Las Vegas Accountant - Audit Firm

As a Las Vegas accountant, one of the things that I get asked a lot is, "What should you ask an accountant in Las Vegas if you are considering hiring one?". One of the most important things is there licensing (their credentials, exactly what they have other licenses in). You should contact their state board of CPAs and the American Institute of accountants to see whether or not there has been any disciplinary actions put against them, and also check out their licenses - they usually do have them posted in their offices.

One of the other things that you should ask a Las Vegas accountant about is their fees: how do they charge you, is it an hourly billing, is it a value billing, what exactly will they charge you for phone calls, what type of meetings can you have with them on a regular basis? You want to make sure that you understand that before you hire an accountant. Additionally, you want to ask them how you could reduce your fees. Do you charge me less or more if I bring in a box of receipts? Could I possibly do some of the work and keep my fees at a minimum? One of the last things that I would consider asking them is 'what their strategies are with their financial statements and their tax returns?'. Are they aggressive, or are they conservative? You want to hire someone who is exactly like yourself. If you're aggressive and you like to take an aggressive strategy on your tax return, you want to make sure that an accountant is willing to look at that without disobeying the laws.

I'm a partner at a Las Vegas CPA firm. Choosing a CPA can be a very complicated decision, however, there are some common factors that you should look at that all CPAs should have. One of those factors is: they should excel at working with people. Being a CPA is a "people profession". It's not just the numbers, you definitely have to be able to work with people; to be a good communicator and a good listener. A second thing a CPA firm should have is: they should be honest. They should be honest and have integrity well above and beyond what you expect. You should be able to be comfortable with the tax returns and financial statements that they're presenting, and that integrity is crucial.

They should also have a great network of other Las Vegas professions. You might need an estate plan or a will done; or maybe you need some investments. There should be some people they can refer you to in order to get your entire financial profile in order. They should be able to do what they say they're going to do. For instance: if they tell you they're going to return your phone call within 24 hours, they should return your phone call within that specified period of time. You want them to return your tax return within the specified time. Your fees should be exactly what you think they're going to be. Make sure they oblige by everything that they tell you. Those are some of the most important things that a Las Vegas CPA firm should have.

One of the things that I love about talking with my business audit clients in Las Vegas is helping them to find their story. Everybody has a reason to do what they do. You didn't start off one day and decide to start a Las Vegas grocery store. It was in your blood; your dad did it, your uncle did it, your mom did it, or you were a stock clerk and loved the business. Whatever it was, you're passionate about whatever it is you chose to do, and I love find the root of that passion for my clients, and helping them re-discover what is was that made them love their job when they started before we help them with their business audit.

Often times, as businesses grow, they become harder to run. You have employees and levels of management and it's a long way from you in the CEO suite down to the person, the little old lady that used to come by and buy produce from you (in my grocery example). So by helping clients identify what they're passionate about, we can try to structure their business back to the activities that give them the most happiness. That's an exciting thing that any business owner should keep in mind: "What are you passionate about?". Try to find a way to do that in what you do every day. Your Las Vegas business should be more than finances, taxes, an audits - find your passion.