Why tax deadlines keep sneaking up on advisors?

Ever notice how tax deadlines always feel urgent at the worst possible time? It doesn’t matter that the IRS publishes them years in advance; they still somehow manage to “sneak up” on our clients and us.

I was talking with an advisor recently who said, “Steven, I knew this deadline was coming… I just didn’t plan for it.”

And honestly, that’s something I hear all the time.

Not because advisors don’t care.
Not because they don’t know what they’re doing.
But because running a practice means juggling a million different priorities and tax dates rarely scream the loudest until it’s too late.

That’s the real issue: when deadlines become surprises, the planning becomes reactive instead of strategic. Clients feel uncertain. Advisors feel rushed. And everything takes more energy than it should.

But there’s a better way.

When you connect tax dates to the planning you’re already doing – Roth conversions, capital gains harvesting, charitable giving, those deadlines become anchors instead of stress points. They give you a rhythm for communication and a simple way to help clients feel confident instead of overwhelmed.

That’s exactly why I’m teaming up with Brooke Cecil from BELAY for a live session next week.

We’re going to walk through the 2026 tax calendar and show you how to turn predictable dates into predictable value. Join us for: 2026 Tax Calendar: Critical Dates to Guide Your Clients With Confidence.

Join us on December 3, 2025, at 1:30 pm EST for a session where we’ll walk through the key 2026 deadlines, show how to turn each one into client value, and share a simple communication process to keep clients informed all year long. If you want less chaos and more clarity heading into 2026, this is absolutely worth the hour.

Happy Tax Planning,

Steven Jarvis, CPA