Starbend Commercial Capital, a small-business funding service in Las Vegas, NV, explains accounting practice loans for Clark County, NV firms: financing the purchase of a CPA firm or client book, lines of credit for filing-season staffing, software and office costs, how to grow an accounting practice, and the records partners may read.
| Accounting and tax employers, county | 1,003 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Employees | 5,847 |
| Under five employees | 74.3% |
| Firms with one to four staff | 745 |
| Without payroll, county | 3,095 (NES 2024) |
| Annual payroll, county | About $335.0 million |
A year shaped by deadlines
Tax preparation and some accounting engagements are tied to filing deadlines. A firm may add seasonal preparers and overtime before the fees arrive, then carry a quieter stretch on the year's earnings. Bookkeeping and payroll services bill monthly retainers, which can smooth that pattern.
Lines of credit for the staffing peak
A line of credit lets a firm pay seasonal staff and software renewals ahead of a filing deadline, then repay as fees come in. Partners read the firm's monthly revenue history to see the pattern and confirm the line clears each year. For one-off needs, working capital may fit better.
What does a CPA firm sell for, and who sets the price?
Prices for accounting practices can be discussed as a multiple of annual recurring fees, adjusted for client retention, service mix and how much of the work depends on the selling owner. Starbend does not publish multiples or prices; your accountant, attorney or a valuation adviser will have current ones. What matters for financing is that a purchase can be structured with part paid at closing, part tied to client retention over a period, and part financed.
Acquisition financing can take the form of a term loan repaid from the acquired fees. The post on buying a CPA or bookkeeping book covers retention clauses and the buyer's file.
How to grow a CPA firm or accounting practice
- Buy a retiring practitioner's client book and keep its staff
- Add advisory, payroll or bookkeeping services that bill monthly
- Hire a second preparer or a manager to free partner time
- Invest in software that raises capacity per staff member
- Open a second office or go fully remote
Each route has a funding shape: term loans for acquisitions and offices, lines for staffing, equipment or software financing for systems.
Illustrative example: a client book purchase (not an offer)
A firm agrees to buy a retiring CPA's book with $240,000 in annual fees. The deal pays 30% at closing and the rest over two years, adjusted for clients who stay. The buyer finances the $72,000 closing payment with a term loan over 48 months; at an annual rate of 10%, chosen for arithmetic, that is about $1,826 a month, against roughly $20,000 a month of acquired fees if retention holds. The figures are illustrative; a partner's offer sets the real terms.
Records partners may read for an accounting firm
- Revenue by month for two or more years
- Returns and financial statements for recent years
- Client retention data and service mix
- For an acquisition: the seller's fee history and the purchase agreement
- Existing loans, leases and software contracts
Clark County, NV accounting and tax firms on the Census rolls
County Business Patterns counted 1,003 accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll employers in Clark County, NV in 2023, with 5,847 employees and about $335.0 million in annual payroll; 745 of them, 74.3%, had fewer than five employees. ZIP 89103 had 29 (ZBP 2023). Nonemployer Statistics recorded 3,095 accounting businesses without payroll in 2024, a separate program. Other professional firms are on the industries page; county figures are on the Las Vegas, NV page.
Software, security and capacity
Tax and accounting software, client portals, secure storage and scanning hardware are recurring costs that grow with the firm. Some are subscriptions paid monthly; others are licenses or hardware that can be financed. Before financing a system, estimate the hours it saves in the busiest weeks, because capacity in the filing period can limit growth.
Questions before financing a book purchase
- What share of the price depends on client retention?
- How long is the transition period, and will the seller help introduce clients?
- Are any clients a large share of the book's fees?
- Will the seller's staff join the firm?
- How will the first filing season be staffed?
By Starbend Commercial Capital · Updated