Posted: July 14, 2011 | Author: The Modern Accountant | Filed under: IRS, Social Media, Taxes | Tags: IRS suggestion box, Social Media, taxes, Twitter Town Hall |
We’re all familiar with the growing trend of companies and organizations determined to engage consumers, build relationships and exchange information in a way that builds a foundation of trust and loyalty. Companies use a variety of methods to accomplish this, such as building profiles on social networking sites, asking consumers to participate in product surveys, and even sponsoring event parties like those at House Party.
But this trend of conversations is mostly limited to the B2C world, right?
That’s not really the case anymore.
Earlier this year the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization that operates within the IRS and assists taxpayers with resolving issues or problems with them, launched a suggestion box to start a conversation with America about simplifying the tax code and reforming the tax system.
Predictably, Americans had strong opinions on changes they wanted to see, including things like a sliding scale for childcare taxes, elimination of unemployment taxes, swapping out credits and deductions for a flat tax, and instituting a fuel tax – but mostly they just wanted the system to be simpler.
The notion of asking consumers for their opinions via an online suggestion box is hardly revolutionary; thousands of companies and organizations have been doing that for years now. The concept of a government organization asking for suggestions on something as massive as the tax code, however, is something we aren’t always accustomed to seeing.
It might not be revolutionary, but I think it solidifies something social media and marketing experts have been saying for a long time now: social media and the idea of building relationships with consumers in that capacity isn’t going away. It isn’t a fad. It’s a viable medium that can be used for more than marketing a product to a consumer. It can be used to initiate important conversations, to pass along crucial information and to give people a way to be heard.
(At this point, I just can’t not mention President Obama’s first ever “Twitter Town Hall.”)
Now, whether or not the IRS will actually implement any of the opinions it received in its suggestion box – that is an entirely different story.
What do you think about the suggestion box? Does it make you feel like the IRS genuinely wants to give you a voice?
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Posted: April 12, 2011 | Author: The Modern Accountant | Filed under: Accounting Firms, Accounting Professionals, Taxes | Tags: accounting firms, tax procrastinators, tax season |
True story: I have a friend that is perpetually late. For everything. It doesn’t matter how important the event is, she will almost always show up an hour or two late. This has become such a common occurrence that, now, when I inform her of the start-time of something, I usually lie and tell her it starts at least an hour earlier than it really does. Sometimes it actually helps.
I wonder if accounting firms are feeling the same way right about this time of year. I bet they wish they could tell all their clients that the deadline to file taxes is a week earlier than April 15 in the hopes of lessening the pressure (and extended office hours) from their biggest tax procrastinators.
Especially the city of Houston, who, for the fifth time in 10 years, took the top spot on TurboTax’s annual list of America’s most tax procrastinating cities. Other cities on the late-filing list compiled by Intuit include Chicago, New York, Austin, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles and Dallas.
Well, we know lying to clients about tax deadlines isn’t an option, and chances are, any incentives for clients who file their taxes early would be lost on the worst procrastinators anyway.
It seems like the only option is for firms to truly earn the celebration that comes after April 15 (or April 18, this year).
And, of course, tax payers will be celebrating, too.
As always, local businesses are getting in on the relief effort and helping accountants and tax payers celebrate the end of another tax season. This year, McCormick & Schmick’s seafood restaurants will be hosting their 11th Annual Tax Relief Celebration, with an “Early Filers Happy Hour” on April 15 and a “Procrastinators All-Day Celebration” April 18.
I have a feeling the “Procrastinators Celebration” is going to be a little more well-attended than the “Early Filers Happy Hour.”
What about you?
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