Tax planning: A practical guide to building a more proactive, scalable approach

Build a repeatable approach to proactive planning

Knowing where the gaps are is only the beginning. The next question is how to address them.

A scalable planning program doesn't require firms to standardize the advice they provide. Clients have different circumstances, goals and opportunities. Instead, firms can create greater consistency around the process used to identify opportunities, analyze alternatives, review results and communicate recommendations.

High-performing firms are able to recognize and act on potential opportunities when additional guidance could create value.

See where your firm is on the maturity curve
Tax planning operations generally evolve as firms move from individual, reactive processes toward more proactive and repeatable planning. Explore the four stages of that journey and how timing, process, data, modeling and scalability change along the way.

Put tax planning best practices into action

For firms ready to strengthen their planning model, our ebook, Best practices for building a scalable tax planning program provides a practical roadmap.

The guide explores how firms can:

• Start planning while there is still time to act.
• Make planning part of the standard workflow.
• Turn existing tax data into actionable insights.
• Standardize the process without standardizing the advice.
• Use scenario modeling to move from answers to options.
• Deliver recommendations clients can understand and act on.
• Measure whether planning is actually scaling.

Choose technology that supports the way you want to plan

As planning expands, technology becomes an increasingly important part of the operating model. But evaluating tax planning software shouldn't begin with a checklist of features. Start with the problems your firm needs technology to solve.

Can professionals begin with client tax data the firm already has? Can they compare meaningful scenarios and consider potential implications across multiple tax years? Can they understand and validate the calculations behind the analysis? Does the solution help create consistency without limiting professional judgment?

And perhaps most importantly: Can it help the firm increase its planning capacity without increasing manual effort at the same rate?

Know what to look for

The tax planning software evaluation quick reference infographic provides seven questions firms can use when comparing solutions, covering data, workflows, scenario modeling, explainability, consistency, client value and scalability. Use it when researching platforms, talking with vendors or determining requirements for your firm.

For a more detailed examination of those criteria, our 7-point framework for evaluating tax planning solutions explores what each capability means, why it matters and what firms should consider when evaluating their options.

From completed returns to proactive client conversations

Firms don't need to transform their entire tax practice overnight to make planning a greater part of the client experience. The right next step depends on where the firm is today.

Ultimately, scalable tax planning makes your firm's tax expertise easier to apply at the right time, for the right clients, and in a way that gives professionals more capacity to focus on the guidance clients value.