Feb. 8 ACA Hot Topic will feature tips on how to reduce tension in phone conversations and renew your dialogue with consumers, which is especially helpful during tax season.
02/03/2022 2:00 P.M.
4 minute read
ACA International’s next Hot Topic seminar specifically for collectors, 2 p.m. CST Feb. 8, “How to Talk to People That Hate You,” will provide new ways to engage consumers with kindness, humility and grace, which can be especially helpful during tax season communications.
Tax filing season started Jan. 24, which is earlier this year to allow the Internal Revenue Service time to perform programming and testing to help their systems run smoothly, ACA previously reported.
Completing respectful interactions is the key to improving your relationships and your bottom line, which speaker Melinda Chumbley, co-owner of Solverity and vice president of the Washington Collectors Association Inc., will address in the Feb. 8 Hot Topic seminar.
Chumbley said the seminar will cover ways to extend conversations with consumers and have your solutions be heard—even if consumers show resistance to listening.
“Some people in your professional and personal lives think they hate you. Anger is addictive and leads nowhere productive,” Chumbley said. “Join this important discussion for ways to approach difficult conversations and reengage with people in positive ways.”
Here are a few additional tips for working with consumers during tax season:
- Train your team on key tax filing dates and deadlines, including when consumers can begin filing.
- Include this information on a tax-time staff fact sheet, which can also list the income threshold for free electronic filing at IRS.gov.
- When speaking with consumers about tax refunds, keep communications positive and focus on finding solutions.
“Tax season is the time of the year where opportunity abounds, and the ability to ask tactful questions is a necessity,” Chumbley said. “It can be difficult to make progress with consumers who start off angry and defensive. We’ll review some practical tips to reset a negative conversation and add some useful phrases to try this tax season during the Feb. 8 Hot Topic.”
IRS Tax Tips
More than 160 million individual tax returns for the 2021 tax year are expected to be filed, with most before the April 18 tax deadline, according to a news release from the IRS.
“IRS employees are working hard to deliver a successful 2022 tax season while facing enormous challenges related to the pandemic,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in the news release. “There are important steps people can take to ensure they avoid processing delays and get their tax refund as quickly as possible. We urge people to carefully review their taxes for accuracy before filing. And they should file electronically with direct deposit if at all possible; filing a paper tax return this year means an extended refund delay.”
- The IRS encourages everyone to have all the information they need on hand so they file a complete and accurate return. Having an accurate tax return can help you avoid processing delays, refund delays and later IRS notices.
- This is especially important for people who received advance Child Tax Credit payments or Economic Impact Payments (American Rescue Plan stimulus payments) in 2021; they will need the amounts of these payments when preparing their tax return.
- The IRS is mailing special letters to recipients, and they can also check amounts received on IRS.gov.
- Like last year, there will be individuals filing tax returns who, even though they are not required to file, need to file a 2021 return to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit to receive the tax credit from the 2021 stimulus payments or reconcile advance payments of the Child Tax Credit. People who don’t normally file also could receive other credit.
For most taxpayers who file a tax return with no issues, the IRS anticipates they will receive their refund within 21 days of when they file electronically if they choose direct deposit—similar to previous years. The 2021 average tax refund was more than $2,800.
Resources for Small-Business Owners
The IRS is hosting a series of online meetings in February and March for small- business organizations and owners to learn about the top tax issues affecting small-business owners and preparing for the 2022 tax filing season.
The meetings will include:
- Presentations from IRS leadership covering the top tax issues affecting small-business owners regarding income, deductions, employment taxes and recordkeeping.
- How to get ready for the 2022 filing season.
- Tax scams targeting small businesses.
- How the IRS is reorganizing to better serve small business taxpayers.
- A listening session to hear concerns, feedback and suggestions from participants.
Visit the IRS website for a complete list of the sessions and to register and don’t miss ACA’s Feb. 8 Hot Topic for tips on communicating with consumers, especially during tax season.
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