Accounting & tax firm phone script
A phone script for CPA, bookkeeping and tax practices: new-client questions, tax-season calls, IRS or CRA letters, document requests and the after-hours message.
Your business: phone script
Greeting
“Thank you for calling [Business name], this is [your name]. How can I help you today?”
Smile when you answer: it can be heard. Get the caller's name early and use it once or twice.
New clients
“Happy to help. Is this your first time contacting [Business name]?”
Then ask, in a natural order:
• May I have your name and the best number and email to reach you?
• Is this for personal taxes, a business, or both?
• Which services are you looking for: tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, tax planning, or help with a notice?
• For a business: what type of entity is it, and roughly how many employees?
• Is there a deadline we should know about?
Next step: take their preferred days and times, and let them know we'll confirm by the same business day.
“Thank you, [name]. We look forward to seeing you.”
Existing clients
“Of course. May I have your full name and the best number to reach you?”
“And what is this about?”
If the person they need is available, transfer the call. If not, take a message (format below) and say:
“I'll make sure they get this. You can expect a call back the same business day.”
Booking & rescheduling
To book: take their preferred days and times, and let them know we'll confirm by the same business day.
To reschedule or cancel: confirm the caller's name and the consultation they have, offer two alternative times, and confirm the change back to them.
Always repeat the final day, date and time before ending the call.
Urgent calls
Treat it as urgent if the caller mentions:
• a letter from the IRS or CRA with a response date
• a filing or payment deadline in the next few days
• a payroll problem affecting this week's pay run
Then: transfer the call to the on-call person straight away.
“I understand this is urgent. I'm getting this to the right person now.”
Billing questions
Take the caller's name, account or invoice number and question, and pass it to whoever handles billing.
Don't take card numbers over the phone unless you have a secure way to process them.
Sales calls & spam
“Thanks for calling. The best way to reach the right person is by email. May I take your name, company and email?”
Don't transfer sales calls, and don't confirm who makes buying decisions.
Message format
Every message has: caller name · phone · email (if given) · new or existing client · reason for the call · urgent yes/no · best time to call back · time of call.
Never
• Give tax advice or estimate a refund
• Share a client's information with anyone not authorised
• Ask callers to read out full social security or tax ID numbers unless your process requires it
After-hours message
“Thank you for calling [Business name]. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If this is urgent, please stay on the line or press 1 and we'll get your message to the on-call person. Otherwise, please leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back the same business day.”
Voicemail greeting
“You've reached [Business name]. We're sorry we missed you. Please leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and we'll get back to you the same business day.”
Add a line for the question you're asked most in tax season, for example "When will my return be ready?", so the person answering can resolve it without a callback.
Your own numbers, nothing assumed.
Why every accounting & tax firm needs a phone script
During tax season the phones never stop, and most calls are the same few questions. A good script answers those quickly and qualifies new clients: individual or business, which services, entity type, deadlines. It also flags the calls that really matter, like a notice from the IRS or CRA with a response date. Fill in your services and hours, and use it for your front desk or a seasonal answering service.
Scripts for your industry
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Questions
What should an accounting firm receptionist ask new clients?
Contact details, personal or business, the services needed, entity type and size for businesses, and any deadlines or notices.
How should calls about IRS or CRA letters be handled?
Treat them as priority. Take the caller's details, the type of notice, the date on the letter and the response deadline, and get them to an accountant quickly.
Do accounting firms use answering services in tax season?
Many do, so overflow calls are answered, routine questions are handled from the script, and new-client enquiries are captured instead of lost to voicemail.