Tax season marketing plan: a 12-week playbook for tax preparers and CPA firms

Tax season is short, crowded and unforgiving. In 2026 the IRS opened the filing season on January 26 and expected about 164 million individual returns before the April deadline (IRS). Most of your year’s demand arrives in a few weeks, exactly when you have the least time to market.

The answer is to do the marketing before the season, so that in February your calendar fills itself. Here’s a 12-week playbook, counting back from the day filing season opens.

The 12-week plan at a glance

Weeks before opening	Focus	Key actions
12–10	Foundations	Fix Google profile, website, booking and tracking
9–7	Reputation	Review push, referral asks, partner outreach
6–4	Past clients	Reactivation campaign with early booking
3–1	New clients	Search ads, local pages, offer for new clients
Season	Conversion	Five-minute replies, reminders, review requests

Weeks 12–10: foundations

Fix the things every prospect will check.

Google Business Profile. Make sure your categories, hours (including extended tax-season hours), services, photos and booking link are complete. Add a post about your season dates.

Website. Your homepage should say who you help, what you do and how to book, above the fold on a phone. Add a “Tax season” page with your services, what to bring, turnaround times and how pricing works.

Online booking. Let people book a slot without calling. Offer different appointment types: drop-off, in-person, virtual and business returns.

Tracking. Decide how you’ll count inquiries, booked appointments and new clients by source. A simple spreadsheet is enough.

Weeks 9–7: reputation and referrals

Prospects compare ratings before they call. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 74% of consumers looked for reviews from the last three months (BrightLocal), so reviews from last season start to look stale by now.

• Ask last season’s happy clients for a review with a direct link. Ask everyone, not just the people you expect to be positive; selectively asking only happy clients breaks Google’s review policy.
• Contact referral partners (bankers, real estate agents, financial advisors and attorneys) with your season dates and a simple way to send clients.
• Prepare a “refer a friend” message for later in the season.

Weeks 6–4: bring last year’s clients back

This is the highest-return work in the whole plan. Last year’s clients already trust you, but some will try software or a cheaper option unless you reach them first.

Segment your list:

• Clients who filed with you last year
• Clients who skipped last year but filed the year before
• Business clients with earlier deadlines

Send a short sequence:

1. Early December: “Your appointment for this season is ready to book,” with a booking link and the document checklist.
2. Mid-December: a reminder for anyone who hasn’t booked.
3. Early January: a personal call or text to high-value clients who still haven’t booked.

Keep it personal and useful. A checklist of what to gather is more welcome than a sales pitch.

Weeks 3–1: reach new clients

Now turn on the channels that bring in people who’ve never heard of you.

Search ads. Target clear-intent searches like “tax preparer near me,” “small business tax preparation” and “file taxes for self-employed.” Send each ad group to a matching page with a booking button. Search ads in finance are costly, and WordStream’s 2025 benchmarks show finance and insurance had the lowest conversion rate of any industry (Search Engine Land), so your landing page and reply speed matter more than your budget.

Local pages. Publish pages for your core services and areas, such as “self-employed tax returns in [city].”

A new-client offer. Instead of discounting, consider a guaranteed appointment window, a free review of last year’s return, or a fixed price for simple returns.

During the season: convert and keep

Reply in minutes. Inquiries in February are urgent. Firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly 7 times more likely to qualify it (HBR). Decide who answers new inquiries during peak weeks.

Cut no-shows with reminders. A meta-analysis of 21 studies found digital reminders reduced no-shows by about a quarter, from roughly 21% to 15% (BMJ Open). Send a reminder two days before and on the morning of the appointment, with the document checklist.

Ask for reviews at the right moment. The best time is right after you file, or when the refund arrives.

Book next year before they leave. Offer extension clients and business clients a follow-up appointment while you’re still top of mind.

Rules to keep in mind

• Advertising. Paid preparers need a valid PTIN, and IRS Circular 230 bars false or misleading advertising, including implying IRS endorsement. Never use IRS logos.
• Texting. Marketing texts generally require prior express written consent under the TCPA. Appointment reminders to clients who booked are handled differently from promotions, but keep records either way.
• Email. Promotional emails must follow CAN-SPAM: a clear sender, an honest subject line, your physical address and a working unsubscribe link.

What to do this week

1. Write down the date the next filing season is expected to open and count back 12 weeks.
2. Export last year’s client list and mark who didn’t return.
3. Check your Google profile hours and booking link.
4. Draft the December reactivation email.
5. Decide who will answer new inquiries in peak weeks.