Deloitte vs Local CPA: Which Tax Service is Best for You?

[Yun Han]

Hey everyone,

I have a question about tax services that I'm hoping to get some advice on. So, my employer is providing Deloitte tax services for me this and next year, which is pretty cool. However, I've only ever worked with local CPAs in the past, and I'm not sure how working with such a big company will be. I have this gut feeling that they may not be able to save me as much money on taxes as a good local CPA could.

What do you think? Would you recommend sticking with a local CPA, or should I give Deloitte a try? Keep in mind, I recently moved to a different state, so I'd need to find a new CPA anyways if I don't use Deloitte.

I'd appreciate any advice or insight you guys might have. Thanks!

My employer is paying for tax service from Deloitte this year. I have only worked with a local CPAs so far. How is it to work on tax with such company? From guts, I for some reason think they won't be able to offer to save much tax compared to good local CPAs.  Would you recommend to work with a local CPA? I moved to a different state, so I would need to find one anyways if i were to now use Deloitte. 

[Jeff Nash]

Deloitte is an international firm and a part of the "Big 4" accounting firms.  They have a slew of resources and professionals, some in very niche and specialized areas.  It sounds like they will provide the tax compliance or preparation work for you, but my hunch is they will not include planning for free which is where the real value is.  I would inquire about the scope of their services and ask what and how they charge for tax planning.  Normally the Big 4 focuses exclusively on the largest public corporations and private entities as well as high net worth individuals.  If they are not able to help you beyond compliance then you can find a CPA/EA or other tax consultant to bridge the service gap.