With CPAs retiring in record numbers and fewer accounting grads being minted than ever before, demand for the best of the best CPAs is at an all-time high. And whether you're thriving or underwater in your business or personal finances, at some point in your life, you'll need an accountant. For taxes, auditing or consulting, CPAs are the gold standard for solving compliance issues and developing better business solutions—from auditing to IRS representation, from valuation to financial planning, from consulting to AI and crypto. CPAs can shield taxpayers from dealing directly with the IRS and are exclusively empowered to render opinions based on auditing financial statements.
Securing a top-notch CPA, though, requires more than just a Google search. The finest CPAs possess a combination of financial acuity, innovation and deskside manner, as well as the essential independence and integrity that make CPAs the most trusted business advisors in repeated surveys, year after year.
To assist in your search for a CPA with demonstrated excellence above and beyond, Forbes has produced the following inaugural America's Best-In-State CPAs list. Created exclusively by Forbes editorial staff, it is a compilation of the finest CPAs active in public practice, culled from a collection of candidates sourced through independent nominations and recognitions from numerous associations of CPAs. Those nominated were rated on a range of weighted criteria, including expertise, innovation, thought leadership, experience, and service to the community and to their profession. See the published methodology here.
In a world where numbers reign supreme, Forbes' list of America's Best-In-State CPAs is also a story—a story of the journey of hundreds of thousands of CPAs who serve small business, the S&P 500, non-profits, government, entrepreneurs and taxpayers of America. Whether you're in charge of a small or huge business, a charity, a municipality or need to account for your own personal journey, these CPAs make sure it all adds up.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
