This summer has found Epic Trust’s tax team reflecting on this past tax season and developing new ways to better serve client needs in 2024.
Some of our newer clients might not know this, but the founders of Epic Trust’s tax division have been providing personalized tax and accounting services since 1979. Ron Burt and his son, Nathan Burt, decided to join with other financial firms to form Epic Trust so that together they could address the full spectrum of a client’s financial needs, from tax prep to investing to insurance.
Having these resources housed under one roof has given the Epic Trust team enhanced opportunities to connect with clients old and new and more comprehensively help them with their financial picture.
The joining together of multiple businesses hasn’t been without growing pains though, and the tax team has received feedback from clients who say it’s not as personable of an experience as it used to be. We hear you!
Despite Epic Trust’s growth, something we aren’t willing to sacrifice is that personal connection with our clients. In fact, it’s integral to a business that is, by its nature, very personal. The more we can get to know our clients on a personal level, the better we can understand their unique tax situations, the better questions we can ask and the better we can anticipate their needs.
Tax season is tough because it’s only three short months from the beginning of the new year until it’s time to file and it’s when the majority of clients need our attention most. It can also be a stressful time for clients and tax professionals alike as unexpected circumstances arise that can alter the course of returns and the amount owed—both in tax preparation fees and to the IRS.
So, the Epic Trust team asked the question: How can we change that?
We’re excited to announce that we’ve come up with a solution that’s a win-win for both clients and our hardworking tax professionals.
We have rolled out three levels of service memberships for our current clients that will enable clients to better prepare for the upcoming tax season and for Epic Trust’s tax professionals to better address client needs leading into tax season.
Clients at all levels of service memberships will be invited to monthly workshops covering a variety of topics in the area of personal or business finances. It will be an educational experience for all who attend, but perhaps more importantly it will be a chance to connect with our tax advisors throughout the year for general questions.
Most clients have not already selected a service tier and will be enrolled at the Essential level for basic tax preparation. What’s changing, is that instead of paying a lump sum for preparation fees and what you might owe to the IRS at the time of filing, all client members will be placed on a monthly payment plan, allowing clients to pay this cost gradually at no extra charge. The monthly payment amount will vary by each client and will be calculated based on previous years’ returns and adjusted for inflation. Clients can still, of course, opt to pay in full ahead of tax season.
We decided to implement this new service model based on feedback from our clients that they would like to have the flexibility to spread out their payment and we believe it will benefit all clients.
We also received feedback that clients would like to be able touch base with us more often throughout the year for strategic tax planning and individualized support, rather than waiting until tax season to find out how their taxes are going to play out.
In addition to providing monthly workshops, another solution was to create two higher levels of membership service for clients to choose from that provide more frequent meetings. The Full Support level includes everything at the Essential level, as well as provides clients with IRS response services and an additional tax advisory meeting in the fall before tax season gets underway. At the Premium level, clients have access to quarterly strategy meetings to manage their tax liability throughout the year.
We are confident our new services will help restore that personal touch our clients have come to love about us, while also giving clients a choice of service options to suit their unique needs.
While Epic Trust’s tax team is in the process of adapting operations to this new model, we won’t be taking on any new clients this tax season so that we can ensure a smooth transition for our current clients and continue to rekindle that personal touch. We also will no longer be accepting customers for one-time tax preparation, only for financial planning, investment management, insurance and business accounting/payroll needs.
You’re bound to have some questions after reading this, so feel free to reach out to our tax team. We have more resources coming soon that will help explain our new services more in depth, so watch your mailbox and your email inbox for more information that we will be sending out shortly. We have released a video and introduced a new page to the Epic Trust website devoted to explaining the new services. Check that out here. Informational workshops are also in development to be held this fall to answer questions.
Whether you’re a newer client or been with us for decades, thank you for trusting the seasoned team here at Epic Trust to take care of your taxes. We look forward to serving our clients in this new way and continuing to improve our services as we look to the upcoming tax season and beyond.
