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Accounting

According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA®), there are nearly 140,000 independent public accountants in the United States. Finding the right professional to assist with business or personal accounting and tax needs is critical.

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Here are a few of the criteria that Goldline Research uses when evaluating a dependable Accounting Professional:

  • The number of years of experience of the firm/professional
  • The range of services and/or products offered by the firm/professional (e.g. accounting, audit, tax, financial planning, etc.)
  • Any industry specialization that the firm/professional offers
  • The number of total staff
  • The number of licensed CPA’s on staff
  • The number of EA’s on staff
  • Any advanced certifications and/or training held
  • Licensing (local, state, federal), if applicable
  • Geographic service area
  • Whether the firm/professional has been peer reviewed within the last three years, if applicable
  • Membership in the AICPA, relevant state accounting association or other relevant professional associations
  • Any relationships that the firm/professional has with other related services (e.g. financial planning, estate planning, etc.)
  • The number of active clients
  • The number of total clients
  • An analysis of any client additions in the last 12 months
  • An analysis of any client losses in the last 12 months
  • The quality of client references
  • A review of any outstanding lawsuits, grievances and/or complaints against the firm/professional
  • The firm’s/professional’s key differentiators