Today's Features
PRO Member Exclusive

Why Tax Clients Fire Their Accountants

Portrait of an angry man yelling on the phone

Here are 21 complaints. What could you be preventing?

By Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

Clients have many choices, including the choice of a tax preparer. Every new client an accountant gets is because that client left – fired – their previous accountant.

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So why do clients leave?

Here are 21 good reasons why they should: READ MORE →

PRO Member Exclusive

Want Better Leaders? Grow Your Own

A development academy might be the answer.

By Domenick J. Esposito
8 Steps to Great

When it’s time to make decisions about new partner admissions, here is what senior leadership at many small and midsized CPA firms often hear:

  • “If Mary doesn’t make audit partner this year, she will leave the firm. We can’t afford to lose her as she gets all the work done at ABC Manufacturing Corporation, who pays us over $300,000 a year. Without Mary, this client will leave the firm” and
  • “We need to make Joe a tax partner this year because he is the only one in the firm who understands ‘C.’ Without him, we will have a big hole in our tax department capabilities. It could put a big hurt on the firm.”

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In their guts, these leaders know that, while both Mary and Joe are solid professionals, there is little chance that either of them will develop beyond client service partners.
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ADVISORY & CONSULTING

Six Vital KPIs for Advisory-CAS Success

Plus four client outcomes for measuring impact.

By Hitendra Patil
Client Accounting Services: The Definitive Success Guide

Client Advisory Services (CAS) are truly changing the way we see accounting. Now, it’s less about the hours you put in and more about the positive difference you make. The success of CAS isn’t just reflected in financial reports or dashboards, but also in how well clients do and how much the firm grows overall.

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To reach your goals, it helps to measure carefully. Keep track of key signals and use them as a guide to improve how you serve, grow and create meaningful value. According to our CAS survey, 49.6 percent of firms say the most important success metric is becoming more of a “one-stop shop” for clients, while 14.6 percent focus on solving more problems for clients.

Let’s explore how you can set up measurements for your CAS practice.
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MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

PE Deal Tracker for Feb. 2026: 57 deals in 60 days

February 2026 produced 21 recorded transactions — second only to January.

The accounting profession’s private equity wave shows no sign of cresting.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The 57 private-equity-backed accounting transactions recorded in the CPA Trendlines PE Deal Tracker™ through the first two months of 2026 represent more than three times the 18 deals logged in the same period a year ago, as the PE phenomenon continues to gather speed.

MORE Private Equity

February didn’t beat January’s record pace but it came in second, even if down 42%. Still, the underlying rate remains roughly double the 2025 monthly average of 12.1 deals. READ MORE →

AUDIT & ASSURANCE

The Six Stages of 401(k) Audits

green marker checking boxes

Keep the process from dragging on.

By Jody Grunden
Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud

As with any service area, it’s important to have a solid process in place. Without one, it can be a little bit like the Wild West! The 401(k) audit process involves six stages, which are typically completed within four to eight weeks.

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Once a prospective client confirms they want Summit to complete their audit, we send them the engagement letter and the questionnaires along with the governance planning memo that we’re required to give them.
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