Survey on Busy Seasons at Accounting Firms

A survey by REX ADVISERS on busy seasons at accounting firms and tax accountant corporations gathered 740 responses (524 managers, 216 staff). Key findings show widespread overtime, with over one-third of respondents logging 60 or more extra hours, and about 10% exceeding 80 hours. Additionally, more than half of the workers reported an increase of over 40 hours compared to regular seasons. Late-night work is common, with 70% of respondents working past 10 PM and 10% working past midnight. Consequently, 70% average less than 5 hours of sleep, while 30% get under 4 hours. The most frequent complaints regarding the busy season include the lack of a flextime system (33%), clients whose compensation does not match the workload (32%), and general operational inefficiency (26%). Although only 5% actively start job hunting, nearly 80% consider changing jobs at some point, indicating that improvements in firm management and work environment could alleviate these issues. The survey was conducted via PRISMA's panel from May 20-24, 2026.