Choosing a tax professional and accountant for your business needs can be an intimidating thought, but not as scary as trying to do it all yourself. To get the best service for your needs, it is a good idea to first consider whether hiring a firm or bringing in someone full-time is the best route for your company. You can then compare candidates based on experience, certifications, and referrals to find the best fit.

In-House or Outsourced

In-house teams will require a room on your premises and enough work to stay busy but are also right down the hall when needed and part of the company culture. Outside firms, such as TPI Group, are more affordable because you pay a rate proportionate to the amount of work you send over, allowing firms to split their costs between multiple clients. Many of these firms and individuals use innovative software and hardware solutions to be readily available to clients.

Certifications and Tools

Regardless of whether you go with an in-house or outsourced accountant, you will want to check what certifications he or she has and which tools are being used on your accounts. Going with someone with a CPA means that you are hiring someone who has passed the tests and does continuing education to say certified. This can give you more confidence in the quality of the work.

The right tools can help your accounting team instantly import invoices from the point-of-sale system to the bookkeeping spreadsheets, calculate quarterly taxes and manage payroll and benefits. Some will even provide one dashboard for your company and the outside firm to see the same information in real-time.

Referrals and Interviews

When you have narrowed down your candidates, it is time to look at referrals and testimonials before scheduling an in-person interview. It is recommended to look at both the good and bad reviews for an accountant to see how problems are handled and give you an idea of what to expect. The interview process should focus on any questions or concerns you have about the qualifications of the individual or firm as well as getting to know the person you will be potentially working with. You can even ask for clarification on some of the testimonials or referrals you have received for the firm or individual and talk about the software and hardware tools each accountant uses.

Choosing the right accountant or firm for your company’s taxes, bookkeeping, and payroll is about putting in the research time. This means deciding whether to go in-house or outsourced, determining which certifications and tools to look for and reading reviews and testimonials before scheduling interviews.