If you’re putting up a new independent contractor shingle, you will need to market and sell yourself to various companies and individuals in order to bring in the new consulting engagements. When you ask what accounting consultants do, there are many different answers, depending on the different needs their clients have, the areas of specialization they focus on, their geographic region, and many other factors. As a Deloitte Tax intern, you’ll work with diverse and talented teams to help clients analyze the tax effect of complex decisions, reduce overall tax rates, and pursue performance objectives. You will collaborate daily with our tax team to perform research and analysis, and utilize your consultative skills to turn findings into actionable solutions. During your internship you’ll interact with multiple clients, providing you exposure to a variety of organizations and a stronger understanding of applicable tax implications for different clients. There’s another practical difference between serving as a traditional accountant and becoming an accounting consultant; namely, it’s how you get paid.

With a fixed consulting fee, you charge for your value, above and beyond your time. Your clients pay you for your expertise, knowledge and guidance, and you will likely reap the rewards of that relationship in terms of more business from them and their referrals as well. To become an accounting consultant, you also need to consider who you want to work with. Do you want to work with your existing accounting clients, or attract new clientele? If you’re selling your consulting services through an accounting firm or management firm, you may not have to look very far for consulting clients.

Staff Accountant – Consulting

When you provide accounting consulting services, you do more than make sure the numbers add up. You provide additional analysis or insight beyond the compliance transaction, usually by being hired to provide solutions to a particular problem (though some consulting can look like advisory services and be more open-ended and wide-ranging). As a CPA consultant, you analyze the numbers and trends and provide thoughtful, detailed insight to improve your client’s business going forward. If you succeed in forging a path to your client’s growth, you also create a solid footing to continue working with them long-term as a business partner and advisor. At Deloitte, our tax consultants provide a full-range of tax services to clients. We help our clients combine tax data, processes, technology, and people in new ways to uncover valuable business insights and arrive at smarter solutions to business challenges.

Grant Thornton Employees shared their concerns with Fox Business about the potential for more stringent times post-Fed’s tightening of monetary policy to combat inflation.

• As the economy suffers, and businesses fight to stay in business due to social distancing and quarantines, more and more business owners will expect assistance.
• You will collaborate daily with our tax team to perform research and analysis, and utilize your consultative skills to turn findings into actionable solutions.
• In addition, prior to the global pandemic, client expectations were already shifting.
• Conventionally, accountants bill for time spent, whereas a consultant usually provides up-front pricing for specific consulting engagements, above and beyond the hourly billing for compliance and technical services.

Our team members work collaboratively and apply their specialized knowledge and experience to help clients navigate past complex tax and financial reporting issues. We offer deep insights into their business practices and procedures and help them make more informed decisions to enhance their business’ efficiencies. From an advisory perspective, your clients may engage you for year-round advice and insights into all areas of their businesses.

Conventionally, accountants bill for time spent, whereas a consultant usually provides up-front pricing for specific consulting engagements, above and beyond the hourly billing for compliance and technical services. We’re looking for highly-motivated, out-of-the-box thinkers to join our tax consulting team. If you enjoy a challenge and thrive in a fast-pace environment, then you may be the right fit for our tax internship program. During the internship, you’ll gain first-hand knowledge of the day-to-day responsibilities that come with this exciting and rewarding career. You’ll receive mentorship and guidance from our tax professionals and have the opportunity to help develop solutions to complex tax issues through research, use of cutting edge technology, and consultation with other team members. Whether you have specialized skills or are proficient in several areas, there is a niche where you can provide great value based on your experience, skills and interests.

Is there demand for accounting consulting services?

Hourly rates for accounting consultants range from $27.39 (Tampa, FL) to $44.39 (Washington, D.C.). Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for accountants and auditors was 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2019. According to entrepreneur.com, accounting consultants are the number one most sought-after types of consultants. Let’s examine the definition of accounting consulting and describe exactly what accounting consultants do, how to become an accounting consultant, why you should consider making the switch, and much more. With Practice Forward content, tools and guidance, you can expand into advisory services, improve margins, drive growth, and elevate client service. An ongoing survey by Indeed shows that the average salary for accounting consultants in the United States is $78,960 per year (as of April 2020).

Undergraduate Career Services Hours

You work with them directly and routinely to enhance their decision-making and help their businesses grow. This type of advisory relationship differentiates you from other consultants. Economic disruption can magnify the crucial aspects of your advisory-centric relationships. As the economy suffers, and businesses fight to stay in business due to social distancing and quarantines, more and more business owners will expect assistance.

In addition, prior to the global pandemic, client expectations were already shifting. The future CPA is one who provides consulting services through an advisory lens – offering more than compliance work and serving as a more holistic business partner. A consulting gig is typically temporary, designed to help your client with a specific problem or situation, such as determining which entity type is the best for their new venture. You would consult on that, offering an analysis from an accounting and tax perspective, based on the business, the client’s goals and objectives, and specific needs.

What’s the difference between accounting and consulting?

While there are similarities, the primary difference between advisory services and accounting consulting is the length and purpose of the engagement. An accounting consultant can serve as both teacher and guide for a business, especially when the business could benefit from accounting services or improvements to their own accounting processes and procedures. Grant Thornton confirmed the layoff of 200 staff members to Fox Business, following an earlier reduction of 300 jobs in the United States in May, impacting the advisory positions predominantly. The layoffs come amid signs of a looming economic slowdown that has put pressure on corporate America’s profitability prospects. No matter the timing of your transition to accounting consulting, you will need to plan your new business in advance. There may be additional training or education to help you specialize in a particular type of consulting, but there are also other considerations that require some forethought.

Once the client has chosen an entity structure, your consulting job is done. That doesn’t mean that you won’t have additional consulting opportunities with that same client in the future; it just means that you handle them one at a time as they arise. Read our white paper, How to start an accounting advisory business, to learn more about how to become an accounting debt service coverage ratio consultant. Shifting demographics, changes in consumer behavior, a dynamic tax and regulatory environment, technology, and a multitude of other factors are having a profound impact on the future of accounting. Which types of consultants are in biggest demand will likely change from year to year, as the profession continues to evolve to meet consumer needs.

Tax Consultant Intern (Accounting) (Summer

Learn how to start an accounting advisory business in our white paper. The firm, which recently boasted record revenues, is yet again reducing its workforce, marking over 6% in cuts this year alone, according to Fox Business. The accounting firm’s strategic decision underscores the industry’s cautious navigation through an uncertain financial climate and has ignited discussions regarding the broader implications for the U.S. economy.

If the accounting consulting topics in highest demand aren’t your best skills, you may want to start other advisory services in your firm. If you’re wondering how to transition into accounting consulting, you’re in good company. It’s fairly common for CPAs to become part-time or full-time consultants just prior to retirement, while others enjoy the benefits of greater flexibility and control over their schedules earlier in their careers. Another option is to consult on the side, or in between permanent jobs.

With a workforce of about 8,000 in the United States, the company’s latest action demonstrates Grant Thornton’s substantial readjustment in response to shifting market demands. In a move that may signal a bracing stance against potential economic turbulence, Grant Thornton LLP, a titan in the professional consulting and advisory sphere, has initiated a second wave of layoffs, cutting an additional 200 jobs. The survey also compared annual accounting consultant salaries by geographic and metro regions. For example, a CPA consultant’s average salary in New York City is $106,000 per year, while in Bethesda, MD, the annual salary averages $74,000. Discover how to grow your accounting practice and become a next generation firm through high value advisory services with Practice Forward. Learn how to start an accounting advisory business in our white paper.