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