We’re hearing it from many firms: “The Fall Deadlines have almost as much pressure as April.”
Why is this happening? Some firm leaders are saying it even has more pressure.
Because September and October is where all the cracks in your pricing and your business model get exposed.
There are no more extensions. Just hard deadlines and a late, complex, high-maintenance or slow-moving clients ignoring your systems and expecting your firm to make it all happen
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A partner in a public accounting firm we spoke with recently told us:
“April is chaos, but it’s structured chaos. September is where all the unpredictable stuff lands and it’s always the same clients.”
These are not target clients. They’re not paying for access or ongoing support (seriously, how much have you given away for free over the years?). They’ve been unintentionally trained that you’ll absorb the stress, figure it out, and send an invoice later…assuming you get around to that.
If your team is struggling during the fall deadlines, it’s likely not a capacity issue. It’s much more likely to be a pricing issue combined with a failure to dictate the terms of the client relationship.
When you don’t set boundaries, clarify scope, or price for access, you create a model where your best people spend their time on your underperforming clients.
As we’re hearing from firms participating in our Pricing Reset series, this is the silent decay of firm morale, retention, and strategic growth:
At Renew, we see the same pattern over and over. Accounting firms who have traditionally billed hourly, in arrears move to upfront pricing (they usually refer to it as ‘fixed fees’ – not a term we endorse).
But that’s just step one.
Upfront pricing based on estimated hours still anchors your value to time, not outcomes. Packaged pricing is where accountants stop doing free work and start getting paid for access.
To really reset expectations and protect your team, you need to climb the Pricing Evolution ladder. There are two key steps you can take, and the first one is low-hanging fruit you can implement before next tax season.
1. Packaged Pricing
For clients who aren’t ready for a full subscription, create bundled offers with clear scope and built-in access limits.
Perfect for fall cleanup jobs or those “quick question” clients.
2. Subscription Pricing
For some clients, bundle tax, accounting, advisory, and access into one monthly agreement, priced on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Ultimately, these are the clients you want more of, but you don’t need to do everything at once. For many firms, packaged pricing is the place to start.
September is almost over. You still have 10/15 approaching. Next tax season will come faster than you think. You have a window right after 10/15 to make meaningful changes before the cycle repeats.
If you can block out just 4 hours a week between 10/15 and the end of the year and follow our step-by-step blueprint (with one-on-one coaching), you’ll see a significant difference in your next tax season.
It’s about:
* The following post on Accounting Reddit was a partial influence for this blog…is this what your best team members are thinking?
“I was still very bullish on my career and plans to make partner. Then, 4 years and 2 promotions later I was so burnt out. I went from working 5055 hours the 2 weeks before 9/15 to working an average of 80 hours for the 4 weeks leading up to 9/15.”
The whole point of our Pricing Reset program is to help you reset expectations, pricing, and positioning before the end of the year.
It isn’t a lecture. It’s a practical, guided reset, shaped around collaboration with other Renew firms. We show you the exact language, packaged pricing examples, scripts, and templates that you will need to communicate the changes you make.
If you wait until January, it’s already too late. Whether your goal is strategic growth, capacity, or team retention, pricing is the key, and it is the most effective lever you can pull.
Without it, you’ll be fixing symptoms, not root causes.
✅ Sneak peek: Join the next Pricing Reset session on October 21st, 1pm Pacific
✅ Join over 60 public accounting firms already working through this reset with Renew
✅ Hear real examples from people in your shoes
About Renew: Renew helps public accountants across North America transform, grow strategically and drive profitability in their firms by creating value for the right clients with the right services, at the right price, so that you and your team can work less. Renew Group LLC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.
