How to Hire the Right Accountant for Your Small Business

Running a business by yourself is stressful enough, you don’t need the added stress that tax season brings. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner who has had to file your taxes for years, or if this is the first time you’ve had to handle self employment taxes, the entire task is a headache. It doesn’t matter how you look at it, it’s still an undesirable task. Add in the fact that there are a lot more small things that need to be submitted and accounted for when you own a small business, and it’s no wonder that you’re dreading tax season.

Have you thought of hiring an accountant?

 

Some people wouldn’t think of doing their taxes without an accountant, and others wouldn’t think of doing their taxes with anyone besides themselves. The reality of owning a small business, is that there are a lot of ins and outs of the finances that make the process confusing. To avoid overpaying, or worse, underpaying, you may want to consider hiring a small business accountant. Even if you just want to hire them for tax season this year, to learn what you need to look for when you file your taxes on your own in the future. Whatever your long term goals are, you may want to think about hiring a small business accountant.

 

Relevant expertise

 

There are a lot of things to consider when hiring an accountant. Experience, location, and certification are all important things to look out for when you contact potential accountants. An often overlooked criteria, is what field the accountant is familiar with. For your specific situation, you should seek out an accountant who has considerable experience with small businesses and filing taxes for small businesses and self proprietorships. Hiring someone with specific expertise can help you feel more confident in trusting them with your finances and give you the assurance you need to know that your finances will be handled properly and your taxes filed on time and correctly.

 

Talk to business associates

 

Often the best kind of review or recommendation you can get, is from someone you already know. If you have a friend who also owns a small business, it may be beneficial to talk to them about their experience hiring a small business accountant. Ask them who they currently go to for their taxes, who they have gone to in the past and why they left them, and how they like their current accountant. There is no reason to recreate any mistakes that they’ve made before, and often they’ll have a recommendation that will help you find the right accountant considerably quicker.