Online booking for tax advisors
Nine quiet months and then a wall. Between mid-February and 15 March every client wants the same three weeks, and the filing itself still has to get done.
A paid 60-minute consultation and a 30-minute follow-up, with a daily cap so consultations cannot swallow filing time, and the documents to bring in the confirmation message.
Season eats the work#
The failure mode is well known: February fills entirely with consultations, many of them from people comparison-shopping, and the returns you are actually being paid for get done at midnight.
Foreign clients add a second layer. They often do not know whether they need to file at all, what documents exist, or what 源泉徴収票 is, and each of those becomes a phone call.
The setup to start from#
Nine quiet months and then a wall of work between mid-February and 15 March, when every client wants the same three weeks.
| Duration | 60 minutes for a consultation, 30 for a follow-up |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Buffer | 15 minutes after |
| Bookable up to | 90 days |
| Max bookings per day | Use a daily cap in filing season or the whole day becomes consultations |
| Location | Video, or in person |
| Payment | Paid online — it filters out the browsing and keeps the diary for clients |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before |
Worth asking on the booking form: Employed, self-employed or both? · Do you have foreign income or assets? · Which tax year?
The 確定申告 deadline of 15 March is the entire year in one line. Open the calendar wide from January, put the documents to bring in the confirmation message, and cap consultations per day so the filing itself still gets done.
Cap the consultations#
Set Max bookings per day on the consultation event type — three or four. Once it is hit, the calendar stops offering them and the rest of your day survives.
Charge for the first meeting#
A paid consultation filters out browsing without deterring real clients, and because it is paid online the booking is committed before it reaches your diary. Charging for bookings
Put the document list where it is repeated#
The confirmation message on the event type appears in the confirmation email and again in every reminder. Put 源泉徴収票, foreign income statements and last year’s return in it and most of your preparation problem disappears.
Open the calendar in January#
Ninety days ahead, so clients can book the February slot in January rather than calling you in March.
Getting started#
- Sign in at app.marubox.jp with Google or Microsoft. There is no card and no trial clock.
- Create an event type with the settings above. Event types explained
- Connect your calendar so your consulting hours never gets double booked. Google · Outlook
- Set your real hours, and close Japanese public holidays in one tick. Availability
- Put the link in your bio, or the widget on your site. Adding it to your website
Common questions
How do I stop 確定申告 consultations taking over February?
Set a daily cap on the consultation event type and give filing work its own protected hours in a separate availability schedule. Consultations stop at the cap; the rest of your day is yours.
Should I charge for an initial tax consultation?
It filters out comparison shopping and commits the booking, which matters most in the weeks when your time is scarcest. Take it online so the payment is settled before the meeting.
How do I tell clients what to bring?
Put the list in the event type’s confirmation message. It appears in the confirmation email and in every reminder, so it is in front of them the day before.
Set this up in about ten minutes
Business Box is free for as long as you like, with no card required — booking pages, Google and Outlook calendar sync, availability, Japanese public holidays and the website widget. Taking card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month, tax included, with no commission on what you sell.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.