11 Questions to Ask to Help Hire a CPA You'll Vibe With
It’s that time of year, and you’re looking to hire a CPA to help you with your taxes. Here are 11 questions that will help you find someone who’s a great fit for you.
Questions to ask the CPA:
1. Do you work with people living in [my state of residence]?
Not all tax preparers work with all states. Some state and even city income taxes are more complicated than others (**cough cough NYC, Pittsburgh, California, cough cough**), so you want to make sure the tax preparer is confident they can help you with both your federal and state income tax returns.
2. Do you have experience will my industry?
While most businesses are pretty straightforward, you may be in an industry that not everyone is familiar with. I mean, let’s face it, not all tax preparers are familiar with the spicy industry or woo-based businesses and so may hem and haw at body glitter, sex toys, or tarot decks being a legit business expense!
3. What exactly does tax prep include?
Make sure you’re getting the support you need. “Tax prep” is a pretty generic term, so you’ll need to be very clear on what it includes. Things to ask about:
Federal and state tax return submission
Estimated payment calculation
Estimated payment submission (there’s a difference between calculating what you should pay and actually submitting payment!)
4. How much does tax prep cost?
You don’t want to be surprised by a higher-than-expected bill when it comes to pay for tax prep!! While there’s always a chance problems will come up that will cause an invoice to be higher than originally quoted, it’s good to have a solid understanding of what investment will be to work with the tax preparer. Some good follow-up questions are:
Are phone calls/Zoom meetings included in that? If so, how many?
Can I email any questions I have?
How do you charge if I have questions during the year?
5. Do you offer advice on how to reduce my taxes (aka “tax planning”)?
Some tax preparers are simply that: tax preparers. You hand them your info, and they prepare your tax return. No fuss, no muss. If you’re looking for guidance on how to reduce your taxes, how to plan for taxes throughout the year, things like that, that may be above and beyond the baseline tax prep package. So be clear on what you want and what the tax preparer provides!
6. What info do you need from me, and what’s the timeline for a tax return?
The tax preparer will probably have a list of things that they need from you, so make sure you’re good with everything on that list. A specific thing to check is if they want bookkeeping reports or if they a requesting access to your bookkeeping software. Either one is fine, just make sure you’re clear on what their expectation is!
If you want your taxes filed on time, make sure you can meet the deadlines the tax preparer sets for you! (That said, extensions are a beautiful thing!)
7. What happens if I’m audited or there’s an issue with my return?
Most tax preparers are happy to help in these situations, but you definitely want to be sure! To be sure: assuming any errors weren’t on their part, the tax preparer will almost certainly charge for their time (as they should!), but it’s always good to have them help you through the process!
8. What measures do you have in place for data security?
In this age of data breaches, you want to be sure the company has systems in place to protect your information. You are sending them your social security number and other personal info, after all! Make sure they aren’t having you send them info via email (secure client portals are usually a good sign!)
9. Can you provide client references or testimonials?
If you were referred by a friend to the tax preparer you’re interviewing, this question is moot, but in case you found them randomly on the internet, it’s always good to ask for references! Even if you never actually contact the person, it’s a good show of character to have the tax preparer freely offer some references or testimonials.
Questions to ask YOURSELF
All the questions above are questions for you to ask the tax preparer before you start working with them. The next two questions are for you to ask YOURSELF, after you’ve chatted with the person. Because we all know even if someone looks good on paper, they aren’t necessarily the right fit for YOU.
10. Am I comfortable asking this person questions about money and/or my tax return?
If you think about asking the person a question about something (ex: can you explain this part of my tax return?), and you feel nervous, or like they are going to respond with anything other than “That’s a great question, here’s what it means…”, then it’s probably a pass. You want to be comfortable asking the person ANYTHING that has to do with your business finances or tax return, and not be afraid of being judged or made to feel dumb.
11. Do I feel respected by this person? (aka: Do I vibe with this person?)
This is the ultimate question, isn’t it? Because if you don’t feel respected by this person, if you don’t vibe with them, it’s not going to be a good fit.
And remember: you don’t need to be able to point to a specific reason to say “Nope, it’s not a good fit”. A feeling, a bad vibe is enough to not move forward. While your CPA doesn’t need to be your best friend, you DO want to feel comfortable and respected by them.
