How To Choose The Right Accountant For Your Business

Key takeaways

• Identify what you need before you search, whether that is bookkeeping, tax filing, or growth guidance.
• Confirm credentials by checking whether an accountant is a licensed CPA and listed on trusted directories.
• Compare experience, references, and fees across a short list before you commit to one accountant.
• Prioritize a personal fit, since you are trusting this professional with your business finances.

What does an accountant do for your business?

Start by naming what you need help with:

• Financial guidance to run and grow the business

• Bookkeeping to clean up messy records

• Bill pay and payroll support, including managing bills

• Tax advice and filing

An accountant helps with the financial side of your business. That includes growth planning, expanding to new locations or product lines, and guidance during tough stretches.

Before you even start looking for an accounting professional, you should know the difference between the main types of pros and what they can do for you.

So when meeting with a prospective accountant for your business, discuss your needs and mutual expectations, and ask them if and how they can help you, to ensure that the services they provide are in line with your business’s needs.

Accountant vs. bookkeeper vs. CPA: what’s the difference?

These three roles overlap, so it helps to know what each one does before you start looking.

• Accountants handle your financial statements, tax filings, and higher-level guidance like cash flow.

• Bookkeepers record, categorize, and reconcile your day-to-day transactions.

• CPAs are accountants licensed by a state board who can audit statements and represent you before the IRS.

Knowing which one you need makes the search much easier.

Where to find an accountant

Once you know what you need, there are a few reliable places to start your search.

• Ask for referrals from people you trust, especially other owners in your industry.

• Check professional directories and your state board of accountancy.

• Look for accountants who work with businesses your size and stage.

Build a short list of two or three names, then compare them with the questions below.

What experience do they have?

To be more specific, what experience do they have with businesses like yours and the industry you operate in?

Businesses may differ from one another in their financial operations, pain points, and business needs. For example, the way to calculate the cost of goods sold (COGS) varies between construction, food and beverage, and dental accounting. That is why you may prefer an accounting professional who has an intimate understanding of your business and industry.

What do their clients have to say about them?

To confirm an accountant is trustworthy, check their track record. Search their name online, read reviews, and look for testimonials on their site. It is also perfectly fine to ask a prospective accountant to speak with one of their clients. The way they react to the request is itself a possible indicator of whether you can trust them with your business.

It’s important to note that some accountants prefer not to provide references, for valid reasons (for example, they don’t want to bother their existing clients). Therefore, the focus here should be the manner in which they react to your request, rather than the answer itself.

If you manage to talk to one of their clients, don’t settle on just asking them if they’re content. Use this opportunity to ask them specific questions that can give you real insights: How long have they been working with them? What type of services do they perform? Ask about their availability, the way they communicate, and the added value they bring with them.

What credentials and certifications do they have?

For an individual to be an accountant, they generally need an accounting bachelor’s degree. As mentioned above, CPAs are accountants that undergo a certification process. Meaning, all CPAs are accountants, but not all accountants are CPAs. In fact, there were about 1,579,800 accountants and auditors in the U.S. in 2024, and about 653,408 of them were actively licensed CPAs as of 2025.

Bookkeepers don’t require certification to practice. However, there are formal institutions such as the AIPB and NACPB that offer accreditation.

Another credential you should consider asking about is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification. QuickBooks offers a certification program for accounting professionals. A ProAdvisor certification means, among other things, that the accountant or bookkeeper took the time to gain proficiency in the accounting software they use.

It should be noted that other accounting software, such as Xero, also offer certification programs.

What tech solutions are they using?

An accountant’s choice of tech stack can also shed light on their professional point of view: accountants who invest time in researching and choosing the best tech stack, demonstrate their aspiration to provide the best services for their clients and the ability to learn and grow with technology.

They also show that efficiency is paramount to them, as well as ensuring they have time to focus on the real value they bring as professionals, providing you with financial analysis and insights, helping you with financial challenges, cash flow planning and business growth.

Do they have a detailed engagement letter?

An engagement letter is a written agreement that spells out what your accountant will do, who is responsible for what, and how billing works. It also covers the document handling process and other details of the relationship.

Having a detailed and coherent engagement letter, customized for each client’s personal service needs, demonstrates that the accountant prioritizes clarity, certainty, and accountability with their clients.

How much does an accountant cost?

Accountant pricing varies by service and complexity, from hourly rates to fixed monthly packages. Compare a few quotes so you know a fair range before you commit, and match the fee structure to how often you will need help. You can also check an Intuit rate survey for a general benchmark.

How do you feel about them?

Nothing can replace a personal and unmediated impression. An accountant can be perfect on paper, but unsuitable for you and your business on a personal level.

The interrelations between accountants and clients require a high degree of trust and reliance, and therefore you should feel confident that your business, for which you toiled so hard, is in the hands of an accountant who, for lack of a better term, gets you.

Choosing the right accountant with Melio in mind

Once you pick an accountant, the right tools make working together easier.

Melio lets you pay bills and get paid in one place, and it syncs with the accounting software your accountant already uses. That means less manual work for both of you and a clearer view of your cash flow.

Choosing an accountant FAQs