Navigating Tax Season While Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life

In this blog, you will learn

• What tax season is
• The challenges Accountants face during tax season
• Top tips to survive the busy tax season
• Where the latest accounting jobs are and how to apply for them

Tax season can be a stressful and busy time for accounting professionals. Tax season often requires extra hours and increased focus, which can disrupt your regular routine. The need to collect financial documents, consult with Accountants, and ensure accurate filings can lead to longer workdays and less personal time. 

During tax season, maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life is crucial for mental and physical health. A healthy work-life balance means you can manage both professional responsibilities and personal activities without feeling overwhelmed. 

Throughout this blog, you will learn valuable tips and strategies to not just survive, but thrive during the busy tax season. 

What is tax season?

Tax season is the period when individuals and businesses must report their income and pay any tax due to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The tax year always runs from 6th April to 5th April of the following year.

For Accountants, it is their busiest time of the year, a period of extra work and hard deadlines. From January to April, accounting professionals expect to work longer hours particularly if they have multiple clients who all need processing at once. 

From April 2026, a new way to report income from self-employment and property to HMRC, Making Tax Digital, will be phased in. It requires businesses and individuals to keep digital records and use specific software to submit their tax returns online. This has the potential to make the 2026 tax season even more stressful for Accountants. 

What challenges do Accountants face during tax season?

Tax season is a notorious challenge for even the most seasoned Accountants, both mentally and physically. A heavy workload over the first quarter can impact you for the rest of the year, increasing your chance of missing deadlines, making mistakes and inaccuracies. This intense period can be hard to manage, and your mental health and work-life balance can be greatly affected.

Burnout rates in the accounting profession are particularly high, especially around tax season. In a survey by CABA, 43% of Accountants have constantly or often experienced indicators of burnout. 

Common indicators of burnout include chronic fatigue, decreased performance, loss of motivation and emotional exhaustion. In severe cases of burnout, accounting professionals may experience anxiety or depression, which can heavily impact their entire life.

Top tips to survive the busy tax season

Top tips to survive and thrive during tax season include:

• Get organised
• Manage your time
• Prioritise tasks
• Delegate 
• Keep yourself motivated 
• Prioritise mental health
• Take breaks 
  
  
  

Get organised

Preparing for tax season well in advance is a great way to reduce pressure when deadlines are looming. Create a detailed timeline and checklist to ensure you don't miss anything critical. List all tasks related to tax preparation, such as gathering receipts and organising financial records. 

At the end of each day, tidy your desk and take some time the next morning to plan your schedule. This simple practice will help you feel more in control of your work and prevent burnout.

Manage your time

During tax season, it is not uncommon for Accountants to work hours that go beyond their normal scheduled weekly hours. This can sometimes be up to 50-60 hours per week. 

The CABA survey revealed that 72% of Accountants believe long hours contribute to their stress and poor mental health. It is easy to become consumed during tax season, so it is important to manage your time in a way that works for you. 

Setting clear boundaries between work and personal time is essential. Communicate your availability to colleagues and family members, and stick to your designated work hours. Avoid checking emails or working on tax-related tasks during your personal time. The separation will help you to fully recharge and be present in each aspect of your life.

Prioritise tasks

During busy periods, identify high priority tasks and focus on them first. Try to break down bigger tasks into easier, more manageable tasks to help you feel more efficient and feel less overwhelmed. 

During tax season, it's important to set realistic expectations for yourself. Understand that you may not accomplish everything on your to-do list, and that's okay. Focus on completing the most critical tasks and prioritise your wellbeing.

It is also important to acknowledge and celebrate small achievements along the way. Completing tax-related tasks or squeezing in a workout are little wins worth recognising. Celebrating moments which matter to you can boost motivation and help maintain a positive mindset.

Delegate

If you work as part of a bigger team, take advantage of this and make sure that the workload is distributed evenly. Delegate tasks according to each team member’s strengths to lighten the load and free up some of your time for higher-value activities. 

The CABA survey revealed that 87% of Accountants believe the reason for stress and poor mental health is a heavy workload which is hard to avoid or refuse, but can be easier to manage. If some tasks can be delegated, this will allow you to devote your time and energy to where it is needed the most. 

Enlisting help could give someone else the knowledge and experience to strengthen their career and develop professionally. Effective delegation when possible can be a great time-management and organisation tool to strategically lower your workload and reduce stress.

Keep yourself motivated

Think about what motivates you, what gives you purpose, and what type of environment you thrive in. Focusing on your goals can boost your motivation and help you find purpose and fulfillment during the extremely long hours of tax season.

By refraining your mindset, you could view tax season as an opportunity to sharpen your technical skills, client management, and time efficiency. Some Accountants find motivation in the fact that they’re helping clients avoid penalties and stay compliant. By viewing tax season as a positive period of time, this can help you to stay motivated. 

Outside of work, take the time to do things which you enjoy. Whether it is a long walk, yoga, hitting the gym or just relaxing on the couch, spending time on yourself will help you to stay motivated when you’re in the office. 

Prioritise mental health

If you are working intensely in the first quarter of the year, you may feel like there is no time to seek support for your mental health. The survey by CABA revealed 36% of employees didn’t accept their employer-funded mental health support because they don’t have time. Not only were these Accountants not seeking help from employer-funded facilities but 69% had not utilised out of work mental health support either. 

If you’re struggling with your mental health, it is important to take advantage of support services which are at your disposal. Even if you are busy, prioritise self-care or your body might break down and force you to slow down. Make time to go to the gym, exercise and pay attention to your diet as this can affect your mood, mental health and abilities. 

Take breaks

The importance of distancing yourself away from work (even for a quick break) cannot be stressed enough. Don’t skip lunch or eat at your desk because you could become fatigued or make unhealthy food choices. A prolonged bad diet will eventually make you feel worse. 

During lunch breaks, eat healthily, exercise, or go for a quick walk to enable your brain to switch off for a minute. Taking regular breaks will give you a fresh insight into your work and help you to avoid burnout.

The most important thing you can do during tax season is get enough sleep. Sleep will help to improve your mood, confidence and maintain cognitive skills. Poor sleep can affect attention, learning and memory, and make it more difficult to cope with minor stressors. 

Accountancy recruitment services

As specialist accountancy recruiters, we support practices nationwide with their permanent recruitment needs. 

Whether you’re searching for a tax, audit or payroll specialist, we will help you to find whoever you need to make your practice thrive.

If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with Senior Consultant Lauren Fisher on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?

Accountancy jobs

If you’re searching for your next accountancy job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available. 

Meet Lauren Fisher

Who is Spencer Clarke Group?

Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations. 

In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.