Clients often think about financial advice differently to the profession itself.

Advisers may focus on asset allocation, behavioural coaching, risk management and long-term planning. Clients are often asking a simpler question: how do I get ahead, feel more confident, retire well and keep more of what I earn?

It is that final point, keeping more of what they earn, that may deserve greater attention.

With EOFY approaching, our latest Value of an Adviser research offers a timely reminder. Non-advised investors rank tax efficiency as the number one expected financial benefit of advice. Among advised clients, 86% say advice has helped them achieve better tax outcomes

Yet only around half of advisers surveyed recognise tax as a key reason people seek advice.

That should not be read as advisers undervaluing tax. More likely, it reflects the reality of modern advice businesses. Advisers are rightly focused on strategic outcomes, increasingly complex client needs and the day-to-day demands of servicing client books.

But it may also reveal that tax is not merely a technical outcome, but one of the clearest ways many clients assess advice value.

That finding also aligns with our long-standing Value of an Adviser framework, where tax-smart planning has consistently been identified as a core source of client value.

This also matters because tax is one of the few issues relevant to almost every client, every year, across every life stage.

From a first payslip, to buying a home, building wealth, planning retirement, drawing retirement income and eventually passing wealth on, tax sits behind many of the decisions clients care about most.

Tax also appears closely linked to retirement, one of the profession’s core advice themes. Many respondents mentioned the two together, from “tax advice, retirement planning” to wanting “enough money for retirement and to get good tax returns.” 

One client described the combined impact this way:

“I was able to retire earlier because of the advice we received. We were debt free earlier than expected and paid less tax.” 

For many Australians, tax is not a standalone issue. It is wrapped up in retirement readiness, household cash flow and confidence about the future.

That makes it one of the clearest proof points of ongoing value.

Some benefits of advice take time to appreciate. Strategic discipline may only become obvious during volatile markets. Behavioural coaching is often most valuable when it prevents mistakes that never happen. Long-term planning can take years to fully play out.

Tax outcomes can feel different. They are often more immediate, more visible and easier for clients to understand.

One respondent captured that directly when asked about the impact of their adviser:

“Saving on tax and making money with my investments.” 

Another linked it to reassurance:

“Giving me peace of mind that important things such as tax are being done well, right and in my best interests.” 

For firms focused on growth, tax may be a more effective acquisition conversation than many realise.

For firms already at capacity, it may be just as valuable as a retention insight. Clients who clearly understand the value being delivered are often more likely to appreciate it. 

Make tax an ongoing conversation

EOFY will always be a natural milestone, but the bigger opportunity is to make tax strategy a year-round theme. Bringing it into reviews, portfolio decisions and forward planning can help clients better recognise the value already being delivered.

Lead with tax to open doors

For prospective clients, tax is often a more immediate concern than long-term wealth creation. Conversations about keeping more of what they earn today, improving cash flow or avoiding unnecessary tax can provide a practical entry point to a broader advice relationship.

Use tax to open broader conversations

Tax can be a practical starting point for discussions about retirement readiness, family goals, investment structures and intergenerational wealth transfer.

The advice profession rightly talks about long-term value. But our research suggests one of the most immediate and relatable expressions of that value may be sitting in plain sight.