January 21, 2026 By: Karl Wappaus For many business owners, a CPA is one of the first, and longest, professional relationships they establish. Basic tax filing and compliance services may be enough early on, but as a business grows, the CPA’s role should evolve from recordkeeper to strategic advisor. When it doesn’t, companies often outgrow the relationship quietly, and at a cost. Below are five signs it may be time to consider a new CPA firm. Table of Contents 1. Your CPA Is Hard to Reach If your CPA takes days to answer calls and emails or communication only happens during tax season, there’s a problem. Delayed or unclear responses leave business owners making decisions without reliable financial insight. Your CPA should be accessible, timely, and able to explain financial matters clearly, especially when decisions can’t wait. Example: A manufacturing company waited weeks for answers to cash flow questions. By the time their CPA responded, the window to renegotiate vendor terms had already closed. 2. Advice Is Reactive, Not Proactive Quality CPAs anticipate issues by monitoring tax law changes, flagging risks early, and offering guidance before problems arise, not after. If your CPA only reacts to problems instead of helping you prevent them, you’re missing the real value. Example: A growing services firm learned of a missed tax-planning opportunity only after filing, resulting in avoidable tax exposure that could have been addressed months earlier. 3. Limited Industry Knowledge Every industry has unique accounting and tax considerations. A CPA without relevant experience may provide generic advice that misses key nuances or creates risk. If you’re constantly explaining your business model to your CPA, it may be time to find one who already understands it. Example: A construction company relied on a CPA unfamiliar with job costing. Inaccurate work-in-progress reporting distorted profitability and delayed critical operational decisions. 4. Chronic Extensions and Errors Occasional extensions happen, but consistent delays and mistakes, or overlooked compliance tasks, point to deeper process issues. Example: A professional services firm filed extensions year after year due to incomplete financials, resulting in penalties, mounting frustration, and limited credibility with lenders. Accuracy and timeliness aren’t optional; they’re foundational. 5. Your Business Has Outgrown the Firm What worked when your business was smaller may no longer be sufficient. As complexity increases (such as multiple revenue streams, payroll, inventory, or expansion), your CPA should scale with you. An effective CPA delivers insights that support growth, cash flow management, and long-term planning, not just tax returns. Example: A founder preparing for a partial sale realized their CPA couldn’t support forecasting, entity structuring, or transaction planning, forcing a last-minute scramble for new advisors. What the Right CPA Relationship Looks Like The right CPA is responsive, proactive, and aligned with your industry. They provide year-round insight to help reduce risk and support more intelligent decision-making as your business evolves. It’s wise to review your CPA relationship annually, ideally after tax season. Switching CPA firms doesn’t have to be disruptive or risky. One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is assuming all CPAs offer the same skill set, approach, and industry insight; the reality is, they don’t. If any of the signs above sound familiar, let’s start with a simple conversation. No pressure, no commitment: just a clear-eyed assessment of whether your current CPA relationship is helping your business move forward rather than holding it back. Author: Karl Wappaus, Karl is a skilled Director of Business Development and Client Relations leader with over a decade of experience creating and executing strategies to expand businesses and grow existing markets. He acts as a liaison between the firm and our clients, prospective clients, and partners, to pair them with the best advisory team to achieve their goals. His adeptness in fostering meaningful client relationships and articulating compelling value propositions has consistently resulted in successfully closing deals worth up to one million dollars. Karl is passionate about creating meaningful connections to solve business problems. Get in Touch:
