Blog

The #1 reason clients don’t say yes to tax planning?

5 June 2025

Clients don’t understand what tax planning is or how it saves them money. That’s why Step 4 of the TaxFitness 10-step tax planning Framework is simple: educate your clients. Here’s exactly what you need to teach them: What tax planning includes (and what it doesn’t). Their current tax position—taxable income, tax payable/refundable, and net worth…

Why free tax planning is worthless and what you should be charging

3 June 2025

Let’s be honest. When you offer free tax planning, you’re telling clients, “this isn’t worth anything,” and they know it. Here’s the truth: Tax planning is not compliance work. It’s a specialist, high-value service that requires skill, expertise, and strategic thinking. It should never be bundled in with a compliance fee, or worse, given away…

Fees and charging clients – the systematic pricing framework for accountants

29 May 2025

Let’s face it, most accountants undercharge for tax planning and advisory services. They default to an ad-hoc, hourly rate model that limits growth, undervalues expertise, and fails to reflect the true value they deliver. TaxFitness is here to change that. The new era of pricing: We teach accountants how to implement a systematic pricing model…

From spreadsheets to strategy, the evolution of tax planning tools

22 May 2025

Tax planning in Australia has come a long way. Timeline of tools 1985–2011: Microsoft Excel dominates – flexible but labour-intensive. 2012–2014: QuickBooks, MYOB, Xero Tax + XPM enter the scene – useful for compliance, not planning. 2013–2015: Tax Strategist, Change GPS, Business Fitness – better tools emerge 2017–Now: TaxFitness changes the game. Tax planning is…

Tax planning isn’t just about tax; it’s about better advice

20 May 2025

Most accountants are still reacting to tax. The best firms? They plan it. The ATO says “Tax planning… is the arrangement of financial affairs to keep taxes to a minimum.” But that’s just the starting point. At TaxFitness, we define tax planning as: The proactive and strategic structuring of a client’s financial affairs to legally…

Why most firms fail at selling advisory services

8 May 2025

Many accounting firms struggle to convert clients into tax planning or business advisory engagements. They offer valuable services, but face resistance or indifference. The core issue? They don’t truly understand their clients. Without clear insight into a client’s financial position and goals, firms pitch services that are irrelevant or poorly timed. The client disengages. The…

Similar posts you may like

  • Change to a 4-day Work Week

    A 4-day workweek, where employees work the same number of hours but are condensed into four days instead of five, has gained popularity and Read more

  • Upselling

    Upselling can involve marketing more profitable services or products, or just exposing the customer to other options that were not considered. Upselling is more Read more

  • Get paid what you’re worth

    Underpayment can significantly impact your personal finance over your career. For example, if you are underpaid by just $50 per week for 50 years, Read more

  • Tax Planning Sin 7: Inadequate Tax Planning Training

    Most practice principals meet the Tax Practitioner Board requirements of thirty hours accounting and tax training per year. Unfortunately, this is normally exclusively related Read more

"You’d be stupid not to try to cut your tax bill and those that don’t are stupid in business"

- Bono: U2