Ready-to-use scripts
New Client Inquiry
Thank you for calling [Firm Name], this is [Name]. Are you an existing client or is this your first time reaching out? ... Welcome. Can I ask what kind of tax help you're looking for? Personal returns, business taxes, or something else? I'll take down your name and number and have one of our advisors call you back to discuss the details.
Existing Client / Document Follow-Up
Hi, [Firm Name], this is [Name]. How can I help you today? ... Sure, let me pull up your file. Can you confirm your full name? Are you calling about your [current year] return, or is this about a different matter? If you have documents to send over, I can give you the email or let you know what we still need.
Deadline / Urgent Filing
Thanks for calling [Firm Name]. Is this about an upcoming filing deadline? ... Okay, what's the deadline date? And has any of the prep work been started, or are we starting fresh? Let me get your name and number. I'll flag this as time-sensitive and have someone reach out today.
General Question / Pricing
Hi, [Firm Name], this is [Name]. What can I help you with? ... I understand you have a question about our fees. Our pricing depends on the complexity of the return and the services you need. I can take your details and have an advisor give you a quote after a brief conversation. Would that work?
Callback Request
Thanks for calling [Firm Name]. Our advisors are currently in meetings. Can I take your name and phone number? What's the best time to reach you? And if you can give me a one-line summary of what you're calling about, that'll help us prepare before we call you back.
Customization tips
Never give tax advice on the phone during the initial call. Your team isn't covered by professional liability for off-the-cuff guidance to unknown callers. Stick to information gathering: name, contact info, type of service needed, and any relevant deadlines. The actual advice happens in a formal consultation.
The Phone Call That Starts Every Client Relationship
For most tax advisors, the first contact with a new client is a phone call. Someone got a letter from the IRS. Their business grew and they need proper bookkeeping. They moved to a new state and don’t know the filing requirements. Whatever the reason, they pick up the phone before they do anything else.
That call is a qualification moment for both sides. The caller is deciding whether your firm sounds competent and trustworthy. You’re figuring out whether their needs match your services. A good phone greeting makes both of those assessments happen fast.
The challenge for tax firms is that phone calls spike dramatically during certain months. January through April is relentless. Extension deadlines in October bring another wave. And year-end planning calls start coming in November. Your team needs a system that handles the volume without dropping the quality of each interaction.
Types of Calls a Tax Office Gets
New Client Inquiries
These callers don’t know your firm yet. They found you on Google, got a referral, or saw your name somewhere. They’re shopping around and comparing you to two or three other options.
What they need from this first call:
- Confirmation that you handle their type of tax situation
- A sense of your availability (especially if their deadline is close)
- A general idea of cost (not a binding quote)
- A clear next step (consultation, email documents, callback)
The scripts above handle this by gathering basic information without committing to advice. That’s the right boundary. Professional liability exists for a reason, and the front desk should never be the place where tax guidance starts.
Existing Client Calls
Your current clients call for specific reasons: they have a question about a deduction, they need to send documents, they want a status update on their return, or they have a life event that affects their taxes (new home, new baby, inheritance, business sale).
These calls should be fast and helpful. Pull up their file, address the question, and route them to the right person if it’s beyond what the front desk can handle. The key is making them feel like they’re known, not like they’re calling a call center.
Deadline-Driven Calls
Some callers are panicking. Their filing deadline is in three days and they haven’t started. Or they just realized they missed an estimated payment. These calls need to be triaged quickly:
- Identify the deadline. What exactly is due, and when?
- Assess the current state. Is there any prep work done, or is this from scratch?
- Get contact details. Name, number, email for document exchange.
- Set a same-day callback. Deadline-driven callers won’t wait 48 hours for a response.
Treating these calls with urgency, even when it’s the caller’s fault for waiting, builds loyalty. The client who calls in a panic and gets calm, organized help becomes a multi-year relationship.
Fee and Pricing Questions
“How much do you charge?” is one of the most common first questions. The honest answer is “it depends,” but that response feels evasive. Instead, give ranges for common services:
- Personal returns: $200 to $500 depending on complexity
- Small business returns: $500 to $1,500 depending on entity type
- Bookkeeping: monthly retainer starting at $X
Then redirect to a consultation: “I’d love to give you a more specific number. Can we set up a quick call with one of our advisors to go over your situation?” This turns a pricing question into a qualified lead.
Tax Season Phone Management
During peak months, your phone becomes a bottleneck. Every advisor is buried in returns. The front desk is fielding 50 calls a day. Response times slip. Clients get frustrated.
Practical strategies that work:
Batch your callbacks. Instead of returning calls throughout the day, block two 30-minute windows for callbacks. This protects deep work time while keeping response times reasonable.
Triage by deadline. Not all calls are equal. Someone with an April 15 deadline and no return started gets a same-day callback. Someone asking about next year’s planning can wait 48 hours.
Use an AI assistant for overflow. Safina picks up when your team can’t. It asks the caller’s name, what service they need, whether they have an upcoming deadline, and whether they’re a new or existing client. Then it sends you a structured summary. No tax advice given, just clean data capture. Plans start at $11.99/month.
During the off-season, you can use the same scripts for general inquiries and year-end planning calls. Browse our voicemail greeting templates for when nobody’s available to answer, or the holiday message scripts for seasonal closures. More templates are available in the full script library, and you can see how law firms (a related professional service) handle their phones. Check out industry solutions for a broader look.
