SmartPeer
Insights

The tax year end checklist that isn't about tax

Between February and April, every client conversation carries a second agenda. Here are the prompts worth listening for.

Allowances expire on 5 April. So do openings. A listening guide for the busiest advisory window of the year.

25 June 2026 · SmartPeer

What the deadline surfaces

Tax year end compresses a year of financial procrastination into ten weeks. Clients who ignored their pension all year suddenly ask about contribution limits. Directors look at retained profit and wonder. Spouses compare allowances. The questions arrive on their own — your job is recognising which ones have a second half.

Five prompts, five doors

  • 'Should I top up my pension before April?' — contribution mechanics may be your domain; what the pension is invested in, and whether it's the right vehicle at all, is an adviser conversation.
  • 'There's a lot of cash sitting in the company.' — profit extraction meets investment planning. Two professions, one conversation.
  • 'We got married last year.' — allowances, yes. Also wills, which marriage quietly revokes in England and Wales. Almost nobody knows that.
  • 'I'm selling a property.' — CGT today; what happens to the proceeds is tomorrow's question, and someone will answer it. Better a vetted someone.
  • 'What happens to the business if something happens to me?' — the biggest one. Protection, succession, estate planning, all in a single anxious sentence.

The two-line habit

None of these need solving in March. They need capturing — a note, a follow-up date, and a route to the right professional when the deadline dust settles. Practices with a referral process turn this season into a pipeline. Practices without one turn it into small talk.

How SmartPeer helps

The referrals you already make — tracked, evidenced and paid

Free to join. Client consent captured online, a disclosure letter generated for every referral, and a statement that reconciles to the penny — with your firm keeping the majority share of every introducer fee.

Join the network Try the calculator
£0
to join — commission is the only money that moves
60–70%
your share of every introducer fee, initial and ongoing
Keep reading

Related articles

All articles →
Idle cash: when a client's balance is a referral waiting to happen 18 March 2026 Idle cash: when a client's balance is a referral waiting to happen Cash that sits still for years is often a sign that no one has looked at the bigger picture. Here i… January is the most valuable month in your calendar — and not because of fees 11 June 2026 January is the most valuable month in your calendar — and not because of fees For one month a year, accountants speak to everyone. What happens in those conversations decides th… Inheritance tax on an estate: when to bring in a specialist 21 March 2026 Inheritance tax on an estate: when to bring in a specialist A practical guide for probate professionals on spotting the estates that warrant specialist tax inp… The client questions accountants hear most — and where to send each one 10 June 2026 The client questions accountants hear most — and where to send each one Accountants get asked about far more than tax. A field guide to the questions clients actually brin… Building Referrals Into Your Accountancy Client Onboarding 28 January 2026 Building Referrals Into Your Accountancy Client Onboarding Most accountants think about referrals only when a need becomes obvious. Building the idea into onb… The pension nobody reviews: the signs any professional can see 16 June 2026 The pension nobody reviews: the signs any professional can see Most people have a pension they have not thought about in years. Here is how to recognise the clien… Referring your startup-founder clients 10 May 2026 Referring your startup-founder clients Startup founders are brilliant at building the business and poor at protecting themselves. Spotting… Referring your landlord clients: an accountant's guide 9 May 2026 Referring your landlord clients: an accountant's guide Property clients sit on decisions that reach far beyond the tax return. Knowing which landlord to r… The Real Cost of Not Referring, for an Accountancy Practice 18 June 2026 The Real Cost of Not Referring, for an Accountancy Practice Doing nothing feels like the cautious option. But for a practice that spots client needs and lets t… Referring a client going through divorce 6 May 2026 Referring a client going through divorce A client in the middle of a divorce faces decisions with lifelong consequences under real strain. K… Recurring Referral Income: The Line Item Accountants Overlook 22 April 2026 Recurring Referral Income: The Line Item Accountants Overlook Accountants advise clients to build recurring revenue, yet many overlook a recurring line of their … A referral income guide for business coaches: from introduction to commission statement 17 January 2026 A referral income guide for business coaches: from introduction to commission statement Business coaches hear about exits, windfalls and retirement fears before any adviser does. This gui…

SmartPeer™ does not provide financial advice. Content is for information only.