Hiring Temporary Accounting Support for Tax Season

Tax season is upon us! But if you’re in accounting or finance, you probably already knew that. 

The IRS processed more than 261 million federal tax returns and supplemental documents in 2022. So, it’s safe to say the average tax season is stressful for those in accounting or finance.  

If you’re leading teams of accounting professionals that are understaffed or ill-equipped, that stress can intensify. But there’s a solution: hiring seasonal accounting professionals to get you through the chaos of tax season.  

Read on to find out why you should hire seasonal support, roles to consider, and how hiring seasonal accounting professionals can help your teams this tax season.  

What is Seasonal Staffing? 

Seasonal hiring is exactly what it sounds like—bringing on professional support for a specified amount of time. In accounting and finance, that period is most often January through April, also known as tax season.  

When hiring seasonally, there is typically a contract in place detailing the parameters of employment such as hours, responsibilities, and timeframe. Once the contract has been fulfilled, neither the company nor the individual is under further legal obligation.  

Why Hire Seasonal Support? 

We’re going to take a deeper dive into the individual benefits of hiring accounting professionals for tax season, but here’s a little bit of the ‘why’. 

Putting it simply—it’s customizable! Seasonal hiring can take on different forms, specific to your business needs and priorities at that time. If one of your business goals is to expand your client base this tax season, hiring seasonal accounting professionals can help you achieve that goal. If you’d like to delegate a heightened workload, you can bring on support to do just that.  

Seasonal staffing is an effective way to improve problem areas and fight inefficiencies.  

8 Accounting Hires to Consider for Tax Season  

Here are a few popular accounting roles to consider bringing on to your organization for tax season.  

Staff Accountant:

These accounting professionals are responsible for a variety of accounting services. Staff accountants can prepare financial statements, maintain or reconcile accounts, act as a tax preparer, file tax reports, and more. Their range in duties requires them to both oversee and manage financial data and information, allowing them to assist with compliance, budgeting, reporting, and forecasting. 

Certified Public Accountant (CPA): 

This is an accountant who has met specific licensing requirements, which vary state by state. Earning a CPA provides accountants with more flexibility and designation to perform certain accounting tasks such as: 

• Auditing and review 
• Tax preparation and consulting 
• Financial planning 

Accounting Clerk: 

The accounting clerk covers a range of responsibilities, mainly focusing on clerical and organizational support as it pertains to accounting and finance. They prepare and maintain documents, enter and verify financial data, reconcile accounts, and track accounting information. 

Accounting Coordinator: 

Like the accounting clerk, an accounting coordinator can wear many hats. This individual liaises between an organization’s varying finance and accounting departments. They are also involved in the preparation, review, verification, and processing of records and other vital accounting documents.   

Accounts Payable Specialist:

This individual ensures that valid invoices incurred by the organization are paid out, preventing any outstanding accounts. They may also research and verify invoices.

Administrative Assistant:

The role of administrative assistant isn’t specific to accounting and finance, but it is extremely useful. A qualified administrative assistant can make a huge impact with organizational and clerical support, helping the accounting and finance departments to run as smoothly as possible.  

Bookkeeper:

Duties of the bookkeeper may overlap with an accounting coordinator in the way they produce and maintain accuracy for various financial records and reports. However, rather than coordinating among departments, they’re responsible for delivering accurate financial information to business owners and managers. This information is then used to develop strategies and make decisions.  

Tax Analyst: 

This role relies on strategy and an immense knowledge of tax laws, codes, liability, and practices for their company. Tax analysts are also responsible for identifying opportunities to legally reduce tax payments for their organization. Essentially, they research and assess corporate financial records so that their organization can improve financial operations. 

5 Benefits of Hiring Tax Season Support 

From company morale to revenue, seasonal accounting professionals are good for your business. 

Sustainability 

One of the top reasons to bring on accounting support for tax season? To protect the accounting professionals you already have.  

It’s projected that accountants and other accounting professionals work about 56 hours per week—sometimes up to 80 or 90 hours—during tax season. With a heavier workload and longer hours, many accounting professionals sacrifice their work-life balance, leading to burnout.  

Symptoms of burnout can last weeks or months, meaning your organization will be feeling the effects even after the final tax form has been filed. Burnout can decrease efficiency, harm morale, and ultimately cause higher levels of attrition.  

But, seasonal hires can ease the strain that tax season inflicts on those in accounting or finance. Using seasonal support can improve operations and allow your teams to delegate an inflated workload. And preventing burnout is likely to benefit your teams after even tax season ends. 

Specialized Expertise

Hiring seasonally can enable you to hire for targeted or niche skillsets that are meant to support specific projects, clients, deadlines, and more. This makes hiring seasonal accounting professionals a strategic move for your business.  

Efficiency 

This benefit is simple: more accounting professionals means more expertise, more support, more specialized skillsets—all resulting in higher efficiency. 

As we pointed out, seasonal hires allow you to be more targeted and strategic. You can identify obstacles your teams are encountering and bring on accounting professionals with the direct purpose of eliminating those obstacles. 

Not enough analysts? Hire more. Struggling with organization or communication? Bring on an accounting coordinator. Need legal expertise? Maybe you could use a CPA or tax analyst. 

Potential for Higher Revenue

Among morale and performance, hiring seasonal accounting support may also be a way to increase business capacity.  

Maybe your teams aren’t at risk for being overloaded this season, but you do want to service more clients without creating the potential for burnout. Bringing on accounting professionals for the season can allow you to responsibly support more clients or projects, potentially increasing your cash flow.  

Lower Cost 

When your organization brings on support for a season or any limited amount of time, you’re going to incur less payroll costs.  

If your teams are overworked, inefficient, or lacking a skillset, you need to hire. However, by hiring an accounting professional strictly for tax season, rather than bringing them on permanently, you’re going to spend less on payroll. This makes seasonal staffing cost-effective. 

Hire for Tax Season 

Seasonal hiring is dynamic—use it to meet your specific business needs or goals. Whether it’s counteracting burnout or expanding your business, seasonal accounting professionals are an effective resource to consider for tax season. When it comes to interviewing and vetting candidates for accounting roles, you’ll want to make sure you’re asking the right questions, too.

If you are ready to bring on efficient, talented, and experienced support for tax season, check out the form below!