How to Find a Good Accountant

When it comes to finding a good accountant, you first need to evaluate your specific situation and know what is the most important reason you need them. Depending on if you are going to use them for your business or personal life will change your requirements and possibly their qualifications needed, but overall the process should be the same. This article provides a good list of steps to start with in your search for a new accountant.

1. Obtain a strong reference list. This is a great first step in your search for a variety of reasons. The main reason this should be a first step is because there are an abundance of sources to build your list. If the accountant is for personal use, a great resource could be your financial planner. This is an excellent person to ask because you have already built a financial relationship with them, and they could point you towards someone who they know would be great for your specific situation. For a business, ask someone who is in your same industry or another company that is similar in size.

2. Build a list of questions to ask based on your situation and what you need them for. This is an important second step because it really makes you analyze your specific needs and you will be able to go into a meeting with the accountant knowing exactly what you are looking for. Specific tax planning, cost accounting, or payroll questions are all good things to ask if you need one for a small business. Capital gains and losses, or large inheritance questions are also things to think about if the accountant is needed for personal use.

3. Interview firms or individual accountants. This step will be much more efficient after creating your list of specific questions. If you are looking at hiring a larger firm, you will most likely not interview a specific accountant, but a representative of the company who can present you with a variety of services that they can offer you. When interviewing a smaller, local firm, you can get a better feel for how they operate and will probably speak to the individual who you will be directly working with.

4. Make your final decision. When you are finally ready to decide, it is important to choose someone who has experience in many areas of accounting, but also has extensive knowledge of the area you need them for. Also, price can become a large factor in your choice, but should not be the main reason for not choosing a specific accountant. In the long run, it is better for yourself or your business to choose someone who might charge a little more, but be more knowledgeable, than to pay less and risk financial misstatement or face tax penalties for improper income reporting.

If you are looking for help with your taxes or books, find an accountant in our Denver Accountant Directory. We have the top listed Denver accountants all over the metro.