Beyond Compliance: Build a 2026 Plan Clients Trust—and Happily Fund

In this Pulse of the Practice conversation, Paul Miller unpacks why the best “tax planning season” is all year long—not just Q4. With many firm initiatives already targeting 2026, Paul shares how leading firms translate today’s client conversations into concrete capacity, revenue, and staffing plans for the next 12–24 months.

Key takeaways:

• Listen for life‑event signals. Clients rarely say “I need an exit plan.” They hint at transitions—succession, burnout, relocation, health, or market shifts. Train your team to hear those cues and start planning early.
• Valuation isn’t a finish line; it’s a starting point. Regularly benchmark the business so owners can align pricing, client mix, and structure with their eventual exit timeline.
• Make planning continuous. Replace last‑minute Q4 models with a cadence of mini‑check‑ins that combine numbers with narrative: goals for the next 1–5 years, risk tolerance, and capacity constraints—both client and firm‑side.
• Charge for strategy with confidence. Longstanding relationships don’t make advisory “free.” Clarify scope, package outcomes (e.g., exit readiness, tax savings roadmap, sale prep), and communicate the value long before a transaction looms.
• Redesign roles for impact. Shift staff from “cranking numbers” to managing relationships and discovery. The result: better insights, earlier interventions, and more profitable engagements.
• Think 2026 now. If 75% of your big projects already point to 2026, formalize forecasts, staffing plans, and pricing updates today.

Whether your clients are five years from a sale or just exploring growth options, this episode shows how to move from reactive calculations to proactive advisory—without awkward money talks.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro and why planning sneaks up on firms
• 03:55 Why 2026 planning starts today
• 06:45 Spotting exit triggers in normal conversations
• 11:15 Numbers vs. life events: bringing both into planning
• 16:15 Pricing advisory in long‑term relationships
• 20:25 When to discuss valuation (and how often)
• 24:20 Turning staff into relationship managers

Keywords (primary/secondary/long‑tail) Primary: year‑round tax planning, advisory services for accounting firms, business valuation, exit planning, 2026 firm planning Secondary: CPA firm capacity planning, client discovery, pricing advisory, scope management, relationship management, revenue projections Long‑tail: how to price advisory for long‑term clients, signs a business is ready to sell, continuous tax planning vs Q4, training staff for client advisory, building a 2026 capacity plan