A frustrated accountant in an office looking at his laptop during tax season, symbolizing the stress of underpricing work.
Pricing and Profitability for Accounting Firms

How To Properly Price Prospects Coming To You For Next Tax Season

Colin Dunn
October 25, 2025
3
minute read

Every accounting firm wants better clients, better margins, and less chaos.  

But most start in the wrong place…by pricing ‘to be competitive’.

Real change starts long before the proposal. It starts with how you diagnose—not what you charge.

Shift from Quoting to Understanding

When you quote too soon, you anchor low. And when you price after the fact—time × rate—you already know you’ll discount it. The story in your head says, ‘the client won’t pay that,’ and you quietly write it down 15%).

When you slow down, you uncover real needs and real value and that gives you the confidence you need to premium price upfront.

Start the conversation with:

Let’s understand what’s happening in your business first.”

That simple shift moves you from vendor to advisor, which is where premium pricing begins.

Change the Rules That Hold You Back

If you want different results, stop playing by old rules.

Here’s what the top Renew firms are doing:

  • They qualify clients before they even consider sending a proposal (target clients only).
  • They get paid for upfront assessments, rather than doing clean-up work for free.
  • They lead pricing conversations with confidence and clarity.
  • When they set a price, it’s a double-fist-pump price where the client believes they are getting great value and the accountant is delighted with the reward they get for helping to create that value.

Get Paid to Diagnose

Free cleanups and “quick looks” don’t help anyone. Top firms now start all new clients with a paid assessment so that they can understand what the client has and how well their situation and their records align with the firm’s processes before they start any work.

It’s a Peer-to-Peer Relationship

Premium pricing depends on mutual respect. You are not subservient to the client. You are an equal. The processes you use need to be reflective of that status. That’s why the best client relationships start with both parties signing a Mutual Commitment Statement.

You commit to integrity, responsiveness, and clear communication.
Your clients commit to openness, deadlines, and collaboration.

It provides clarity and alignment before you accept the client into your firm.

The Mutual Commitment Statement and the Assessment Process are just two of over 350 document templates written by accountants for accountants in the Renew Member Vault. Having access to resources like this fast-tracks your progress and means you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

The Result

When you slow down, you build trust.
When you diagnose, you differentiate your process AND your firm (no-one else is doing it that way).

When you align, you build your business model around target clients.

When you do all of that, you wind up with fewer hours, increased profitability and better clients.

👉 Schedule Your Discovery Call Now

Learn how Renew’s Pricing Reset Methodology can help your firm price with confidence, attract target clients, and stop the madness of tax season. There’s still time to make a big difference before January rolls around again when you act now.

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