Season pipeline
Returns are grouped by stage, from intake to e-file, with the number of files at each stage shown against the weekly target.
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Manager Oversight App for Tax Preparation Firms
A manager oversight app for tax preparation firms gives the general manager a live view of the return pipeline, season staffing and the exceptions that cost money, such as fee write-downs and returns amended after filing. SIZ Group handles the design and development of these apps for iOS and Android, starting with a free conversation about scope.
01
What the general manager needs the oversight app to prove before sign-off
A general manager at a tax firm carries the season on their shoulders. They decide how many seasonal preparers to bring in, which clients to prioritize, when to close intake and whether the office can meet the deadline with the staff it has. Those calls are made weekly from a spreadsheet, a stack of phone messages and a feeling about the pace, which works until a surge arrives early.
Before sign-off, the manager needs to see the pipeline by stage, the hours each preparer has left, and a short list of exceptions that cost money or create risk. We would agree the first measures with the general manager: returns filed on time, extensions filed because of an internal delay, fee write-downs and returns amended after filing. The baseline comes from the firm's own records from the last season.
02
Fitting in with the software tax firms already run
Most tax firms prepare returns in desktop or cloud software such as Drake Tax, Intuit ProConnect, Lacerte or UltraTax CS, keep client files in a document system and run billing through a practice tool or an accounting package. The oversight app should read the status of returns and time records from those places and show the manager a single picture.
We would confirm each system during scoping and agree which fields the app reads. Where a firm has no reliable export, the app can start from a simple import of the season's file list, so the manager does not wait for a full integration before seeing the pipeline.
03
The information, content and access the firm will need to provide
To show the pipeline, the app needs each return's stage, the preparer assigned, the fee quoted and the expected filing date. The firm should also list the seasonal staff, their training status and the hours they can work. Agreeing those fields early is the most useful preparation the firm can do, because it shows which data is already clean and which needs tidying.
Access rules matter as much as the data. A general manager may see fees and staffing, while a preparer sees only the returns assigned to them. Seasonal staff should have the narrowest access that lets them work, with accounts closed at the end of each season. We would confirm those rules with the firm before the build begins.
- Each return's stage, assigned preparer and expected filing date
- Fee quoted and any write-down approved during the season
- Seasonal staff training status and available hours by week
- Returns amended after filing, with the reason recorded
What you get
Key features
Staffing planner
The manager sees each preparer's open hours for the coming weeks and can move work or call in seasonal staff before a bottleneck forms.
Exception alerts
Fee write-downs, stalled returns and extension risks appear as alerts, with the file and the owner attached.
Quality review follow-up
Returns amended after filing are listed with the reason, so the manager can spot a training gap or a recurring error early.
04
Mistakes we would steer tax preparation firms away from
The first mistake is building a dashboard for the end of the season. The manager needs to act in February, when the pipeline is building, not in May when the deadline has passed. We would make sure the alerts for thin capacity and stalled stages work from the first week of intake.
The second mistake is hiding fee decisions in a private note. When a write-down is approved, the reason and the approver should be recorded against the return, so the firm can see patterns at the end of the season and set clearer pricing rules.
The third mistake is treating seasonal staff as outsiders. If their access is slow to set up or their training is not visible, the office loses the first two weeks of their time. Give them accounts before the rush and show their status on the same board as everyone else.
05
Rolling out the oversight app before the season peaks
The rollout should finish before the first deadline pressure, which means starting in the quiet months. We would begin with the general manager and one lead preparer, load last season's returns as test data and run the weekly staffing routine against that history. If a screen fails to fit the manager's routine, we rework it before any other lead sees it.
Then bring in the office leads, one role at a time, and keep the old spreadsheet running until the first full week has matched. Post-launch support handles the adjustments that real intake reveals, while the general manager keeps the final say on alert thresholds and approval rules.
06
Season figures to compare with last year
Judge the change using the season results the firm already keeps. Count returns filed on time, the extensions caused by an internal delay, the fee write-downs approved each week and the returns amended after filing. Compare each figure with the same weeks of the previous season, so the change is clear.
Watch the manager's own time as well. If the weekly staffing decision takes less time and fewer surprises arrive in the last two weeks before the deadline, the app is working. If the figures stay flat, the thresholds are probably set too loosely, and that is worth reviewing early in the season.
- Returns filed on time, compared with the same weeks last season
- Extensions caused by an internal delay
- Fee write-downs approved each week, with the reason recorded
- Returns amended after filing, reviewed for patterns at season end
Can the manager oversight app show the pipeline before the season starts?+
Yes. We can load last season's returns or the current intake list as a starting point. The pipeline view works as soon as the first files are entered, so the manager sees the shape of the season from the first week.
Who can approve a fee write-down?+
The firm decides. Typically the general manager or a partner approves, and the app records the reason, the amount and the approver against the return. The approval rules can change during the season without a new release.
Will seasonal staff see the same screens as our permanent team?+
No. Seasonal staff see only the returns assigned to them and their own training status. Their accounts close at the end of the season, and the manager can review what each account accessed.
What does the free scoping call cover for a tax firm?+
We review your season calendar, the staffing model, the exceptions that cost you most and the systems you use for returns and billing. You receive a written scope and price, and the build begins only when you approve them.
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