There are approximately 650,000 Certified Public Accountants (also known as CPAs) working in the United States.
Are you considering hiring one to help you handle your business or personal finances? If so, you’ve clearly got plenty of options to choose from.
Keep in mind, though, that not all CPAs are created equal. It’s important to do your due diligence when searching for a CPA to figure out which one is right for you.
If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to hiring a CPA, keep reading.
Listed below are some important questions you should ask — as well as the answers you ought to receive — before you decide to invest in someone’s CPA services.
How Long Have You Been a CPA?
This is one of the first questions you ought to ask when you meet with a potential candidate.
There’s not a specific answer they need to give to indicate they’re a good match. As a general rule, though, the more experience your CPA has, the better they’ll be and the more wisdom they’ll be able to share with you.
You may need to some extra detective work to make sure their license is up to date and that they’re in good standing, too.
How Much Annual Education Do You Get?
Your CPA needs to make continuing education a top priority, too.
When you ask them this question, you ought to make sure they’re keeping up with their continuing education requirements.
Every state has different continuing education requirements for its CPAs. Do some research to find out what your state requires, then make sure the CPA you’re considering meets these requirements.
If they go above and beyond and complete other education courses on their own, that’s even better.
How Quickly Will You Get Back to Me?
It doesn’t take long for accounting information to become outdated. Because of this, it’s important that your potential CPA offers fast turnaround times and gets back to you right away.
Ideally, they should respond to your calls and questions within a day or two. If they tend to take longer than this, they’re probably not a good fit for you.
How Accessible Are You?
Be wary of a CPA who isn’t easily accessible. They ought to have several channels you can use to communicate with them.
When you ask them this question, they should tell you that you can reach them — at the very least — by phone or by email.
Who Will Service My Account?
It’s important to know exactly who is going to be handling your account.
When you talk to a CPA and are considering working with them, be sure to ask them whether they will be the one who handles your account or if other CPAs will be taking care of it.
If they tell you that other CPAs will be taking care of things for you, ask to meet with those CPAs before agree to hire them.
What Services Do You Offer?
Ideally, your CPA will offer more than just run-of-the-mill accounting services.
Tax planning and preparation matter, of course, but they ought to have a more robust answer to this question.
At the very least, they ought to help with other personal and business financial issues, including financial planning, consulting, audits, and business valuations.
Steer clear of CPAs who say they only handle the bare minimum.
Are You Tech-Savvy?
These days, tech-savviness is a necessity in every business, including accounting. If your CPA tells you that they aren’t very tech savvy, you ought to be concerned.
Accounting software is essential for businesses that want to thrive and provide their customers with the best service in 2019 and beyond.
On the other hand, if they tell you that they are tech-savvy, talk to them about the specific software they use, as well as the other tools that help them provide unparalleled service.
Who are Your Other Clients?
This is a helpful question to ask for two reasons.
First, it lets you know what kind of people this CPA works with on a regular basis. You can find out whether they work with clients who are similar to you and have similar needs.
If you find out this is the case, it’s a good sign that they have experience with your industry and specific needs and will provide better advice.
Second, this question helps you avoid working with CPAs who might have a conflict of interest. If you find out that they work with your competitors, for example, you’ll know that you ought to look for a different CPA.
How Do You Calculate Your Fees?
Of course, money matters when you’re looking to hire any kind of professional, including a CPA.
Ask them how they calculate their fees and what they charge for their services. The right answer to these questions will depend on your budget and your specific needs.
Remember that you might have to spend a little more than you’d like to get great service. It’s not always a good idea to work with the CPA who offers the lowest rates.
How Will You Help Me Through Tax Season?
Tax season is one of the most stressful times of the year, especially for business owners and freelancers.
Find out what the CPA you’re considering can do to make tax season easy for you and help you to avoid paying the government more than you should.
Make sure the CPA is available outside of tax season, too. They should be able to help you with your finances all year round.
Invest in CPA Services Today
As you can see, there are a lot of questions you ought to ask before you decide to hire someone for their CPA services.
If you receive satisfactory answers to all these questions, though, you’ll likely end up satisfied with the service you receive.
Do you need to hire a CPA to help you with your finances? If you’re located in New York, Boca Raton, Florida, Maryland, Utah, or Washington, D.C., we can help you.
Contact us at Gary M. Kaplan, CPA to learn more about our CPA services or to schedule a free initial consultation.
