Tax season is nearly over, which means there’s going to be a burst of activity as procrastinating taxpayers (full disclosure: I’m one of them) get their returns done in the remaining days before April 15. The IRS says that 20 to 25 percent of Americans wait until the last two weeks to file their returns, and a significant portion of your client base may be among them. 

This last minute push creates a great opening for you to help procrastinating clients while putting your services at the forefront of their minds.


 If you’re not using tax season to promote your tax planning services or to educate clients about how you can save them money, you’re missing out some great marketing opportunities. 

Here are some unique ways that you can promote your firm while providing clients with useful information about their taxes:

Send a Last Minute Tax Postcard
If you offer tax planning services or partner with a CPA that does, send clients a postcard in the final weeks before the April tax filing deadline offering your assistance in filing for an extension and preparing their taxes. You’ll be taking advantage of clients’ nature to procrastinate and offering a lifeline to those who won’t be able to make the deadline.

Send a Credits & Deductions Reminder Letter or Email
Tax laws are constantly changing, and your clients might not be aware of the various tax credits and deductions to which they may be entitled. Send your clients a letter that summarizes any relevant changes in tax regulations and remind them about common deductions and credits that may save them money on their taxes.

You can also alert clients about common deduction pitfalls that the IRS monitors closely. 

Throw a Shredding Party
Once tax season is over, invite your clients to your office for a shredding party. Your clients probably have bags of receipts, documents, and financial statements that they haven’t gotten around to shredding. Contract a local document disposal company to bring a mobile shredding truck to your office and help the safely dispose of their sensitive documents. If you’d like to make the event more fun, include food, and some form of family entertainment, like a balloon artist, musician, or bouncy castle.

Send Tax Reminders Throughout the Year
Regular reminders about important deadlines and seasonal tax-related tasks can help your clients avoid a last-minute rush to file. While many advisors send end-of-year tax tips, consider sending quarterly updates reminding clients to use up FSA balances, make their IRA contributions, and document their charitable contributions.

Promote Tax-Savvy Planning

One of the greatest benefits you can provide your clients is tax-friendly investment and planning advice. Many clients don’t understand how tax treatment affects their investment returns. Teach your clients about tax planning issues like the benefit of tax-advantaged accounts and tax-sensitive investment allocations.

If you have any special tax season marketing tips or have successfully used tax-related marketing campaigns, let us know in the forums. 

 

Francesca McLin is the About.com Expert on Financial Services. She is a freelance financial writer who helps financial advisor create compelling content that educates, informs, and converts readers into clients.