Surviving the End-of-Tax-Year Rush: A Guide for Conveyancers

As The End of 2024/25 Tax Year looms, conveyancers across the country find themselves in a familiar yet overwhelming situation— chaos. With clients eager to complete property transactions before the financial year closes, the pressure intensifies, leading to long hours, increased workloads, and heightened stress levels. If you’re a conveyancer feeling the weight of this deadline, you’re not alone.  

Strategies to Stay on Top of the Workload 

Prioritisation is Key 

Not all tasks carry the same level of urgency. Identify the most pressing transactions and allocate time accordingly. More transactions mean a higher volume of case files, communications, and compliance checks – requiring precise financial oversight. Consider and ensure you are using your digital tools or software to manage priorities effectively. 

Communicate Clearly with Clients and Stakeholders 

Keeping clients informed about realistic timelines can help manage expectations. Be upfront about potential delays and the impact of high workloads on processing times.  

Delegate Where Possible 

If you work within a team, distribute tasks efficiently. Junior team members or assistants can help with administrative duties, allowing senior conveyancers to focus on more complex legal aspects.  

Finance teams must keep a close eye on client accounts, reconciliation processes, and compliance with regulations. Regularly reviewing compliance policies and conducting internal checks can prevent errors in client money handling. Reconcile accounts daily and ensure this is best practice if your firm.  

Use Available Technology 

Automated case management systems, e-signatures, and online document sharing can speed up processes and reduce manual workload. Ensure that your firm is making the most of these technological tools. 

Consider Outsourcing 

External support can be a game-changer during peak periods. Whether it’s outsourcing your cashiering to Cashroom, document reviews, or even engaging freelance conveyancers to handle overflow work, bringing in additional resources can alleviate pressure and keep transactions moving smoothly. 

Self-Care and Stress Management 

It is easy to let stress take over, but maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial. Take short breaks, stay hydrated, and try not to sacrifice sleep—burnout will only reduce productivity in the long run. If you are working long hours, as happens throughout busy periods ensure you have some time off allocated at the end of this busy period to recover.  

National Conveyancing Week  

National Conveyancing Week (NCW) 2025 is happening now and provides a great opportunity to not only celebrate the profession, but also a chance to raise awareness to the challenges faced. It is a time to support conveyancers during this peak period through various initiatives: 

Educational Webinars and Training Sessions: NCW offers a series of free webinars and training sessions addressing current challenges in conveyancing, including best practices for managing increased workloads and ensuring compliance when handling client funds. These sessions are designed to equip conveyancers with up-to-date knowledge and strategies to navigate the busy season effectively. 

Collaboration Coffee Morning: Scheduled for Thursday, 20th March 2025, this event encourages law firms to host informal gatherings with local businesses, introducers, and stakeholders. Such interactions foster collaboration, enhance understanding of each other’s roles, and promote best practices in managing client transactions, thereby improving efficiency during the tax year-end rush. 

Resource Sharing and Support Packs: NCW provides digital supporter packs containing customisable social media graphics, email footers, banners, and templates for newsletters. These resources enable firms to effectively communicate their involvement in NCW and share valuable information with clients and partners, enhancing transparency and trust during the conveyancing process. 

By participating in NCW 2025, conveyancing teams can access valuable resources, strengthen professional networks, and adopt best practices to efficiently manage the anticipated increase in transactions leading up to the tax year-end. 

Looking Ahead: Post-Tax-Year Reflection 

Once the rush subsides, take time to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved for the next tax year-end. Could workflows be streamlined? Are there additional resources that could be implemented to reduce stress next time? Learning from each experience can make future deadlines more manageable. Your future self will thank you for it next year! 

The end-of-tax-year period will always be demanding, but with the right strategies and mindset, conveyancers can tackle the challenge effectively. Stay organised, set boundaries, and remember—you are not alone! 

Key tax deadlines for 2025 include: 

• 31st January 2025 –Deadline for online Self-Assessment tax returns and payment of any tax due for the 2023/24 tax year.
• 5th April 2025 – End of the 2024/25 tax year.
• 6th April 2025 – Start of the new 2025/26 tax year.
• 31st October 2025 – Deadline for paper Self-Assessment tax returns for the 2024/25 tax year.
• 31st January 2026 – Deadline for online Self-Assessment tax returns and tax payments for the 2024/25 tax year.