“I’ll be more proactive about contacting prior-year clients about filing extensions as needed,” said Phyllis Jo Kubey, an enrolled agent in New York. “It would take a major infrastructure meltdown to endanger the filing process.”
Technology that tax-prep firms have long used to streamline workflow and facilitate staff mobility may now help keep filing season on track during the outbreak. Many firms are used to employing laptops, smartphones, cloud-based systems, customer relationship management software and online portals; encryption and multifactor authentication as tools for data security.
“We have the capability of having client meetings using join.me,” Primeau said, referring to an online program that allows a conference call and screen sharing for virtual face-to-face meetings. “We have had this practice in place due to our being in Minnesota, as are many of our clients. The weather for several months of the year can be very unpredictable.”
“This clearly reduces the strain on systems and spreading,” Morris added. “With electronic filing, this should be quite doable.”