comes in—marketing. That's right, the thing you've successfully avoided because, let's face it, referrals made it unnecessary. Well, congratulations! Tax resolution requires marketing, and you can't dodge it any longer.

Tax resolution isn't a "build it, and they will come" situation. 

Clients aren't magically walking through your door just because you know how to do something. (Yes, I genuinely think people believe that sometimes)

You need to actively market your services, and here's the kicker—most tax professionals have zero experience in this area. Facebook ads, SEO, email campaigns… If your eyes are glazing over right now, I get it. 

But without marketing, your tax resolution business is doomed before it even starts.

I always tell people that if you can become a CPA, EA, or Attorney - you can learn marketing. It doesn't matter if you're 26 or 66 you can do this.

Adding tax resolution means you're not just a tax professional anymore—you're a full-fledged business owner. 

Yep, you signed up for entrepreneurship, whether you like it or not. And being a business owner means you have to think like one.

You're no longer just preparing returns and filing forms. Now, you have to worry about things like generating leads, setting up systems, managing clients, and—oh yeah—probably outsourcing a few things if you don't want to drown in work.

Start by embracing the fact that this isn't just another service you're offering. It's a whole new business model, and you're going to have to treat it that way. 

That means investing in marketing—yes, actually learning how to do it—or hiring someone who can.

It's time to stop thinking like a tax preparer and start thinking like a business owner. Time to step up, put yourself out there, and become a student of marketing.