Don’t Wait Until Tax Season to Talk To Your CPA

Be Proactive

As a business owner, your relationship with your CPA should be much more than just an annual tax preparation exercise. Unfortunately, many business owners fall into the trap of only reaching out to their CPAs during tax season, which can be a significant disservice to their financial well-being.

During the busiest months of February and March, CPAs are often heads-down, focused on completing tax returns and meeting deadlines. If your interactions with your CPA are limited to these crunch periods, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to leverage their expertise and guidance throughout the year.

Frequent Communication is Key

Regular communication with your CPA, ideally on a monthly basis, can unlock a wealth of benefits for your business. Here are five compelling reasons why you should prioritize ongoing dialogue with your trusted financial advisor:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of your financial landscape: When you communicate regularly with your CPA, they can develop a comprehensive understanding of your business’s financial situation, goals, and challenges. By reviewing your financial statements, identifying trends, and discussing your personal and business objectives, your CPA can provide tailored insights and recommendations that align with your long-term vision. 
2. Proactively address challenges and seize opportunities: With a finger on the pulse of your business, your CPA can proactively identify potential roadblocks or opportunities and propose strategies to address them before they become major issues. This proactive approach can help you stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions that drive growth and profitability. 
3. Optimize your financial performance: Regular communication allows your CPA to analyze your financial data in real-time and pinpoint areas where you can improve efficiency, reduce costs, or boost revenue streams. By continuously monitoring your numbers and seeking your CPA’s guidance, you can make data-driven adjustments to optimize your financial performance and maximize your profits. 
4. Align business decisions with personal goals: As a business owner, your personal financial goals are intrinsically linked to the success of your business. By maintaining open communication with your CPA, you can ensure that your business decisions are aligned with your personal wealth-building objectives, retirement plans, and overall financial well-being. 
5. Foster a collaborative partnership: When you treat your CPA as a trusted advisor and actively involve them in your business’s journey, you foster a collaborative partnership built on transparency and mutual understanding. This partnership can be invaluable, as your CPA can provide objective insights, challenge your assumptions, and offer fresh perspectives to help you navigate complex business decisions.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship, and your partnership with your CPA is no exception. By committing to regular meetings, open dialogue, and an ongoing exchange of information, you can unlock the full potential of your CPA’s expertise and leverage their guidance to drive your business’s growth and financial success.

Don’t wait until tax season to reach out to your CPA. Schedule regular check-ins, whether monthly, quarterly, or at a cadence that suits your needs. Just make sure it isn’t once per year. Those conversations are where the levers that actually move an agency owner’s tax bill get pulled, and most of them close on December 31. They are also where you catch the states your client list has quietly created a filing obligation in. Treat these meetings as an investment in your business’s future, and leverage your CPA’s knowledge and experience to make informed decisions, identify opportunities, and achieve your personal and professional financial goals.

To learn more about how business owners can maximize their relationship with their CPAs, tune in to this episode of The Progressive Agency Podcast.