Accounting: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering accounting
Owners want clean numbers and plain explanations. Show how you turn records into reports they can use to make decisions.
What customers ask
- Can you catch up my past months?
- What software do you use?
- How often will I get reports?
- Can you also prepare my taxes?
- How do you protect my financial data?
How to win the job
- Ask what reports the customer needs and why, such as a lender request
- Explain in plain words what a profit and loss report and a balance sheet show
- Offer a defined scope for cleanup and then ongoing work
- State your credentials and how the customer can verify them
- Describe what you need from the owner each month
- Describe how you secure access to accounts and records
- Do not promise tax results
What to put on your profile
- Your credentials and how to verify them
- Industries you serve
- Software you use
- Services listed individually: cleanup, monthly reports, statements
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a monthly review meeting to walk through the reports
- Offer a year end checklist for the tax preparer
- Suggest a quarterly check on records before tax deadlines
Licenses and permits
If you use the CPA title or perform work reserved for CPAs, hold a current state license. Check state rules on titles and on services that require a license.
Questions
Can I call myself a CPA?
Only if licensed as one by a state board.
What should be in an engagement letter?
Scope, reports, schedule, software, billing method and who owns the records.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer accounting remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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