I cringe every time I hear that a business owner only talks to their accountant once a year at tax time. A great CPA gets involved with their client’s business and advises them on far more than tax matters.
A great external CPA should be treated as a surrogate Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and consulted on tax planning, exit planning, cost savings, and other finance issues such as cash flow planning and budgeting. The relationship should be proactive rather than reactive.
Like other professionals, CPAs are not all cut from the same cloth, so, when you are seeking to hire one, here are a few good questions to ask:
What is your practice specialty?
Do you have any clients in my industry?
How frequently should I expect to interact with you?
Do you offer annual tax planning advice?
Will you be doing the work or will it be delegated?
How do you proactively advise your clients regarding tax savings opportunities?
How do you charge for your services?
What Action Can You Take?
Consult with your CPA on a regular basis for an objective and informed perspective about viable financial strategies.
Check out our podcast on How to Leverage the Knowledge of your CPA and our blog in the FREE STUFF section of masterypartners.com
Download our "Assembling the Ultimate Transition Team” eBook from the Free Stuff tab at masterypartners.com.
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