To start a CPA firm you need, in order: an active CPA license and state firm registration, E&O insurance, an entity and EIN, your software stack, and a clear niche. A home-based solo firm can start for $3,000 to $15,000. The accounting is the part you've mastered — the firm runs on the right clients, recurring fees, and steady lead flow.
We run our own service companies, so we'll tell you plainly where you need outside help and where you don't. For the first months, that means leaning on your network and doing the website yourself; the section at the end says exactly when that changes.
Confirm licensing and firm registration. Your individual CPA license is not enough in many states — you also need a firm permit and the right to use "CPA" in the firm name. Check your state board's rules before you name the firm.
Form the entity and get insured. An LLC or PLLC, an EIN, and professional liability (E&O) insurance. E&O is not optional for attest or tax work.
Pick a niche. "Tax for restaurants," "accounting for dentists," "CFO services for agencies." A niche lets you charge more, market clearly, and build referral networks faster than a generalist.
Set up software and pricing. Tax prep, accounting/bookkeeping, a portal, and e-sign. Decide early whether you bill hourly or, better, fixed-fee and advisory packages.
Land your first clients from your network, then build inbound. Reviews and a credible site turn searches into consults.
Overhead is low and fees recur, which is why CPA firms can be highly profitable once the book is steady. Your real constraint is your own time, so a niche and good systems matter more than a big launch budget.
Your first clients come from people who already trust you — your network, former-employer relationships (within any non-compete), and referrals from attorneys, bankers, and financial advisors. Do excellent work, ask for reviews, and ask each happy client who else they know. After that, searches like "CPA near me," "[city] tax accountant," and "accountant for [your niche]" become inbound, won by a credible site, a complete Google Business Profile, and steady reviews.
A CPA is a trust purchase — clients hand you their finances. The firm whose site looks professional, names a niche, and answers fast wins more consults. For the channel detail, see CPA marketing and CPA SEO.
The signal to invest: you have a niche, reviews, and referrals have plateaued, and you want to control where the next clients come from. That's when a real site and SEO pay for themselves with a few recurring clients.
We build the credible site and AI lead capture that turn searches into booked consults, and run the monthly SEO that ranks it. Start Getting Leads is $249/mo; Grow in Google is $597/mo with the content engine and attribution. Month-to-month, you own everything, free demo in 48 hours. Related: CPA website design, CPA software, how much a CPA costs (for your pricing pages), and more start-a-business guides.
We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →
An active CPA license, state firm registration, E&O insurance, an entity and EIN, your software stack, and the right to use "CPA" in the firm name per your state board.
A solo home-based firm can start for $3,000 to $15,000. The biggest ongoing costs are software and insurance.
It can be, with low overhead and recurring fees. Margins climb when you move from hourly to fixed-fee and advisory packages. Your own time is the constraint.
Send your firm name and niche — we'll confirm your market is open and build a working demo within 48 hours. Free, no card, no commitment.
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