A full-service accounting firm in Bozeman, Montana with 8 CPAs, 3 administrative staff, and a part-time bookkeeper had been limping through tax seasons on an overloaded PBX system. Every January through April, the phones became a bottleneck — clients couldn't get through, the receptionist was overwhelmed, and two CPAs who preferred working from home during crunch time were completely unreachable on the office system.
The Problem
During tax season, inbound call volume tripled. The PBX had 6 lines — on busy days, clients got busy signals. The receptionist manually transferred every call, and when she was on the phone, new calls went to a generic voicemail. Two senior CPAs worked from home 3 days per week during tax season, but the PBX couldn't ring their home offices or mobile phones. Clients calling for these CPAs left voicemails that took hours to return. The firm estimated they lost 3-5 new client engagements per tax season because prospects couldn't reach anyone. Monthly phone costs: $480 (lines + PBX maintenance contract + long-distance charges for client calls to out-of-state contacts).
The Solution
Big Sky Telecom deployed hosted VoIP with 12 user lines, a call queue with estimated wait times, an auto attendant, voicemail-to-email transcription, mobile softphone apps for all CPAs, and encrypted calling for client financial discussions. The auto attendant routes callers: "Press 1 for tax preparation, Press 2 for bookkeeping, Press 3 for business advisory." Tax season calls go to a ring group that cycles through available CPAs. Overflow routes to a professional hold queue with the firm's branding.
The Results
Zero busy signals during tax season: The VoIP system handles unlimited concurrent calls. During the 2026 tax season, the firm received 340+ calls in the first two weeks of April alone — every single one was answered or queued professionally. No busy signals. No lost prospects.
Remote CPA productivity: Both senior CPAs now work from home 3 days per week during tax season using softphone apps on their laptops. They answer client calls, transfer to colleagues, and join conference calls — all from their home offices. Clients see the firm's main number on caller ID. One CPA reported completing 15% more returns during the 2026 season because she eliminated her commute on work-from-home days and could take client calls between returns.
$3,600/year savings: Monthly costs dropped from $480 to $180 (12 users at $29/month, minus the eliminated PBX maintenance and long-distance charges). Annual savings: $3,600. The firm also avoided a $2,200 PBX upgrade that had been quoted before the switch.
Client data protection: All calls are encrypted end-to-end. Voicemail transcriptions are delivered securely to CPA email accounts. The firm's compliance officer confirmed the system meets their professional liability insurance requirements for client communication security.
What the Managing Partner Said
"Tax season used to be a nightmare for our phones. Clients couldn't get through, our receptionist was burned out by February, and our remote CPAs were islands. Now every call gets answered, our CPAs work from wherever they need to, and we picked up at least 5 new client engagements this season from people who actually got through to us. The ROI was immediate."
Is Your Firm Ready for Next Tax Season?
If your accounting firm dreads tax season phone chaos, the switch to hosted VoIP is straightforward and can be completed well before January.
Big Sky Telecom provides hosted VoIP, business phone systems, and managed IT services to small and mid-sized businesses across Western Montana. Locally owned and operated in Missoula, MT since 1998.