Building a Value-Centric Tax Practice Culture - Implementation Checklist for Large Firms: You already have a solid strategy for retaining current
clients and a marketing plan to attract new ones. This checklist provides you with additional tools to complement what you are already doing and gives ideas
to further distinguish your firm’s brand, communicate your firm’s unique value and stay top of mind with your existing clients while also attracting new ones.
Showcase your firm as the premier provider of tax services with the Tax Practitioners Toolkit for Large Firms.
Step
1
2
Action
Description
Assign an owner or
task force to take
lead on
understanding the
current business
landscape and in
building a valuecentric firm culture
around tax services
Familiarize yourself
with the current
business landscape
for tax practitioners
Owner
Tools and Resources
[Manager,
Firm
Administrator,
or Marketing
Professional
level]
The marketplace for tax professionals is ever-changing,
especially in light of the IRS’s oversight program for tax
return preparers if it is upheld in court.
Review CPAs as the Premier Tax Providers Video
and Talking Points that provides further insights into
the potential impact of the program on your firm and
how to prepare members of your firm to articulate the
differences between CPAs and registered tax
preparers.
© 2012 American Institute of CPAs®. All rights reserved.
[Assigned
owner or task
force]
Toolkit Resources:

CPAs as the Premier Tax Providers (Video and
Talking Points)
Additional Resources:

2013 PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey is a
study that provides a unique look at the top
challenges facing practitioners by firm size.

Consider the concepts of the CPA Horizons
2025 Report and how your practice may be
impacted by the changing accounting
profession landscape.
Step
Action
Description
Owner
3
Facilitate a meeting
with your
professional team to
get them up to speed
on the current
business
environment;
specifically the
Preparer
Registration
Program and what it
means for the firm
and working with
clients.
Educate your team on the IRS registered tax preparer
program starting with the CPA vs. Unlicensed Tax
Preparers PowerPoint that provides a visual
presentation of the differences in qualifications and can
be tailored for use in the team meeting.
[Assigned
owner or task
force]
Consider
incorporating these
resources in your
new hire orientation
so that new staff
members have the
same understanding
and information.
Additionally, the CPAs as the Premier Tax
Professional Talking Points will assist you and your
professional team that further emphasize how the CPA
credential supports members of your firm as premier
tax providers.
Questions and concerns may arise from clients and
prospects due to the confusion in the marketplace
resulting from the IRS registered tax program. Refer
the professional team to the Overcoming Objections
about Hiring a CPA Talking Points to ensure they are
prepared with confident responses when articulating
the difference between a CPA and unlicensed tax
preparer.
Tools and Resources
Toolkit Resources:

“CPAs vs. Unlicensed Tax Preparers”
PowerPoint

Overcoming Objections to Hiring a CPA
Talking Points

CPAs as the Premier Tax Professional Talking
Points
Additional Resources:

© 2012 American Institute of CPAs®. All rights reserved.
Tax Section Resource Page dedicated to the
new IRS Preparer Registration Program
Step
Action
Description
Owner
4
Build an actionable
strategy to articulate
the firm’s value to
clients and
prospects –
differentiating the
firm and making
meaningful client
connections.
Begin the process of discovering what makes your firm
valuable and different from other CPA firms and
develop a plan to memorialize and communicate your
value. The end result should be a firm-wide strategy to
knowledgably and confidently present the firm’s value
to clients in a unique way and infuse that value into
each and every client contact.
[Assigned
owner or task
force]
Start generating ideas by watching the webinar CPA:
The Value of Articulating Your Value that provides
practical tips and insights from other CPA practitioners
on communicating value.
Hear directly from clients by facilitating a Client
Satisfaction Survey – use this to gauge how the firm
is doing and identify areas for improvement so you
retain the clients you have worked so hard to get in the
first place.
Members of your staff are likely giving technical
presentations to clients and potential clients.
Incorporate additional slides into the presentation that
build the firm’s brand and also the CPA credential – the
CPAs vs. Unlicensed Tax Preparers PowerPoint can
be tailored and included for this purpose.
PCPS member firms – walk through practical strategies
in the You Are the Value Workshop to help everyone
in the firm articulate why they are uniquely qualified to
help clients address their problems and achieve their
goals. This exercise will help those in the firm truly
understand what your firm does best and the firm’s
overarching business beliefs and client successes, as
well as define the process on how the firm works with
clients – setting the overall expectations when meeting
with clients. You and your professional team can show
up at the initial client meeting and represent the firm in
a way that resonates with the client.
© 2012 American Institute of CPAs®. All rights reserved.
Tools and Resources
Toolkit Resources:

“CPA: The Value of Articulating Your Value”
Webinar

Client Satisfaction Survey

“CPAs vs. Unlicensed Tax Preparers”
PowerPoint
Additional Resources:
PCPS You Are the Value Workshop (Developed
from Leo Pusateri’s book You Are the Value:
Define Your Worth, Differentiate Your CPA Firm,
Own your Market written specifically for CPAs)
Step
Action
Description
Owner
5
Identify resources
and strategies to
help you stay top of
mind with your tax
clients, reach out to
them throughout the
year and enhance
your client
development and
retention efforts.
These resources are available for your use during tax
season and year-round. Regularly communicate with
clients on a variety of tax-related subjects using
different media and channels to maintain and deepen
those relationships. Tips on using these resources and
how to get started can be found in the Making Your
Voice Heard, Tax Season and Beyond Guide.
[Assigned
owner or task
force]
Stay front and center with your clients with the CPA
Value and Tax Blubs highlighting important tax topics
reminding clients to contact the firm and showcasing
the firm’s expertise and value. Tailor them with your
firm’s name and use them in client newsletters, emails
or on your website. Also, weave these key messages
into your branded client-facing materials to reinforce
your firm's value and the unique qualifications of your
CPAs.
Either incorporate the key messages into your existing
branded marketing collateral, or add your firm’s logo
and contact information to these professionally
designed brochures such as Preparing for Life’s Most
Important Moments. Templated PowerPoint
presentations are also available for you to tailor for
client facing lunch-and-learn meetings. Also, remind
your clients of the value of working with a CPA with the
‘Preparing for Life’s Important Moments’
customizable brochure.
Furthermore, connect with clients via the firm’s social
media outlets. Choose from a selection of themed,
technical and general Social Media posts for LinkedIn,
Facebook or Twitter and stay connected with all your
important audiences.
© 2012 American Institute of CPAs®. All rights reserved.
Tools and Resources
Toolkit Resources:

“Making Your Voice Heard, Tax Season and
Beyond” Guide

CPA Value and Tax Blurbs for your website or
client newsletter

Key Messages

“Preparing for Life’s Important Moments”
Brochure

Social Media posts

Total Tax Insights Calculator (backgrounder,
one-pager, logo and description)
Additional Resources:

Tax Section E-alerts (for news of tax laws
changes and advocacy initiatives that may be
worth mentioning to clients and prospects)
Step
Action
Description
Owner
Tools and Resources
The Total Tax Insights™ calculator materials are
another excellent way of deepening client relationships
and fostering further discussions about financial
planning. Read the backgrounder to learn more about
it. Introduce the calculator during a client meeting using
the one-pager, Taxes and the Big Picture, or include
it as a mailing.
Include the Total Tax Insights calculator logo along with
the description in your next client newsletter or place
them on your website so your clients can click through
and learn about all the various taxes they pay and their
estimated amounts. They will see this as a value add,
and reinforcement of your firm’s commitment to serving
the public interest.
6
Amp up your client
acquisition efforts.
Here are some tools to complement your current
marketing strategies, which can be tailored for your
specific audiences and areas of expertise. Tips on
using these resources and how to get started can be
found in the Making Your Voice Heard, Tax Season
and Beyond Guide.
Weave these key messages into your marketing
materials to promote your firm's value and the unique
qualifications of your CPAs.
Customize a professionally designed PowerPoint:
Preparing for Life’s Most Important Moments when
presenting to groups at industry and chamber
meetings, or other networking events. Another
opportunity is educating the public on the variety of
taxes they pay and introducing them to the Total Tax
Insights calculator.
© 2012 American Institute of CPAs®. All rights reserved.
[Assigned
owner or task
force]
Toolkit Resources:

“Making Your Voice Heard, Tax Season and
Beyond” Guide

Key Messages

Preparing for Life’s Most Important Moments
(PPT)
Step
6
Action
Description
The PowerPoint presentation, A Clear View of Your
Taxes Can Give You Insights into Your Financial
Picture, will help you do this and showcase the public
service work of CPAs. Also, remind prospects of the
value of working with a CPA with the Preparing for
Life’s Important Moments customizable brochure.
Attract new clients with the Social Media posts for
LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Additionally, expand
your client acquisition efforts with these sample
Google AdWords.
Owner
Tools and Resources

A Clear View of Your Taxes Can Give You
Insights into Your Financial Picture

“Preparing for Life’s Important Moments”
Brochure

Social Media Posts

Google AdWords

Printed Advertisements
You have options for placing printed advertisements
focused on the individual tax client and small business
owner.

Media Advisory Template
Finally, the Media Advisory Template may provide
further support in being a resource for reporters and
includes possible tax topics that you can tailor for your
areas of expertise.
Additional Resources:
© 2012 American Institute of CPAs®. All rights reserved.
CPA Marketing Toolkit Resources