Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) help individuals and businesses with various tax preparation needs, such as filing taxes, preparing taxes, and offering tax consulting services. Tax laws are constantly changing, and to say that they are complex is an understatement. There are many exceptions, exemptions, and loopholes that accountants know that can help individuals and businesses save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. They also keep up with the changes in local tax laws and state tax laws.
Peakview CPAs offers a variety of tax services, bookkeeping services, payroll services, and tax consulting services. Our mission is to help you lower the amount of taxes that you pay, while providing exceptional customer service to those we serve. Our certified public accountants understand the tax code and are ready to help you with all of your tax needs. Below, we’ll go over some tips on what to look for when hiring a CPA. Contact us today to learn more!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING A CPA
Decide If You Need a Bookkeeper, An Accountant, or a CPA
Many individuals and small business owners are confused by the difference in bookkeepers, accountants, and CPAs, and which one they need. Here’s a brief look at the difference.
- Bookkeeper. A bookkeeper is literally what it says — someone who keeps the books. They perform a lot of data entry tasks, such as entering invoices, printing out invoices, paying accounts payable, and monthly taxes for businesses, as well as a variety of other numbers-oriented tasks. They usually use an accounting software program, such as Quickbooks, to do so. They can help with inventory and sometimes payroll.
- Accountants. Accountants can perform all of the tasks that bookkeepers perform with some additional responsibilities, such as preparing and analyzing financial reports for customers and small businesses. These can include the balance sheet and the income statement. They can also help with tax services.
- CPA. CPAs, or certified public accountants, are accountants who have taken additional coursework in order to pass their state’s exam in order to be considered certified and licensed by the state to prepare and submit taxes. Only CPAs, tax attorneys, and other Enrolled Agents can legally represent a taxpayer before the IRS. CPAs main responsibility is to prepare and file taxes for individuals and businesses. In truth, as a customer, you truly only want a CPA to do this for you anyways.
Once you know exactly what you need help with, you can decide which one you need. With CPAs, odds are, you will pay more since they can do so much more rather than a bookkeeper, so be sure you aren’t overpaying for what you need. That being said, many CPAs, such as Peakview CPAs, also offer bookkeeping, payroll, and other services all in the same office, making it convenient for customers to utilize all services offered when they need it.
Experience Is a Must
If you are a small business, you want a CPA who has experience working with clients in your industry. Each industry can have its own unique way of tracking inventory, costs, and company expenses. And if your small business has a lot of moving parts, you’ll need someone who is able to handle this. Furthermore, an experienced CPA can advise you on tax deductions and the like that a new CPA just doesn’t have the experience to know about. Peakview CPAs in Loveland notes that a CPA also can offer consulting services and advice that can be incredibly valuable as well with regards to the direction your business is heading, as well as your financial goals.
Right-Sized Firm
Many people love to go to a big-name accounting service for their taxes. However, these big accounting firms charge a lot of their services and you get less personalized accounting services. Instead, find a smaller accounting firm that still has experience, but places more emphasis on customer service.
Referrals
Ask your friends, family, or work colleagues for referrals to a tax accountant. You can ask other business owners as well if they have any recommendations, especially other businesses in your industry. If you don’t have a good lead there, check online reviews of tax preparation services. You can also look for social media posts to get a sense of what type of tax business they are. Check professional social media sites as well, such as LinkedIn for business profiles and more reviews. If particular professional accounting companies are active on social media, take a moment to scroll through their postings and see what they are up to. Peakview CPAs in Loveland notes that you can learn a lot about a company in this way.
Compare Fees
Accounting services can work many different ways. Some accountants charge a monthly flat fee for their services, which includes tax preparation and tax filing. Other accounting firms charge monthly fees for bookkeeping services and then tax services are separate. Usually, the more experienced the accountant, the more they will charge for their fees. Some accountants who do offer a multitude of services go with the a la carte model, where you can choose different services for different months. In general, a self-employed accountant with only a handful of employees will probably cost less than a big accounting firm as well.
CHOOSE PEAKVIEW CPAS AS YOUR TAX CONSULTANT CHOICE
There are many benefits to having a lot of your financial services in one place. It can save you time, and you cut down on communication errors between financial service companies.
Peakview CPAs in Loveland serves all of Northern Colorado with the best accounting, bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and tax consulting services. We understand that you have choices when it comes to these accounting services, which is why we have poised ourselves to be the best. Our friendly and caring team boasts over 50 years of combined experience providing the best tax preparation and small business advisory services. Our bookkeepers are experts at managing books for small businesses, as well as payroll services.
If you’re looking for a CPA for small businesses, consider Peakview CPAs. We love what we do, and when we can save our customers money, it’s a good day. We work diligently to ensure your tax deductions are maximized and that we’re saving you the most money. If you’ve been audited by the IRS, we can represent you as well. We often hear from clients who are behind on their taxes that they are too embarrassed to get help. We understand how tough doing your taxes can be. Instead, rely on us to get you caught up and to save you money in late fees if we can. Call us today for all of our tax advisory, preparation, payroll, and bookkeeping services!
