The vast majority of our clients use an assisted refund service (where a partner bank receives the refund in the client’s name, deducts the tax prep fees plus whatever the bank itself charges the client, then issues a check or direct deposit for the remaining amount) as opposed to paying us our fees upfront. 

These changes should be implemented after April, when tax season is over. Trying to make major changes mid-season during regular operation would not be a good idea. 

In conclusion, I am recommending that the transition be done at some point during the off season so as to not disrupt current business. The IT Department can make the necessary changes in the cloud system in a few hours at most, but the employees will need training in the new procedure for completing the tax returns, and the training course at the beginning of the season will need amending to include said procedures.  
