ISSUE № 2 · TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026
Hi — This week's reframe is for anyone who has ever finished a client call and thought "I just gave away another $300.
A firm owner sent me this:
"For the last year, 95% of my clients engaged me for tax compliance only. I stated that consulting was beyond the scope of the compliance engagement. I didn't maintain that boundary well at all — I don't want to nickel and dime my clients for a 30-minute question when they've paid $1,800 for tax compliance already.
This year, I'm moving to a three-tiered proposal model. The lowest tier will be compliance-only. The middle tier will offer year-round email support. I need to establish the boundary of holding my ground. If they select compliance-only, I need to ensure that if they ask for more, I get paid for more."
Here's what I told him:
Preventing this issue starts at the time of the proposal. Not when they email you a question in May.
Your clients need YOU to tell them which tier makes sense for their tax situation. They don't know what they need. They don't want to choose. So tell them which tier they need.
Acknowledge it directly: "As I've been getting to know clients' tax situations, I didn't charge extra for consulting last year. Now that I know who needs what, I've created tiers to streamline service offerings and tailor them to exactly what each client needs."
Then make the recommendation for them. Examples:
"You owed tax last year and own a business. For those reasons, Tier 2 is where you need to be — Tier 1 will end up costing you in missed opportunities for tax savings."
"We had some great conversations throughout the year last year. You're someone who actually wants to talk through things and get advice. To make sure I have the capacity to support you that way, let's get you into Tier 2 with built-in check-ins."
"You're a great candidate for Tier 1 because [reasons]. If any of these things happen this year [list examples], reach out so we can switch you to a tier that makes more sense."
And then — the move that actually closes the loop.
When a Tier 1 starts behaving like a Tier 2, you need a script ready. Not silent resentment. Not free 30-minute calls. A script.
"Happy to help with this. I'll send over an updated proposal to get you into a higher tier so we can go beyond just compliance work."
That's it. One sentence. No apology. No "I hate to do this but…" No long explanation.
"But what if they get mad? What if they leave?"
Crunch the actual numbers. Run scenarios in my Client Analyzer tool. How much revenue would you actually lose if X clients got mad?
Then ask the harder question: that's revenue. What about profit? These are the clients sucking up the most of your time. How profitable are they really? What if you spent that reclaimed time finding better-fit clients who wouldn't blink at Tier 2?
The math almost always favors holding the line.
The boundary you set with your pricing isn't something you do TO your clients. It's how you stay sharp enough to give them the work they actually came for.
The boundary is the service.
— Rebecca
Got a boundary you can't hold?
Found this useful? Forward it to a firm owner who needs it.
———
One more thing.
I've also built The AI Lab for Accountants — a free space where accountants share what they're building with Claude, swap prompts, and learn from each other in real time. Weekly live sessions, a member directory, help wanted, libraries for prompts, builds, and resources. 120+ accountants joined in the first five days.
Want in? → AILabForAccountants.com