Finding Accountants
Finding Accountants Through the Phone Book
The most obvious place to start looking for accounting help is in your local Yellow Pages.
Most areas will have a wide variety of accountants listed in their phone book, and some will even divide the listings by specialty, making it easier to tell a financial advisor from a forensic accounting specialist.
The problem with this method is that there is no way of determining the quality of the listings from the phone book alone.
Searching for Accountants Online
Finding accountants online has advantages over the phone book because there is more information available. You can search for accounting specialists in your specific area of interest, and you can browse their websites to find out what they have to say about their services. This information tends to be one-sided, however. Of course a CPA firm will put forth the best possible face in their online advertising. Each accountant will highlight his or her strengths and gloss over or ignore their weaknesses.
Contacting Certified Public Accountant Associations
Professional accounting associations should be able to give you a list of CPA firms and individuals working in your area. They should be able to tell you what firms you can contact for your needs, whether you are looking for someone to help with your payroll taxes or as your financial advisor. Furthermore, associations can ensure that the candidate has passed the CPA exam and is current with continuing education and ethics.
Asking Accounting and CPA Firms about Specialists
Another way to formulate a list of accountants to interview is to call a number of CPA firms and ask them which accountants in the area specialize in your kind of situation.
These companies should be able to refer you to the kind of professional that you need, either within their own firm or with another company with a good reputation.
Getting Accounting Referrals from Your Business Associates
An excellent way to find the best accountants in your area is to ask your business associates for recommendations. Professionals, such as your lawyer or your banker, are probably very familiar with the accounting industry. They can make referrals based on the types of services you need.
Furthermore, these business associates are likely to have other clients in your situation who have shared their accounting experiences, good and bad. This puts them in position to know which CPA firms have the best reputation.
Getting Recommendations from People in Your Situation
Asking around to see if any of your friends, coworkers, or acquaintances has been in your situation is another way to get good feedback about the best tax accountant or bookkeeper for you.
If you are looking for a business accountant, try calling businesses that are about the same size and category as your company is. Ask them who they use as their accountant, and whether they are happy with their services.
A fool may well be his own lawyer, but you must either not care about paying taxes or live in a world all your own to attempt to file your own IRS return. Accountants keep individuals afloat in the financial seas, too.
From the notepads and generic checks used in the '50's, accounting has evolved into such a fast paced environment that only computers, and the accountants who tend them, can keep up. For the savvy, accounting is becoming ever more high-tech and high pay.
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