Accounting consulting: How to become an accounting consultant Thomson Reuters

Shifting demographics, changes in consumer behavior, a dynamic tax and regulatory environment, technology, and a multitude of other factors are having a profound impact on the future of accounting. Which types of consultants are in biggest demand will likely change from year to year, as the profession continues to evolve to meet consumer needs. In addition, prior to the global pandemic, client expectations were already shifting. The future CPA is one who provides consulting services through an advisory lens – offering more than compliance work and serving as a more holistic business partner.

• Shifting demographics, changes in consumer behavior, a dynamic tax and regulatory environment, technology, and a multitude of other factors are having a profound impact on the future of accounting.
• As a CPA consultant, you analyze the numbers and trends and provide thoughtful, detailed insight to improve your client’s business going forward.
• The survey also compared annual accounting consultant salaries by geographic and metro regions.
• With Practice Forward content, tools and guidance, you can expand into advisory services, improve margins, drive growth, and elevate client service.

You will collaborate daily with our tax team to perform research and analysis, and utilize your consultative skills to turn findings into actionable solutions. During your internship you’ll interact with multiple clients, providing you exposure to a variety of organizations and a stronger understanding of applicable tax implications for different clients. Economic disruption can magnify the crucial aspects of your advisory-centric relationships. As the economy suffers, and businesses fight to stay in business due to social distancing and quarantines, more and more business owners will expect assistance. As clients seek more answers and more guidance, the demand for accounting consultants increases as well. Generally speaking, your clients will expect a fixed fee for consulting services.

Read our white paper, How accountants work from home successfully, to discover specific steps you can take now, along with insights into how you can effectively manage your business remotely. No matter the timing of your transition to accounting consulting, you will need to plan your new business in advance. There may be additional training or education to help you specialize in a particular type of consulting, but there are also other considerations that require some forethought. Additionally, forensic accounting, internal audits and accounting system evaluation are among the more in-demand skills.

What types of consultants are in demand?

When you provide accounting consulting services, you do more than make sure the numbers add up. You provide additional analysis or insight beyond the compliance transaction, usually by being hired to provide solutions to a particular problem (though some consulting can look like advisory services and be more open-ended and wide-ranging). As a CPA consultant, you analyze the numbers and trends and provide thoughtful, detailed insight to improve your client’s business going forward. If you succeed in forging a path to your client’s growth, you also create a solid footing to continue working with them long-term as a business partner and advisor.

Sign in to create your job alert for Accounting Consultant jobs in United States. EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the profession to a degree, but over the past decade, accountants and auditors have maintained higher employment rates than many other professional positions. Click the link in the email we sent to to verify your email address and activate your job alert.

Assistant Accounting Manager

Once the client has chosen an entity structure, your consulting job is done. That doesn’t mean that you won’t have additional consulting opportunities with that same client in the future; it just means that you handle them one at a time as they arise. If you’re wondering how to transition into accounting consulting, you’re in good company. It’s fairly common for CPAs to become part-time or full-time consultants just prior to retirement, while others enjoy the benefits of greater flexibility and control over their schedules earlier in their careers.

If you’re putting up a new independent contractor shingle, you will need to market and sell yourself to various companies and individuals in order to bring in the new consulting engagements. We assist clients in implementing or enhancing their risk management frameworks (or elements of such) so that they can take risk management into their own hands on a continuous basis. Becoming an accounting consultant takes a special set of skills beyond your technical accounting expertise. Technical skills aren’t necessarily the divide between a great consultant and a mediocre one. Passion, drive for excellence, leadership, communication skills, and organizational skills – in addition to your knowledge – play a big role in how successful you will be as an accounting consultant.

Another option is to consult on the side, or in between permanent jobs. Hourly rates for accounting consultants range from $27.39 (Tampa, FL) to $44.39 (Washington, D.C.). An ongoing survey by Indeed shows that the average salary for accounting consultants in the United States is $78,960 per year (as of April 2020). Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for accountants and auditors was 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2019. While there are similarities, the primary difference between advisory services and accounting consulting is the length and purpose of the engagement. Let’s examine the definition of accounting consulting and describe exactly what accounting consultants do, how to become an accounting consultant, why you should consider making the switch, and much more.

You’ll receive mentorship and guidance from our tax professionals and have the opportunity to help develop solutions to complex tax issues through research, use of cutting edge technology, and consultation with other team members. There’s another practical difference between serving as a traditional accountant and becoming an accounting consultant; namely, it’s how you get paid. Conventionally, accountants bill for time spent, whereas a consultant usually provides up-front pricing for specific consulting engagements, above and beyond the hourly billing for compliance and technical services. When you ask what accounting consultants do, there are many different answers, depending on the different needs their clients have, the areas of specialization they focus on, their geographic region, and many other factors. Whether you have specialized skills or are proficient in several areas, there is a niche where you can provide great value based on your experience, skills and interests. If the accounting consulting topics in highest demand aren’t your best skills, you may want to start other advisory services in your firm.

An understanding of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) and/or experience in performing SOX reviews would also be considered assets for this role. Traditionally, the nature of accountancy means that you collect historical information and data and report on it. When working as an accounting consultant, you can take your expertise a step further.

Accountant II – Accounting

From an advisory perspective, your clients may engage you for year-round advice and insights into all areas of their businesses. You work with them directly and routinely to enhance their decision-making and help their businesses grow. This type of advisory bookkeeping 2021 relationship differentiates you from other consultants. As a Deloitte Tax intern, you’ll work with diverse and talented teams to help clients analyze the tax effect of complex decisions, reduce overall tax rates, and pursue performance objectives.

Senior Accountant / Accounting Manager

Being an accountant can mean far more than preparing tax returns, compiling financial statements, handling technical compliance work or providing back-office accounting services. It’s becoming increasing popular for many CPAs to offer their services in an accounting consultant capacity, which is a bridge to becoming the holistic trusted advisor consumers are looking for in today’s economic climate. Read our white paper, How to start an accounting advisory business, to learn more about how to become an accounting consultant. A consulting gig is typically temporary, designed to help your client with a specific problem or situation, such as determining which entity type is the best for their new venture. You would consult on that, offering an analysis from an accounting and tax perspective, based on the business, the client’s goals and objectives, and specific needs.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, tax, strategy and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Within the world of Enterprise Risk (ER), we take a deep dive into understanding our clients’ key concerns/risks and identify channels through which we can provide solutions to help remediate these risks. With Practice Forward content, tools and guidance, you can expand into advisory services, improve margins, drive growth, and elevate client service. Getting started can be as simple as merely getting your name out there to your existing clients and referral sources or as complicated as starting a business from the ground up.

What’s the difference between accounting and consulting?

According to entrepreneur.com, accounting consultants are the number one most sought-after types of consultants. Discover how to grow your accounting practice and become a next generation firm through high value advisory services with Practice Forward. An accounting consultant can serve as both teacher and guide for a business, especially when the business could benefit from accounting services or improvements to their own accounting processes and procedures. At EY, we provide the opportunity for you to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you.

What’s the difference between advisory services and consulting?

Join us and enjoy an exceptional experience for yourself and help build a better working world for all. The survey also compared annual accounting consultant salaries by geographic and metro regions. For example, a CPA consultant’s average salary in New York City is $106,000 per year, while in Bethesda, MD, the annual salary averages $74,000. Learn how to start an accounting advisory business in our white paper. Learn how to start an accounting advisory business in our white paper. Our preferred requirements for this role are summarized below and we welcome all suitable applications.