How To Find an Accountant for Your Small Business

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Finding the right accountant for your business means partnering with a trustworthy professional who understands your financial situation and offers relevant tax and accounting services. They can provide thoughtful help with bookkeeping, tax preparation, and your financial strategy. 

However, not all tax professionals bring the same expertise to their work, which can lead to problems for a growing business. On an episode of Shopify Masters, the founders of Canyon Coffee say their original accountant treated them as a side project and ghosted them as they were bringing on outside investors, creating a financial mess. It wasn’t until they hired a dedicated, reliable accountant that they got back on track.

Learn about different types of accounting services, how to find an accountant you can actually trust, and the step-by-step process to evaluate potential candidates, so you can pick the best accountant for your small business. 

What type of accountant do I need?

• Bookkeepers
• Certified public accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled agents (EAs)
• Tax attorneys
• Tax accountants and other tax preparers

Different types of accounting and tax pros offer distinct services. While some overlap exists between roles, understanding the scope of each role is the first step to choosing the best accountant for your business. 

To determine the best fit for you, consider this breakdown of essential responsibilities:

Bookkeepers

Bookkeepers track daily financial transactions, categorize expenses, manage payroll, reconcile bank statements, and oversee invoices. A bookkeeper is different from an accountant: They track and organize business transactions, whereas accountants interpret and make decisions based on financial data.

Issues Magazine Shop founder Nicola Hamilton says on Shopify Masters that hiring a bookkeeper is an amazing key for founders—especially if tracking expenses and managing spreadsheets are not your strengths. 

Businesses that require long-term financial strategy, advanced tax planning, or representation before tax authorities typically look beyond bookkeepers. They may consider a financial professional with more specialized credentials, such as a CPA or tax attorney. 

Certified public accountants

Certified public accountants (CPAs) are state-licensed professionals who typically hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, pass a four-part CPA exam, and fulfill ongoing continuing education requirements enforced by state boards. CPAs can analyze financial statements, conduct audits, and represent your business before the IRS. Some also offer holistic financial guidance or consulting services. 

Unlike general accountants, who hold undergraduate degrees but do not need state licenses, CPAs have the authority to sign audited financial reports and represent taxpayers during IRS audits. Businesses that handle inventory, multi-state sales, or complex corporate structuring rely on CPAs for the advisory services required for compliance.

Enrolled agents

Enrolled agents (EAs) are credentialed tax professionals. They earn their status from the federal government by passing a three-part IRS exam covering individual and business tax returns, or through prior service as an IRS employee. EAs specialize in tax preparation, tax rules, and tax law.

The IRS grants enrolled agents unlimited practice rights to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS. For a business whose primary need is tax filing, resolving an active tax issue, or managing an audit, an enrolled agent can deliver expert tax advice at a competitive rate.

Tax attorneys

Tax attorneys specialize in tax law and legal representation. They complete a law degree, pass the state bar exam, and often hold additional certifications in taxation.

Businesses hire tax attorneys if they’re facing tax law disputes, criminal tax investigations, complex corporate acquisitions, or estate planning. For routine bookkeeping and tax returns, tax attorneys are generally unnecessary and command higher hourly rates than tax accountants or EAs.

Tax accountants and other tax preparers

Tax accountants and non-credentialed tax preparers assist individual taxpayers and small business owners with annual tax preparation and basic filing. Some non-credentialed preparers participate in the IRS annual filing season program to stay current on tax code changes, but they have limited representation rights before the IRS.

How to find an accountant

1. Identify your business needs
2. Get referrals from trusted networks
3. Check credentials
4. Evaluate industry experience and technical tools
5. Compare fee structures and quotes
6. Conduct initial interviews

Evaluating potential accountants requires research, verification, and interviews. Use the following steps to narrow your search and select a trustworthy professional:

1. Identify your business needs

Define your scope of work before reaching out to prospective financial pros. Some small businesses need year-round support with managing money and making financial decisions, while others only have specific tax season needs. 

Serial entrepreneur Mimi Ikonn attributes part of her success with Luxy Hair and Intelligent Change to recognizing her strengths as a founder and delegating from there.

“If you’re going to try to be perfect, you’re going to hurt the business,” she says on Shopify Masters. “So, at one point, I just realized I need to focus on the things that I’m good at.” 

Rather than handling operations or accounting—areas she admits aren’t her strengths—she handed those responsibilities off to others. She can then double down on creative direction, product vision, and social media marketing. 

2. Get referrals from trusted networks

Ask fellow founders, coworkers, attorneys, and trade group members for referrals. Personal introductions from business owners operating in your specific industry often yield the best candidates.

When requesting recommendations, ask about the accountant’s responsiveness, accuracy, and depth of knowledge regarding tax strategies. If you don’t have industry contacts, you can check professional directories maintained by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) or the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) to find local accountants.

3. Check credentials

Never rely solely on résumés or website copy to evaluate accountants. Once you have a list of potential candidates, verify their professional status and clean record before scheduling initial consultations.

The IRS maintains a searchable directory of credentialed tax professionals that allows you to confirm a preparer’s credentials, qualifications, and Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Additionally, you can visit your state board of accountancy online registry to check a CPA’s license status and verify that no disciplinary actions exist on their record.

Businesses hiring accountants use the following verification checklist:

• Confirm active PTIN in the IRS searchable directory.

• Verify state license status with your State Board of Accountancy (for CPAs).

• Confirm active membership with NAEA (for Enrolled Agents) or State Bar (for tax attorneys).

• Check state disciplinary registers for past sanctions, license suspensions, or complaints.

• Confirm completion of mandatory continuing education hours.

4. Evaluate industry experience and technical tools

Select an accountant who understands your business model and specific industry. For example, accounting for an ecommerce store requires expertise in sales tax across multiple states, platform fee reconciliations, and inventory valuation methods. You may also want to ask potential candidates about the accounting tools they use, like QuickBooks or Xero, to check if they integrate with your other sales channels or platforms. 

Stratus founder Ricky Jones advises early-stage founders to build strong financial literacy. He also suggests working with a CPA to create custom ecommerce document templates for tracking inventory, expenses, and seasonal projections. He emphasizes that having a firm grip on your financial modeling is essential when navigating cash flow and inventory bets. 

“It really reduces your risk, because you’re not making decisions blindly, and you can kind of forecast realistic versus pessimistic versus optimistic scenarios for your season or for your upcoming quarters,” Ricky says on Shopify Masters.

5. Compare fee structures and quotes

If you are hiring a consultant, rather than a full-time employee, request detailed fee schedules from a few potential candidates to compare costs. Common accounting fee structures include:

• Hourly rates. You pay for the time spent on your file. Rates vary based on the firm size and professional credential level.

• Flat fee per project. A fixed price for specific deliverables, such as filing annual tax returns or completing an audit.

• Monthly retainer. A predictable recurring fee covering bundled accounting services, ongoing bookkeeping, and continuous financial advice.

Compare quotes against the services provided to help determine if the accountant has the expertise to spot deductions or keep tabs on changing tax rules that apply to your industry.

6. Conduct initial interviews

Treat your initial consultation with an accountant as a job interview. Here are a few areas to cover in the interview to understand if they are the right person for you and your business:

• Inquire about communication routines. Ask how quickly they respond during tax season and whether you will work directly with them or someone on their team.

• Assess proactive tax planning. Ask how they keep clients informed about changes in the tax code and what tax strategies they recommend for your business stage.

• Discuss data security. Verify that the accountant or accounting firm uses encrypted client portals, multifactor authentication, and secure document storage to protect sensitive financial data.

• Watch for red flags. Walk away from any accountant or tax preparer who promises a large refund before reviewing your financial records, bases fees on a percentage of your refund, or refuses to sign your tax return as the official preparer.

If the accountant isn’t a referral from a trusted source, you may also want to ask potential accountants for past or current client references, so you can talk directly to other small businesses about their experience working with this financial professional.