Tax season in the US is no joke—tax pros are juggling 52 weeks of work in just 10 weeks. With IRS data showing that around 90.3 million tax returns were filed in 2024, the pressure on tax professionals is real. Add in the shortage of accountants and the need to get everything done in a short time frame. Bringing in an offshore tax preparation team becomes a no-brainer.
But how exactly do you use an offshore tax prep team for high-volume returns? And why is there such a high volume of returns to begin with?
In this blog, we’ll break it all down—from why you need an offshore team to the key things to watch for when partnering with one. Let’s dive in.
No matter how streamlined a tax season workflow is or how competent the tax professionals are, US-based tax firms will always face high volumes of tax returns.
Here’s why:
The US tax system is notoriously complex. With numerous deductions, credits, and constantly shifting regulations, tax planning becomes a challenge. The potential for errors increases dramatically for anyone not well-versed in taxes. To steer clear of complications with the IRS, many individuals—even those with a simple 1040 tax prep —opt not to file their own returns and instead turn to professionals. This results in a surge of returns, each demanding careful attention and expert knowledge.
“The complexity of the U.S. Tax Code leads many filers to make more serious mistakes.” –
Deborah H. Schenk, Ronald and Marilynn Grossman Professor of Taxation Emerita
Tax filing deadlines, especially the concentrated April 15th deadline, drive a massive surge in demand for tax preparation services. This creates a high volume of returns that need to be processed in a very short period, putting significant pressure on tax professionals.
The rise of the gig economy and the increase in self-employment have fueled a growing need for tax preparation services, especially for individuals with complex and diverse income streams.
Additionally, the booming startup ecosystem and increased venture capital investment have created a higher demand for S Corp Tax Preparation Services and C Corp Tax Preparation Services.
The accounting industry is facing a serious talent shortage. A Wall Street Journal report revealed that over 300,000 accountants left their roles between 2019 and 2021. Meanwhile, enrollment in accounting programs has been steadily declining for the past six years.
This shortage is twofold: fewer new CPAs are entering the field, while many experienced professionals are retiring or shifting to other careers. Entry-level accounting jobs such as Tax Prep are being overlooked in favor of more appealing opportunities in other sectors, further exacerbating the burnout and strain on the industry.
Tax firms face a range of operational challenges – from poor client management systems, clients delaying document submission, and uneven work distribution during tax season, to the lack of automation. These issues pile on, turning an already stressful situation into a complete nightmare.
Let’s break this down with the time and work concept:
Imagine you have 100 units to complete. One person can make 2 units per day, meaning it will take 50 days to finish the job. But what if the deadline is only 10 days away?
What do you do? You hire more people, right?
But what if no one else in town is eligible of doing the work? The solution? You bring in workers from outside the town. To meet the deadline, you’ll need to deploy five workers instead of one.
The same logic applies to tax season. The work isn’t going anywhere, and the time isn’t increasing. It’s a seasonal crunch. So, you need to prepare and bring in extra hands to get the job done.
With the talent shortage being nationwide, sometimes you need to look beyond your borders. Offshore tax prep staff are your solution to meeting deadlines without sacrificing quality.
Tax firms have experimented with offshore tax prep teams—some have had success, others haven’t. I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s important to clarify: there’s nothing inherently wrong with offshoring. The issue typically comes down to one of two things: either the offshore partner hasn’t fully mastered outsourcing, or your tax firm isn’t yet “offshore ready.”
The ones with positive outcomes have had limited benefits by hiring tax preparers only. The key is not just to outsource the preparation work, but the entire process.
Reviewing returns is also time-consuming. When you bring in offshore tax preparers with an integrated team—both preparers and reviewers—you streamline the workflow.
With both roles offshore, the returns you receive will be closer to a finished state, meaning less time spent reviewing and more time spent delivering high-quality service to your clients.
Not all tax returns are created equal. Here’s how they break down:
The complexity of a return depends on factors like:
To optimize your process, it’s crucial to assess the complexity of each return and communicate that with your offshore tax service provider. A solid offshore tax partner will allocate staff based on the varying levels of complexity, ensuring that simple and moderate returns are handled efficiently.
Also, providing support for those more complex cases. With the right offshore tax prep team, you can keep everything running smoothly, no matter how challenging the return.
Returns have outcome-based pricing. An offshore tax prep staff that can help with complex returns too will give an added advantage in managing the high volume of tax returns.
At Credfino, we run test projects for new clients to ensure the perfect fit. Schedule a call to know more.
One of the smartest ways to avoid getting overwhelmed during tax season is by partnering with an offshore tax team, but don’t wait until tax season to test them out. Run a test project first.
Your tax firm handles a mix of returns: 1040 prep, S Corp returns, Form 1116, multiple 1099s, etc. Before diving into the busy season, conduct a “test run” to see if your offshore team truly understands the variety of returns in your pipeline.
Based on the capabilities of both your offshore and onshore teams, pre-determine which returns should be handled offshore and which should stay onshore. For example, assign straightforward returns like 1040s to the offshore team while keeping the more complex returns, like S Corp or Form 1116, with your in-house team.
You’ve found your dream offshore tax preparation team—but if you haven’t signed the retainer or hired them in advance, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.
Here’s why: come tax season, your offshore team might already be committed to other firms, leaving you without support when you need it most. Hiring and securing them ahead of time ensures that they’re available when you need them and not booked elsewhere.
Plus, bringing them on early gives you the chance to train your offshore team to your specific standards and processes. This proactive approach minimizes errors and sets you up for a smoother, more efficient tax season.
The high volume of tax returns is bound to happen. Having a reliable offshore tax prep team can save you from a lot of troubles – employee burnout, staff churn, influx of work, missed deadlines, etc to name a few.
You have got to make a decision, whether you want to cope with the high volume of tax returns with ease (with offshore staff) or with stress (in staff shortage)
At Credfino, we’re here to help accounting firms unlock the power of offshore support. As a trusted Offshore Accounting Services Provider, we’re already helping over 100 CPAs and tax firms across the U.S. and Canada build efficient, scalable remote teams.
We specialize in creating dedicated teams that seamlessly integrate with your firm’s culture and values—saving you the hassle of hiring, training, and managing staff abroad.
Ready to scale your firm without the stress? Reach out to Credfino today and discover how we can help you grow with a skilled, reliable offshore tax preparation team.
Tax firms planning 1040 outsourcing to India often come across myths like quality of work, legality concerns etc. This blog is all about facts!
Tax firms planning 1040 outsourcing to India often come across myths like quality of work, legality concerns etc. This blog is all about facts!
When offshore tax preparation doesn’t work, it’s rarely one-sided. The challenges often stem from both the tax firm and the staffing partner.