How to choose a small-business CPA in Los Angeles: 10 questions that separate the good ones

Most small-business owners choose an accountant the way they choose a dry cleaner: someone nearby, recommended once, priced reasonably. Then they stay for a decade — through filed-late returns, April surprises, and questions answered in jargon — because switching feels harder than settling. The fix isn’t loyalty or luck. It’s asking better questions before you sign.

First, the two-minute background check

In California, “CPA” is a license, not a vibe. Look the firm up in the California Board of Accountancy license search — active status, no discipline. If they’ll prepare your returns, they should also appear in the IRS directory of credentialed preparers. Thirty seconds each, and they filter out more bad outcomes than any review site.

The 10 questions

1. “How many clients do you have in my industry?” A restaurant’s tip reporting, an attorney’s trust accounting, a station operator’s fuel taxes — these are learned by repetition, not looked up the night before.
2. “Who actually does my work?” Some firms sell you a partner and hand you to a rotating bench. Either model can work — but you should know before the first invoice.
3. “When will I hear from you?” Once a year in April is preparation, not accounting. Ask what a normal year of contact looks like — the right answer includes the word “quarterly.”
4. “What happens in a bad week?” An IRS notice arrives, a payroll run breaks. Ask how fast they respond and through what channel. Vague answers now become silence later.
5. “What’s included — and what’s extra?” Fixed monthly scopes and hourly billing both work; surprise invoices don’t. Get the boundary in writing.
6. “Will you look at my last two returns?” A good firm reviews your history before quoting — and tells you honestly if the previous preparer did fine work.
7. “What would you fix first?” After they’ve seen your books, the answer reveals whether they think in systems (deposit schedules, filing calendars, clean categories) or just in returns.
8. “Do you plan, or just file?” Entity choice, owner pay, purchase timing, retirement contributions — the money is saved between January and December, not in April.
9. “Who represents me if I’m audited?” CPAs can represent you before the IRS. Confirm they will, and whether representation is in scope or billed separately. (Notices are far more common than audits — see our letter decoder.)
10. “Why did your last three clients leave?” Every firm loses clients. The ones who answer this comfortably are the ones who don’t lose them to the same mistake twice.

Red flags that end the meeting

Guaranteed refund sizes. Fees calculated as a percentage of your refund. Reluctance to sign the returns they prepare. Promises that everything is deductible. The IRS keeps a short, blunt page on choosing a tax professional — the scams it warns about show up in Los Angeles every filing season.

This article is general information, not tax advice for your specific situation. Rules change and details matter — talk to a CPA (we know one) before acting on anything here.