7 Must Ask Questions When Hiring an Accounting Firm in Florida

It is imperative when hiring a good CPA for small businesses that they have a PTIN because the IRS requires anyone who prepares taxes for a business or individual to have one. Otherwise, they are not legally allowed to submit the return so they shouldn’t be posing as a person who is able to do so. If they don’t have one, it should raise a big red flag that the CPS is not legit and isn’t honest either since they aren’t truly authorized to prepare your business tax return.

There are a number of services that may or may not be offered in the scope of work when you are hiring an accounting and CPA firm in Florida. You should be sure which are and are not part of the deal before you let someone prepare a business tax return for your company. Along with the basic tax preparation, some firms go a step further to also do bookkeeping, financial advising, payroll, tax filing, and virtual CFO services. If you need or desire any of the additional services, you may want to consider hiring that firm over others that don’t perform those jobs. The more extra services that are offered, the more value you’ll be getting.

It would be best when hiring a professional CPA for a small business in your area that you search for a local firm. You can begin by searching for “tax professionals near me” in Florida. Then, speak to each firm and conduct an interview. As exactly where they are and decide if the location is convenient for you to meet with them in a person. Local CPA and public accounting firms are a plus point so you can deliver your paperwork to them or they can come to you. So be sure the commute is not too far in distance.

Since hiring a certified public accountant for small businesses entails a monthly fee, it’s imperative to fully know what that service entails. How is business conducted? Some primarily communicate by email or phone but others schedule in-person appointments. There are those who use software programs (cloud-based) that make non-contact appointments virtually as productive as in-person ones but offer the convenience of not having to hassle with a physical meeting.  Whatever your preference is, be sure you hire a CPA who accommodates that.

When hiring an accountant for a small business, it’s vital to know and understand the fees and what they denote. Never assume something is included or excluded. You will want to have everything in writing when it comes to the charges and the various services being offered.

A certified public accountant must be licensed in the state you live in order to be able to legally represent you in your tax preparation and in the event you are audited. Just because a firm is licensed doesn’t mean they are licensed in your state. If the representative you are speaking with isn’t licensed in the state, be sure to see if anyone else in the firm is. A person doesn’t have to be licensed to prepare business tax returns for a company or individual, but they cannot be held accountable if they aren’t so it is very important to ask this question.

If you have searched for “tax professionals near me” in Florida and end up with a firm you are contemplating hiring, you’ll want to ask what they specialize in. Some work is best with certain types of businesses, like restaurants or retail shops. Some are specialized in other areas like corporate taxation or foreign tax situations. It is wise to match the needs of your company with the specialty and background of the firm you are going to hire.

Hiring an accounting firm in Florida is not difficult when you know the right questions to ask. By using the above seven questions as a guide, you’ll be well on your way to finding a great firm to represent your business.