Services CPAs Provide
Individuals
People turn to CPAs for a wide range of assistance – everything from personal financial planning to help with income tax preparation.
CPAs can also help with personal financial planning to build college funds, plan for retirement and create estate plans.
Businesses
Business owners and managers routinely depend on CPAs for auditing services and help with developing effective accounting systems, maximizing operating results and resolving management problems. CPAs often serve as consultants on human resource and litigation issues. They also assist businesses in designing and installing data processing and automated management information systems.
Select a topic to find out more about the services CPAs provide:
- Auditing and Accounting Services
- Tax Advisory Services
- Personal Financial Services
- Business Financial Services
- Management Consulting
- Business Valuation & Forensic & Litigation Services
- Human Resources Consulting
- Assurance Services
Auditing and Accounting Services
- Prepare, compile, review and audit financial statements for publicly-owned companies, privately-owned businesses, nonprofit organizations and governmental units
- Analyze financial materials and reporting procedures to reassure stockholders that a company's financial position is reported honestly
Tax Advisory Services
- Plan short-term and long-term goals to lower tax liabilities for businesses and individuals
- Ensure client compliance with tax laws
- Reduce the effect of estate/inheritance taxes by providing retirement and estate planning advice
- Preparing tax returns
- Assisting with tax problems and representing clients before government agencies
Personal Financial Services
- Give personal financial planning advice, including help with budgeting, financing a child's education, reducing debt, buying a new home, estate and retirement planning
- Help clients to secure loans and credit
- Develop plans for savings and investments growth
- Predict future income and expenses
Business Financial Services
- Aid business startup with business and financial planning, securing financing, business structuring and managing risk
- Perform financial, inventory management, operations, cost control and credit studies
- Create accounting systems
- Develop budgets and forecasts
- Create succession plan for family-owned business
Management Consulting Services
- Reinforce planning process to manage risk, to create realistic goals, and to increase efficiency and profitability
- Design and implement Management Information Systems to meet a company's needs
- Facilitate management decisions by predicting the effects of proposed plans
- Increase efficiency and improve use of resources by analyzing operations and suggesting changes to business structure
- Bankruptcy/Turnaround management
- Guide expansion into international markets
Business Valuation & Forensic & Litigation Services
- Determine the value of a company or an intangible asset
- Analyze financial data
- Create damage studies and business valuations to assist attorneys
- Testify as expert witnesses in court
- Serve as liaisons to attorneys/bankers during business acquisitions, divorce settlements, bankruptcies and alternative dispute resolutions
Human Resource Consulting
- Create job descriptions, personnel policies, systems and manuals
- Suggest compensation policies and practices
- Develop plans for compensation, fringe benefits and retirement
Assurance Services
In addition to traditional attest services, CPAs provide assurance expertise in other niche areas:
- Through WebTrust, CPAs address electronic commerce issues and offer a range of advisory and assurance services to help clients address security, online privacy, availability and confidentiality needs
- Through CPA SysTrust, CPAs address system reliability and offer a range of advisory and assurance services to help clients address security, availability, processing integrity and confidentiality needs
- Through ElderCare Services, CPAs provide services to assure that the care goals of family members are achieved when elderly family members are no longer able to act independently
