How to Select a CPA







Listed below are the questions to ask when selecting an accounting and consulting firm to meet your specific needs. The excellent reputation and substantial capabilities of Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman are documented in the answers.

SERVICE PHILOSOPHY

Is there a commitment to personal service that assures accessibility and timely response in meeting your needs?Our statement of firm philosophy includes a "...dedication to a high level of personal service". This is substantiated by responses to our Client Survey question asking for the principal reasons for doing business with the firm. Answers included: "Personal relationships with clients, quality service and responsiveness, timeliness, expertise, knowledge, and professional competency."Is there a proactive, aggressive approach to solving your problems that gives you peace of mind in knowing that your best interest is served? We take a proprietary interest in the success of our clients and coupled with pre-planning it is the key to anticipating and adjusting to an ever changing financial landscape. It is this guiding philosophy, and the quality of our services, that provide peace of mind rare in today's increasingly complex world". This statement is incorporated into our firm philosophy. We define "proactive" as taking on the client as if it were our own company, helping them to anticipate and resolve issues that can impact their business.Is there a consistency and continuity of partners and professional staff who understand you and your business? You will see and speak with the same professionals year after year on your engagement with Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman. The majority of our staff have been with the firm over 10 years and our turnover ratio is less than 2%.Are there monitoring mechanisms in place to insure that your work is completed in a timely manner?Several years ago, the firm instituted a timing schedule that is monitored for work completion within the agreed upon time frames. In the case of financial statement preparation, this schedule is preliminarily reviewed with the client for understanding and agreement, then followed for compliance. The progress of tax returns preparation is similarly monitored. Does the firm understand your industry?Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman is a regional accounting and consulting firm whose size and client base allow us to be industry driven. We are specialists in the industries in our service areas.

INTEGRITY STANDARD

Do the partners and professional staff exemplify the highest levels of honesty and integrity in dealing with clients?Clients surveyed repeatedly cited the honesty and high integrity of our partners and staff as words to describe the partners and staff at Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman.What is the reputation of the firm among third parties (attorneys, bankers, IRS, etc.)?The firm has been in existence since 1972. The excellent reputation of the firm in the community, among peers and with regulatory bodies was one of the principal reasons cited in our Client Survey for doing business with the firm.

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE

Is there a measure of quality assurance through regular review of the firm's work?Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman was one of the first firms to voluntarily submit to a review, by their peers, of technical performance in the accounting and auditing areas of their practice. The most recent review of the firm resulted in another unqualified opinion as to quality work and procedures. The firm is one of very few firms whose tax practice is guided by a "tax quality control manual".  It prescribes the quality control procedures for our tax preactice and is submitted to an internal inspection every two years.

Does the firm invest in the continuing education of professional staff to maintain knowledge and capabilities on the leading edge?All professional staff members at Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman obtain a minimum of 40 hours per year of continuing professional education.

RESOURCE AVAILABILITY

Does the firm have access to national and international expertise to expand the capabilities of the firm in specialized situations?Members of our firm have accepted leadership positions in the AICPA and in the California Society of CPAs which has the dual benefit of keeping the firm on the leading edge of regulatory changes that may be of benefit to clients, and of maintaining access to a national and international network.Does the firm have adequate liability insurance coverage?Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman is a participant in CAMICO, a mutual insurance company providing liability coverage specifically to CPAs in California.