A lot of small business owners need reliable tax advice every year. Tax laws, rates, and allowances tend to change constantly. As a business owner, you already worry about running your business, managing your workers, and ensuring your customers are happy with your products or services. Yet, you need to also spend time finding the right Southwest Florida accountant to entrust your personal and business finances with. And because accountants are not made equal, finding the best one can be challenging. Thankfully, you can easily hire a good accountant when you consider the following tips:

Look for an Accountant who Has Experience

CPAs have credentials; however, accountants who have several years of experience may deeply understand the tax code. The best accountant to hire has both knowledge and experience in handling tax preparation tasks for businesses in your specific industry. An accountant who knows what they are doing will help you maximize both your tax returns and deductions as well as avoid audits. 

Be Particular About their Specialization

Again, not all Certified Public Accountants or CPAs are the same. A CPA can specialize in a range of areas, including business, tax preparation, government, and forensic accounting. If you want an accountant who can expertly prepare your taxes, ensure they specialize in it and focus on small business taxation. The right accountant for your company can set up your taxes for the future. 

Consider their Rates

Tax accountants can change clients differently, such as by the hour, a flat fee, or others, depending on the complexity of your taxes. Choose an accountant whose fee structure works for you. Also, some accountants may base their rate on your tax return’s percentage.

Consider Hiring a Reputable Accounting Firm

As a small business owner, you may want to let someone do your taxes for cheap. However, keep in mind that you will be giving this person access to the financial records and tax information of your company. When you work with a dependable accounting firm, you can be sure it does its own background checks on its CPAs. Also, the firm will constantly communicate with you throughout the process of preparing your company’s taxes. 

The best CPAs in an established accounting firm can handle tax return preparation and filing for the current year, as well as provide year-round tax planning consulting. This way, they can help you make the most out of your returns each year and obtain the largest tax credits and incentives.