For accounting firms
Busy season tax prep support
Busy-season tax prep support gives US accounting and tax firms extra hands during filing season: source documents organized, trial balances tied out and draft return input completed in your firm's software, ready for your credentialed preparer to review and sign. Finbryn never signs or files a return.
Engagement tracker
Illustrative client · August 2026
USD
- Client file access set up under your firm's nameDone
- Monthly books prepared to your review standardDone
- Review notes cleared and loggedIn progress
- Reports sent to your partner for sign-offNext
- Year-end workpapers staged for your preparerNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
The problem this solves
Every US firm knows the shape of busy season: the weeks around the March 15 and April 15 deadlines, when partner and staff hours all point at the same pile of returns. Adding a full-time preparer for eight weeks a year rarely pencils out. Busy-season prep support is capacity you add before the deadline and scale back after it, without a hiring cycle.
What our team actually does
Work starts with organizing the source documents a client has provided: W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, prior-year returns, and the bookkeeping records behind them. We tie trial balances to supporting schedules, propose adjusting entries where the books and the return diverge, and complete input in your firm's return software so a preparer opens a file that is ready to review rather than a stack of PDFs.
Where the credentialed line sits
This is preparation support, not preparation of record. A PTIN-holding preparer at your firm reviews every file and is the one who signs and files it, whether that is a Form 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065 or 990. We do not transmit returns and we do not sign anything. Under IRC Section 7216, written client consent is collected before any tax data reaches our team, using the format required by Rev. Proc. 2013-14 for individual returns.
Firms with an EFIN requirement in mind
A firm that reasonably expects to file 11 or more individual returns in a year needs its own Authorized IRS e-file Provider status and EFIN; that requirement sits with your firm, not with us, since we never transmit a return ourselves.
Ramping up and back down
Most firms add this capacity two to three weeks before a deadline and taper it off once extensions are filed. Some keep a smaller version running through October 15, when extended C corporation and individual returns come due.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Busy season tax prep support
Who actually signs the tax return, you or us?
Your firm does. A PTIN-holding preparer on your staff reviews and signs every return; our team only builds the workpapers and draft input behind it.
Do you need client consent before touching tax data?
Yes, always. Written Section 7216 consent is collected in the required format before any client tax information reaches our team.
Can you handle both 1040 and business returns?
Yes, including 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065 and 990 workpaper preparation, all reviewed and signed by your firm's own preparers.
How quickly can capacity ramp up before April 15?
Firms typically add support two to three weeks ahead of the deadline, though the ramp depends on how much prior-year file history needs to be reviewed first.
What does busy season tax prep support actually include, month to month?
Busy season tax prep support covers source documents put in order and indexed by client and return type, along with draft workpapers built to your firm's review standard. The work runs inside QuickBooks Online, Xero, Karbon, Canopy, SmartVault or SafeSend, the file stays under your own subscription, and a senior principal reviews the output before it reaches you each period.
Does your team sign or file anything?
No. We prepare workpapers and draft input for your credentialed preparers, who review and sign every return.
Can you flex up just for filing season?
Yes. Firms typically add this capacity a few weeks before a deadline and scale it back down after.
How is busy season tax prep support priced?
Pricing for busy season tax prep support depends on your transaction volume, the software you use, and how much cleanup is needed before ongoing work starts. Current ranges are published on the pricing page, and your exact fee is confirmed in writing before anything begins.
What software works with busy season tax prep support?
Busy season tax prep support runs inside QuickBooks Online or Xero, whichever you already use. If you are not yet set up in either, we can configure a file in your name so you keep ownership of it once the engagement is under way.
Related services
- For accounting firmsReview supportA second set of eyes on files your firm has already prepared, checking ties, disclosures and workpaper completeness before they reach your partner for sign-off.
- For accounting firmsOverflow cleanup projectsFixed-scope cleanup and catch-up projects your firm can hand off when a client's books are too far behind for your own staff to absorb without disrupting other work.
Industries
- Professional servicesBookkeeping for professional service firms such as engineering, architecture and IT consulting billing clients by project or retainer.
- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.