A work in progress report for tax firms is a one-page weekly summary of every open return, counted by stage and by preparer. It shows how many returns sit in each status, how many have been stuck longer than a set number of days, and what changed since last week, so partners can act before deadlines slip.
What a work in progress report for tax firms shows
A work in progress report for tax firms shows open returns counted by stage and by preparer, plus how long the oldest ones have waited. The stages come from the firm's return tracker. The report adds two things the tracker alone does not: a count of returns past an age limit, and the change from last week.
In accounting, "WIP" can also mean unbilled time on engagements. This report is about returns, not billing. A firm can run both, but mixing them on one page makes each harder to read.
The core content is short:
- Counts by stage. How many returns sit in each status, from collecting documents to filed.
- Counts by preparer. The same stages, split by who owns each return.
- Aged returns. How many returns have been in their current status longer than the firm's limit, such as 14 days.
- Change since last week. Returns completed this week, returns that moved backward, and the net change per stage.
- Next deadline. The count of open returns due by the next filing date.
The counts only mean something if every return is in exactly one status and each status has a clear entry rule. Those definitions belong in the tracker, and the post on tax return status tracker statuses and entry rules sets them out. The report counts what the tracker records.
How often should a firm send its WIP report?
A firm should send its WIP report weekly through most of the season, on the same day and time each week. In the last two weeks before a major deadline, a short daily version helps. Outside the season, monthly or on demand is enough. A fixed rhythm matters more than the exact day.
Monday morning works for many firms because it sets the week's priorities. Friday afternoon works for firms that want partners to plan over the weekend. Either is fine if it never moves.
Before each deadline, switch to a daily count. In the final days before the individual return deadline, partners need to know each morning how many returns are still open and where. The daily version can be one line per stage, with the full weekly layout kept for Monday.
A report sent too often stops being read. If nothing has changed since yesterday, the report teaches partners to skip it, and they skip it the day it matters.
What layout makes a WIP report readable for partners?
A WIP report is readable for partners when it fits on one page, puts the stage-by-preparer grid at the top, and marks aged returns so they stand out. Partners read the first table and the exceptions. Detail lists of individual returns go below, or in an attachment, for anyone who wants to look further.
Example: a one-page WIP report
Every name and number in this report is a fictional example for an imaginary firm, Lakeside Example CPAs, in the week of March 23, 2026, during work on tax year 2025 returns.
Open returns by stage and preparer (example)
| Stage | Priya | Marcus | Jo | Total | Change vs last week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collecting | 6 | 4 | 9 | 19 | -7 |
| Waiting on client | 11 | 8 | 5 | 24 | +3 |
| Ready to prepare | 3 | 14 | 2 | 19 | +6 |
| In preparation | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| In review | 2 | 9 | 1 | 12 | +4 |
| With client for signature | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -1 |
| Open total | 29 | 42 | 21 | 92 | +5 |
Aged returns, over 14 days in current status (example): 17. Waiting on client: 12. Ready to prepare: 5, all with Marcus.
Completed this week (example): 21 filed. 3 moved back from review to waiting on client.
Due by April 15, 2026 (example): 81 of the 92 open returns. The other 11 are already on the extension list. April 15, 2026 is the tax year 2025 due date for most individual filers, according to Form 4868 (2025).
Three lines a partner would take from this example: Marcus has 14 returns ready that he has not started, review is growing, and most aged returns are waiting on clients. Each points to a different action.
Keep the format the same every week. A partner who knows where to look reads the report in a minute.
WIP reports that hide stuck returns
Some WIP report designs hide stuck returns. The most common are a report that shows only totals, one that shows counts without ages, and one that lumps several statuses into a single "in progress" line. Each looks tidy while returns quietly wait for weeks. A useful report always shows where returns sit and for how long.
Totals only. "92 open, 21 filed this week" sounds healthy. It says nothing about whether the 92 are moving.
Counts without ages. Twelve returns in review could all have arrived yesterday, or all have waited three weeks. Without an aged count, the report cannot tell the difference. Finding the stage where returns sit longest is its own exercise, covered in the post on tax return bottlenecks.
Merged statuses. An "in progress" line that combines ready, preparation and review hides which handoff is stuck.
No backward moves. Returns sent back from review to waiting on client are information. A report that only counts forward progress misses rework.
In the example report, the waiting-on-client line is the largest, and it is the hardest to shrink, because the cause sits outside the firm. The missing documents category covers how to track and chase what clients still owe. Schema CPA helps with that line by listing, per client, which of last year's documents have not arrived and drafting a reminder for the firm to review. The workflow section on the homepage shows those steps. For which other parts of the season software can take over, see how to automate tax season.