Year-end and tax season don't have to mean weeks of data entry. Most of the hours go to the same few jobs every year: getting documents in, getting numbers out of them, and checking everything. Here are six changes Calgary firms can make this fall.
1. Send the document checklist early
Send each client a short, specific list of what you need (statements by account and month, slips, receipts, mileage logs) well before the deadline crunch. A specific list gets better responses than "send us everything."
2. Give clients one place to send documents
When documents arrive by email, text, and drop-off, someone spends hours just finding them. Pick one upload method per client and stick to it. Client portals in practice-management software are built for this.
3. Track who's missing what in one view
A simple table of clients versus required documents, with a status for each, replaces scrolling through inboxes. Once it exists, reminders can be sent from it, by hand or automatically.
4. Convert statements in batches, not one at a time
Switching between clients and statements is slow. Collect all of a client's PDFs and convert them together, then reconcile in one sitting. See our guide on converting bank statement PDFs to Excel.
5. Capture receipts with GST split out from the start
Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so most receipts only need the 5% GST pulled out. That makes receipt capture a good candidate for automation. Compare the options in best receipt apps for Canadian businesses.
6. Reconcile as you go
Checking opening and closing balances as each statement is entered catches missing pages and transcription errors while the document is still open, instead of at the end.
Where to start: time your team on each of these jobs for one week. The biggest number is your first fix.
Or let us do the timing: the free Admin Score shows your top time drains and the likely fix for each.