Business owners often turn to their Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) for tax advice. Still, in doing so you are likely missing out on numerous insights and strategic options to improve your financial picture. While CPAs provide a service for tax preparation and compliance, there are many reasons why business owners should seek true strategic advice.
Here are some of the more common reasons why business owners fail to seek additional strategic advice.
1. Limited Awareness of Specialized Tax Advisors:
Many business owners don't realize there are specialized tax advisors at all. Experts in areas like estate planning, exit planning, entity structure, and compensation planning can provide valuable insights that a general CPA may not cover.
2. Overreliance on Existing Relationships:
We see it often, an owner has an exiting relationship with someone or perhaps it's a family member acting as their CPA. Once a working relationship is established, you may hesitate to seek external advice. It becomes a trust issue, but this overreliance can lead to a narrow focus, missed opportunities, and often, errors that cost thousands and irreversibly damage your estate.
3. Cost Concerns:
Some business owners might avoid seeking additional tax advice due to the perception of higher costs. You may believe that the expense of hiring extra consultants or advisors outweighs the potential benefits. At C&A, we work on a fixed fee, results-based model, which means whether we are partnering with your CPA or handling your tax prep as well, you can be confident that you'll see a return on your investment.
4. Time Constraints:
Running a business is time-consuming, and you may feel pressed to find time to engage with multiple tax professionals. This can result in complacency and reluctance to explore or invest in broader tax planning strategies. That complacency is costly. With just a couple of brief conversations to understand your goals and concerns and some documentation, we can make this completely hands off for you.
5. Misunderstanding the Scope of CPAs' Expertise:
While CPAs are well-trained in tax matters, their expertise is often limited to tax preparation and compliance. The reality is, they are busy and they focus on compliance for their clients so they don't have the time to research other strategic approaches. Business owners may not fully appreciate that other advisors can provide insights into tax minimization strategies, legislative changes, and proactive planning.
6. Fear of Complication:
Navigating multiple advisors can complicate communication and create confusion around tax strategies. You may avoid reaching out to additional experts due to fear that it will lead to conflicting advice or misunderstandings. This should never be a concern. We frequently work with our client's CPAs, not to replace but augment their expertise which ultimately leads to better results and better relationships for everyone involved.
7. Lack of Proactive Tax Planning:
Some business owners may take a reactive approach to taxes, only discussing them during tax season. This mentality can prevent you from seeking ongoing advice, missing out on opportunities for tax-saving strategies throughout the year. Tax planning is never "done". Without regular, ongoing strategic review opportunities will be missed and every dollar lost to unnecessary tax exposure is a dollar that can't be invested and grown.
8. Difficulty Identifying Needs:
The classic case of "you don't know what you don't know". Business owners may struggle to identify their specific tax planning needs and may not recognize areas where they could benefit from specialized advice. Without a clear understanding of their own financial situation, they may overlook the necessity of consulting additional experts.
9. Uncertainty About Value Addition:
Business owners might question the value of seeking advice beyond their CPA, unsure of how additional insights can lead to tangible improvements in your tax situation. This skepticism can hinder you from exploring new avenues for financial efficiency. When it comes to your money, there's really no excuse for not understanding all your options.
10. Focus on Compliance Over Strategy:
Many business owners prioritize tax compliance over strategic tax planning, leading to a limited view of their financial landscape. You may feel that as long as you meet your compliance obligations, there’s no need for further tax-based exploration. Compliance isn't a strategy. As an owner you have a bigger picture strategy for your personal and professional situation, if taxes aren't a part of that, your strategy is flawed.
Conclusion:
Not reaching out for tax advice beyond your CPA might be costing you.
Tax filing and compliance is a commodity. Tax strategy is where you can identify significant opportunities, improve your cash flow, and build generational wealth.
It all starts with a 15 minute call, there's really no reason not to explore all your options.
