There are tasks you've been doing the same way since you opened your firm. Not because they're the best way to do them, but because that's how they've always been done. They seem like an inevitable part of the job: tedious, yes, but necessary.
The problem is that "we've always done it this way" has a cost. And it's not small. When you add up the hours your team spends on repetitive tasks that could be automated, the number is alarming. We're not talking about minutes per day. We're talking about weeks per year.
These are the five tasks that consume the most time at tax firms and, in most cases, are still being done by hand.
1. Tracking tax deadlines
The tax calendar is relentless. Monthly, quarterly, annual filings. Obligations that change depending on the client, the tax regime, the jurisdiction. And at many firms, the tracking system is still a manually updated Excel spreadsheet, Outlook calendar reminders, or worse, the memory of whoever's keeping count.
The time it consumes isn't just about marking dates. It's about checking that nothing slips through, chasing clients to send documentation on time, managing the stress of a deadline falling through the cracks.
An automated tracking system doesn't just send advance warnings. It can trigger reminders to clients, escalate internally if there's no response, and give you real-time visibility into which obligations are at risk. Without depending on someone remembering.
Typical time lost: 3-5 hours weekly between tracking, verification, and managing surprises.
2. Extracting data from documents
Invoices, certificates, acknowledgments of receipt, prior returns. Each client sends dozens of documents that someone has to open, review, and transcribe into a spreadsheet or management system. Data point by data point, cell by cell.
It's work that seems simple, but consumes a disproportionate amount of time. And the worst part: it's exactly the type of task where human error shows up. A number copied wrong, a decimal in the wrong place, a document that gets misplaced. Errors that later cost hours of review or, worse, create problems with the tax authority.
Automatic extraction tools with OCR and artificial intelligence can read documents, identify the relevant fields, and dump the information directly where you need it. In seconds, not hours.
Typical time lost: 5-10 hours weekly, depending on client volume.
3. Preparing recurring reports
Every month or quarter, the same ritual: gather data from different sources, consolidate it, format it, check that it balances, generate the final document. Compliance reports, tax status summaries, client briefings.
The information already exists somewhere. The problem is that it's scattered, and someone has to pull it together manually every time. It's work that doesn't require professional judgment, just time and attention. Exactly what a machine should be doing.
An automated workflow can extract data from your systems, apply the correct format, and generate the report ready for review. Your team only steps in to validate, not to build from scratch.
Typical time lost: 4-8 hours monthly per type of recurring report.
4. Onboarding new clients
A new client means a list of documents to request, information to gather, files to create, access to configure. At many firms, this process depends on back-and-forth emails, calls to remind what's missing, and folders that someone has to organize manually.
Slow onboarding doesn't just consume internal time. It creates a first impression you don't want to give. The client perceives disorder when they have to send the same document twice because "we couldn't find it" or when no one confirms whether everything is in order.
An automated onboarding process can send the client a form with everything you need, verify that documents are complete, create the file automatically, and notify the team when everything is ready to start working.
Typical time lost: 2-4 hours per new client.
5. Answering repetitive questions
When is my next filing due? Did you already submit my annual return? Can you send me a copy of my tax status certificate? The same questions, over and over, from different clients.
Each question seems quick to answer. Two minutes, five minutes. But multiplied by dozens of clients, the time adds up. And it's not just the time spent answering: it's the constant interruption that fragments your team's work and makes it hard to concentrate on tasks that actually require analysis.
Many of these questions could be resolved with automated access to information: a portal where the client can see the status of their filings, automatic notifications when something is submitted, predefined responses for the most frequent questions.
Typical time lost: 3-6 hours weekly on questions that don't require professional judgment.
The cost you're not seeing
Let's add it up. If your firm is like most, these five tasks consume between 15 and 30 hours weekly. That's almost one full-time employee dedicated to work that doesn't generate differential value.
But the real cost isn't just time. It's what that time could be producing. Hours of strategic advisory that don't get billed because there's no room in the schedule. Clients who don't get the depth of attention they deserve. Tax optimization opportunities that no one has time to look for.
And there's another less visible cost: team burnout. Skilled professionals doing mechanical work, day after day, end up frustrated. Turnover at firms with manual processes tends to be higher, and the cost of replacing talent is significant.
Where to start
You don't need to automate everything at once. In fact, trying to transform everything at the same time usually creates more problems than solutions. The smart approach is to identify one or two tasks where the impact is immediate and the risk is low.
Deadline tracking and data extraction are usually the best starting points. They're well-defined, repetitive processes with high volume. Results show up quickly, and the team gains confidence to tackle more complex automations later.
The question isn't whether it's worth automating. It's how many more hours you're willing to lose before you do.
Want to know how much time your firm is losing on automatable tasks? We can help you do the math and identify where to start.
Contact us and book a call with our team to see how we can help.