Prompt

Can you recommend regional CPA firms for a mid-market CFO who needs recurring multistate tax advisory support?

Latest observation

Jul 30, 2026 · OpenAI APIWeb search: off

Yes — for a mid-market CFO needing recurring multistate tax advisory support, I’d focus on regional CPA firms with strong state & local tax (SALT), income/franchise tax, sales/use tax, and multistate compliance capabilities, plus enough bench depth to support ongoing advisory rather than just annual compliance.

Strong regional / mid-market-friendly CPA firms to evaluate

1. Moss Adams

  • Strong in the West Coast and growing nationally
  • Good fit for mid-market companies with multistate operations
  • Known for tax advisory, SALT, transaction support, and industry specialization
  • Often a good balance of quality and responsiveness

2. Baker Tilly

  • One of the strongest regional-to-national firms for middle-market tax work
  • Broad multistate tax and advisory capability
  • Solid for recurring CFO-level support, especially if you need both compliance and planning
  • Good geographic coverage

3. CBIZ MHM

  • Broad national presence with a regional feel in many markets
  • Strong outsourced tax/accounting support model
  • Useful if you want recurring advisory plus scalable compliance support
  • Often a practical choice for mid-market CFOs

4. Aprio

  • Strong growth-oriented firm with good tax advisory depth
  • Particularly attractive for companies needing ongoing support and a more hands-on service model
  • Good for multistate tax issues, nexus, planning, and credits/incentives

5. EisnerAmper

  • Not purely regional anymore, but still often competes well for middle-market clients
  • Strong tax team and breadth across SALT and federal/state planning
  • Good if your needs may expand beyond tax into broader advisory

6. BDO

  • Larger than a classic regional firm, but still often a strong middle-market option
  • Deep SALT and multistate tax expertise
  • Good when you need technical depth across many states and entity types

7. CohnReznick

  • Strong middle-market orientation
  • Good tax advisory and compliance support
  • Often a fit for companies with recurring multistate filing and planning needs

8. Plante Moran

  • Excellent reputation for middle-market client service
  • Strong tax advisory and state tax capabilities
  • Good fit if you value consistency, partner accessibility, and long-term support

Firms that are especially worth considering if SALT is a major pain point

If your multistate needs are driven by nexus studies, apportionment, sales/use tax, entity structuring, credits, or state audits, prioritize firms with a clearly visible SALT practice:

  • Baker Tilly
  • Moss Adams
  • Plante Moran
  • BDO
  • EisnerAmper
  • Aprio

What to look for in the right firm

For a recurring CFO relationship, I’d screen for:

  • Dedicated SALT specialists, not just general tax CPAs
  • Experience with your industry and footprint
  • Ability to handle both:
    • compliance
    • proactive planning/advisory
  • Responsiveness and senior-level involvement
  • Support for:
    • nexus reviews
    • apportionment analysis
    • income/franchise tax
    • sales/use tax
    • state credits/incentives
    • controversy/audit defense
  • Clear pricing model for recurring support

Best-fit shortlist by common CFO need

If you want a highly responsive middle-market advisory firm:

  • Baker Tilly
  • Plante Moran
  • Moss Adams

If you need broader outsourced tax support and scalable compliance:

  • CBIZ MHM
  • Aprio
  • CohnReznick

If you need deeper technical SALT horsepower:

  • BDO
  • EisnerAmper
  • Baker Tilly

Practical recommendation

For a mid-market CFO, I’d usually suggest starting with 3–5 firms:

  1. Baker Tilly
  2. Plante Moran
  3. Moss Adams
  4. Aprio or CBIZ MHM
  5. BDO or EisnerAmper if the state-tax complexity is high

If you want, I can also give you:

  • a ranked shortlist by industry,
  • a comparison table of these firms,
  • or a RFP/interview question list to use when evaluating them.

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