Busy as an Accountant in Busy Season

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• January-March 2007 Issue
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Tools To Make You More Effective & Efficient

From the January-March 2007 Issue & 2007 Tax Season Survival Guide

It’s that time of year — time for tax, audit, new business plans, new technology implementation and the cold of winter spreading over the northern half of the United States. If I had a choice of all the previously listed items, I would probably choose winter. On the realistic side of life, however, is the fact that tax and accounting practitioners have many things to do during what has become affectionately known as “Busy Season.”

You have a lot to do, despite your specialty, client load and commitments. This article highlights various quality technology tools that can be found, obtained and implemented NOW, and any of these products can make your work more effective. You’ll notice that we did not provide you with a glossary of all printers or all laptops or all cell phones available — not every product in every category is included. With time at a premium, the information is presented to give you a few good ideas that you can use now — usable, useful products that can make your voyage through busy season a little easier.

You’ll also notice no mention of the Vista operating system and Office 2007 in this article. Even though Microsoft will be shipping these products early in 2007, I strongly recommended that you wait until after busy season to determine when you want to install these substantial upgrades.

Detail specifications for each product included in this article can be located at various websites or in company or magazine reviews. All products mentioned in this article are available in the United States, and all prices provided are estimated retail prices. Specials, sales, rebates and warehouse stores will likely offer different prices.

PRINTERS
You need printing capacity to handle the additional volume created during busy season, and you need to have at least laser print quality. The availability of color can be helpful when printing reports, especially with graphs or images. Color also enhances spreadsheets and financial statements when colors like red need to be identified. Certainly, it makes it easier to read. Using a color laser jet in your office is not overkill. The printers are small enough for a desktop, but they may be a bit noisy. Whatever printer you choose to use, make sure that you have at least one spare toner cartridge in-house. It isn’t worth the risk to see if your current cartridge will last until you can get to a store and purchase replacement ink. Also, keep in mind that when printing with color printers, the cost per page for color is five times that of the black and white page. When printing paper drafts, use black rather than color.

HP Color Laser (1600, 2600, 3600) — $300 - $500
This printer comes in three models. Besides the price difference of $100 per model, you’ll notice a difference in the feature set, such as a built-in duplexer, built-in networking, and increased print speed. All models have a 14x14x10-inch footprint and weigh 25 pounds without the second paper tray. This printer would be a good fit for your office or home office.