Preparing for Tax Season: Accounting Staffing Needs to Address Now

Tax season has a way of arriving faster than expected. With continued talent shortages, evolving compliance requirements, and increasing client expectations, proactive staffing is no longer optional during busy season. It’s essential.

Whether you support public accounting, corporate accounting, or finance teams, now is the time to evaluate your staffing strategy and address gaps before deadlines loom.

Why Early Preparation Matters More Than Ever

Tax season compresses an enormous workload into a short timeframe. Waiting until returns pile up or audits intensify often leads to:

• Burnout among core team members

• Increased errors and rework

• Missed deadlines or compliance risks

• Declining client or internal stakeholder satisfaction

By planning ahead, organizations gain flexibility, allowing them to scale resources, maintain quality, and protect their teams from unnecessary stress.

Common Accounting Staffing Challenges Ahead of Tax Season

Before identifying solutions, it’s important to recognize the most common pain points accounting leaders face:

• Seasonal Workload Spikes: Tax filings, reconciliations, reporting, and audit support all peak at the same time. Even well-staffed teams can struggle when demand surges.

• Talent Shortages and Competition: Experienced accountants, tax professionals, and CPAs remain in high demand. Hiring full-time roles late in the cycle often proves costly and time-consuming.

• Specialized Skill Gaps: Certain tax work requires niche expertise, such as SALT, international tax, ASC 740, or industry-specific compliance, that internal teams may not have readily available.

• Burnout and Retention Risks: Overreliance on overtime can lead to disengagement and turnover, creating longer-term staffing issues beyond tax season.

Accounting Roles to Secure Now

Proactively identifying the roles you’ll need helps ensure continuity and efficiency during peak periods. Common tax-season staffing needs include:

• Tax Accountants and Preparers – To support return preparation, filings, and extensions

• Senior Accountants – For review, reconciliations, and complex reporting

• CPAs – To provide oversight, compliance assurance, and technical expertise

• Accounts Payable/Receivable Professionals – To keep daily operations running smoothly while senior staff focus on tax work

• Temporary or Project-Based Accounting Support – For short-term surges without long-term headcount commitments

Flexible Staffing Solutions That Work

Today’s accounting teams benefit most from adaptable staffing models. Rather than relying solely on permanent hires, many organizations are turning to:

• Contract and Contract-to-Hire Professionals: These options allow teams to quickly add experienced talent during peak season, with the flexibility to extend or convert roles as needed.

• Project-Based Accounting Support: Ideal for discrete initiatives such as tax prep backlogs, cleanup work, audit readiness, or systems transitions.

• Interim Accounting and Finance Leaders: When leadership bandwidth is stretched, interim controllers or tax managers can provide stability, oversight, and strategic guidance.

Best Practices for Tax Season Staffing Success

To maximize the impact of your staffing plan:

• Assess workload: Review prior-year volumes and anticipated changes in regulations or business operations.

• Identify critical deadlines: Map staffing needs to filing dates, audits, and reporting cycles.

• Prioritize quality over speed: Experienced professionals reduce errors and downstream corrections.

• Communicate expectations clearly: Define scope, timelines, and responsibilities upfront for internal and external resources.

The Cost of Waiting

Delaying staffing decisions until tax season is in full swing often leads to limited candidate availability, higher costs, and rushed onboarding. Early action gives you access to a deeper talent pool and allows new team members time to integrate before peak pressure hits.

With proactive planning and the right accounting staffing strategy, organizations can meet deadlines, maintain accuracy, and support their teams through the busiest time of year. Now is the moment to evaluate your needs, address gaps, and secure the expertise that will carry your team through tax season and beyond.

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Need help preparing your accounting team for tax season? Partnering with an experienced staffing provider can give you the flexibility and expertise you need, exactly when you need it.

BGSF Professional Services is becoming INSPYR Solutions: We provide flexible, on-demand finance and accounting expertise to help you close 2025 confidently and start 2026 with a clear financial foundation. Contact us today!