How to Find a Professional Accounting Firm?
Things to know about Professional Accounting Firm
Thinking about introducing accounting in your business is an easy task but getting an accounting firm that suits your need is the challenging part.
Lucky for you, here you will get to know all there’s to know about accounting and how to find a professional accounting firm that fits your needs.
You might know what accounting firms are, but do you know what CPA firms are?
The abbreviation CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant. Having a clue on who is a CPA accountant? A CPA accountant is a professional accountant who has passed the CPA examination and has met the additional state certifications and experience.
Both the accountant and the CPA do similar work but here is the catch, an accountant cannot do a CPA’s work but a CPA can do all the work that an accountant can do.
The major difference between the two is that the CPA is regulated by the state and has far more experience and knowledge in the accounting world compared to an in-house accountant.
Advantages of Hiring a CPA Firm
1- Time
Doing all the accounting work by yourself cannot only be tedious but also time-consuming. When you get to hire a CPA firm, the accountants will take all this from your shoulders.
With this, you will be able to focus on other business environments.
2- Experience and knowledge.
A CPA accountant has far more experience and knowledge of accounting compared to a regular accountant.
Here is the proof,
Apart from passing the recommended CPA examination, they still continue with their education (they never stop learning) so as to always be informed on how the accounting world is changing and how they can offer the best services
3- Taxation
This is of the main areas where a CPA always come in handy.
They will get to review your taxes and advice you on how you can save money (this is a score) through deductions and also when the time comes for filing your returns, you will have all the paperwork done and ready for you.
4- Consultation
You won’t only have an accountant when you hire a CPA firm but a “partner like”.
The CPA will review all your financial records and if there are any loopholes he will advise you on how you can tie them making your business more efficient.
Growing a business requires strategy, a CPA will also be there to advise you on when it is the right time to grow your business and the right time to get a loan to grow your business (if you’ll need one).
Hiring a CPA firm sounds like the best idea right? Now that you know what is a CPA, here is,
How To Find a Professional Accounting Firm For Your Business?
If you are thinking about an accounting firm, it means that an in-house accountant is out of the question. These are the factors you should consider looking at in order to find the best accountant for you.
1- Qualification.
You can either choose from these two:
- A CPA Accounting Firm
- An accountant Firm (Accountant without certification)
Though the CPA option sounds better, your business may only need an accountant without certification (looking at the accounting services you need) but at some point, you might need a CPA like in taxation.
After choosing the kind of firm you need (either a CPA or an accounting firm), you should follow up to check the:
2- Size of the Accounting Firm
First, you should consider the size of your business. If your business is small, you might not need a big accounting firm.
Tip: Small accounting firms are most of the time undermined but some of them offer superb accounting services.
The key thing here is being comfortable with the firm you will be hiring and getting the services that you need.
3- Specialty
The other key of checking the qualifications is what services the firm specializes in.
The question here is, does the firm specialize in the services that you are seeking? If yes, then you might have found the firm you are looking for.
This will be of big help to you if you’ll get a firm that specializes in the services you are seeking to get.
4- Referrals
This is the best way to find the best accountant firm. Please do avoid searching for an accountant firm online (you might end up hiring the wrong accountant firm and it is overwhelming for there are so many).
You can use your banker, lawyer or even a business advisor.
5- Interview
Before you get to the actual signing showing that you’ve hired the firm, make sure that you interview them to make sure they have experience and knowledge on your business processes.
Getting the best professional accounting firm for your business requires time and effort for you will need an accountant that you can rely on.
“For a business to grow, it requires making the right decisions at the right time. Hiring an accounting firm is one of the best moves you can do to make your business run smoothly.”