Looking for Accountant/Tax Services

[Andrew Merritt]

Hey All, I just made my first REI purchases last year and I'd like to have a tax guy/accountant help me out. Does anyone have someone they'd recommend in the Summerville/Charleston SC area?

[Basit Siddiqi]

@Andrew Merritt

There are many ways to find a savvy CPA

1. Biggerpockets search function - Use the search function to see if a BP colleague requested a CPA in your area. This method allows you to reach out to the BP colleague and ask who they interviewed with, who they decided to go with and if they like working with their CPA. I went ahead and pulled up posts from BP colleagues who requested a CPA in your area.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/342...
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/507...
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/207...
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/582/topics/24...

You may want to send a message along the lines of 

“Hi _____,

I noticed that you recently requested to connect with a CPA in _______. I am currently in the market for a CPA and I would like to inquire who you ended up choosing. Do you like your CPA and do you plan to continue using his services? Thank you for connecting and let me know if there is anyway that I can help.
Thanks,
______

2. Keyword Alerts - Add the keyword alerts "Charleston" and/or "South Carolina". You will notice that there are frequent members who respond to posts that have these keywords. Feel free to send a colleague request to these members to connect and see who they use as a CPA. Connecting with members who have the pro-membership have a higher tendency so be more serious and provide you a good recommendation.

3. Real Estate Networking Events - These events contain seasoned investors and would be more than happy to refer you to a CPA. You can find local networking events through the BP events section or meetup.com

4. Reach out to CPA who works with clients remotely - If you are still unable to find a local CPA that matches your needs. You may want to reach out to a CPA that works with clients remotely. I would argue that working with a remote CPA who has experience in real estate will likely be a better fit for you than a local CPA who is a Jack of all Trades. Technology has enabled communication with a remote CPA through phone calls, emails, skype etc. There are many CPA's on this site that work with clients remotely.

In the meantime - feel free to ask any tax related question. I would be more than happy to help give my opinion.

Good luck in your search!