CPAs for Business Owners

CPAs

The Sale Price Is Not What the Owner Keeps

Two transactions with similar headline values can produce very different after-tax outcomes.

CPAs play an important role long before closing by helping owners strengthen financial reporting, prepare for buyer scrutiny, and understand how transaction structure may affect what they ultimately retain.

See Where CPA Preparation Matters See Where CPA Preparation Matters

FINANCIAL CREDIBILITY

Buyers Need Financial Information They Can Rely On

Buyers will look closely at the company’s historical financial performance before they commit to a transaction.

Revenue, margins, earnings, working capital, cash flow, accounting policies, and supporting records all influence how credible the financial story appears.

A CPA can help establish a stronger financial foundation before diligence begins, reducing surprises and giving buyers greater confidence in the numbers.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TAX RETURNS

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

HISTORICAL REPORTING

EARNINGS NORMALIZATION

BALANCE-SHEET REPORT

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QUALITY OF EARNINGS

Buyer Diligence May Examine the Numbers Differently

Revenue recognition, EBITDA adjustments, owner compensation, related-party transactions, gross margins, working capital, and historical trends may all receive closer scrutiny.

Preparing for that process early can help the owner understand where questions may arise before they become transaction surprises.

Earnings Quality

Revenue Recognition
EBITDA Adjustments
Owner Compensation

Financial Consistency

Gross Margins
Historical Trends
Related-Party Transactions

Balance-Sheet

Working Capital
Accruals
Supporting Documentation

Transaction Structure Can Change What the Owner Ultimately Keeps

Taxes can materially change the economics of a business sale.

Asset versus equity structure, purchase-price allocation, earnouts, seller financing, rollover equity, state taxes, and charitable or estate-planning strategies can all affect the owner’s after-tax outcome.

Some planning opportunities become more limited once a transaction is already underway, which is why CPA involvement should begin early.

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WORKING TOGETHER

Financial and Tax Expertise Is Stronger With an M&A Perspective

CPAs often know their business-owner clients extremely well—the company’s history, earnings, cash flow, tax position, and many of the issues the owner worries about most.

When a client begins thinking about selling, Exit Teams can add the transaction perspective by helping evaluate business value, exit readiness, buyer concerns, and the sale process.

The CPA continues to provide financial and tax expertise while Exit Teams helps manage the broader M&A picture.

Plan for the Transaction Before the Tax Consequences Become Fixed

Exit Teams works with CPAs who serve privately held business owners and want to bring transaction planning, financial credibility, and tax strategy together before a sale becomes urgent.

Exit Teams LLC

EXIT TEAMS® is a registered service mark of Exit Teams LLC

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