Consulting + Advisory Services
Where Compliance Ends, The Real Navigation Begins
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Our Whole Firm is Working on Your Next Move
At Larson & Company, consulting isn't a service we offer on the side. It's the natural extension of knowing your business deeply. When your audit team has spent years inside your industry, and your tax advisors have mapped your entity structure through multiple cycles, they don't just see compliance gaps. They see opportunity.
Our consulting services draw from the full depth of our firm — across audit, tax, accounting, and advisory disciplines — to help you move forward with clarity, whether you're navigating a transaction, evaluating your internal controls, planning for ownership transition, or looking for tax savings you didn't know existed.
Audit-related consulting
An audit is more than a compliance exercise. It's a window into how your organization actually operates. Our audit professionals don't just identify what happened, they help you understand why it happened and what to do about it. We regularly extend audit engagements into consulting work when clients need deeper support.
Services include:
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Internal audit services
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Internal Controls review and documentation
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Agreed-upon procedures engagements
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Due diligence services for mergers and acquisitions
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Policies and procedures review
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Risk assessment consulting
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Research projects, including industry trends
Whether you need a full internal audit function built from scratch, or a one-time agreed upon procedures engagement for a specific transaction, our audit team brings the same rigor to consulting that they bring to the fieldwork.
Tax Consulting
Tax strategy works best when it starts before the deadline.
The most effective tax planning isn't reactive, it's woven into every significant business decision you make throughout the year. Our professionals work across departments to ensure that what we learn during your return informs how we advise you going forward.
Services include:
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Tax provisions
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Tax projections and scenario modeling
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Entity formation and restructuring
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Mergers, acquisitions, and transaction consulting
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Estate and trust planning
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Tax needs assessments
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Section 179 depreciation planning
specialty tax services
Delivered in collaboration with our network of specialty tax partners.
Some of the most powerful tax incentives available to businesses require highly specialized expertise to identify, document, and defend. For these services, Larson & Company coordinates with a vetted network of specialty tax firms, so you can get access to deep technical capability with a single point of contact: your Larson team.
Services include:
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R&D Tax Credits
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Cost segregation & fixed asset services
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Renewable energy tax incentives
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International/Global Business Services
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Transfer Pricing
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Location Advisory Services
Advisory services
Strategy, technology, and growth —connected.
Beyond traditional accounting and tax, Larson has built out a suite of advisory capabilities designed to support organizations at every stage of growth. These services are intentionally connected: our Growth Advisory team benefits from the same industry knowledge as our audit and tax professionals, and our data analytics capabilities amplify the insights across all of them.
Whether you're planning for ownership transition, positioning for acquisition, or developing a long-term growth roadmap, our Growth Advisory team brings a business-first perspective to the engagement.
Services include:
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Quality of Earnings reporting
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Fraud detection and prevention
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Exit strategy planning and preparation
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Forensic accounting
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Employee Benefit Plan audit readiness
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Business acquisition accounting
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Data analytics and visualization
Accounting Services Consulting
When your accounting function needs more than a bookkeeper.
Many of our best client relationships started because an organization needed more support than their internal team could provide, and more strategic engagement than a traditional bookkeeper could offer. Larson & Company's accounting consultants step into that gap, whether on a project basis or as an ongoing extension of your team.
Services include:
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Financial statement preparation
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ProForma forecasting for established businesses and startups
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Accounting systems evaluation and implementation consulting
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Cash flow analysis and financial modeling
Outsourcing accounting functions to a firm of our depth gives you access to professionals who understand your industry and save you money when a full-time employee is not an option.
Cybersecurity
As cybersecurity requirements intensify — including emerging mandates like state customer privacy requirements and the introduction of AI technology into new environments — organizations need advisors who understand both the technical and regulatory landscape. Our IT audit and SOC team bridges that gap and gives you the information you need to make better decisions.
Services include:
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SOC 1, 2, and 3 audits
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IT Risk Assessments
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Cybersecurity posture assessment
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Vulnerability Scanning
Not Sure Where to start?
Most consulting engagements start with a conversation. Tell us what's on the horizon for your business. Whether it's an upcomping transaction, a control environment concern, a tax question you've been putting off, or a growth decision that needs a second set of eyes. We'll make sure you're heading in the right direction.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACCOUNTING SERVICES AND CONSULTING SERVICES AT A CPA FIRM?
Accounting services focus on recording, organizing, and reporting your financial activity — bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, and compliance. Consulting services go a step further, using that financial information to help you make better business decisions. While accounting tells you where you've been, consulting helps you determine where you're going and how to get there more efficiently.
WHEN DOES A CPA FIRM PROVIDE CONSULTING INSTEAD OF JUST FILING TAX RETURNS OR COMPLETING AN AUDIT?
A CPA firm provides consulting when a client needs strategic guidance beyond the scope of a compliance engagement — such as evaluating a business acquisition, restructuring an entity, improving internal controls, or planning for a major financial event. At Larson & Company, consulting often begins where the audit or tax return ends: when we know your business well enough to see opportunities and risks that a one-time filing can't address.
WHAT TYPES OF BUSINESSES BENEFIT MOST FROM CPA CONSULTING SERVICES?
Businesses at inflection points benefit most — companies navigating growth, ownership transitions, acquisitions, international expansion, or significant changes in their tax or regulatory environment. However, organizations of any size can benefit when they need expertise they don't have in-house, a second opinion on a major decision, or a firm that can coordinate specialized services they couldn't otherwise access.
WHAT IS AN INTERNAL AUDIT AND DOES MY COMPANY NEED ONE?
An internal audit is an independent evaluation of your organization's internal controls, processes, and financial reporting to identify risks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. Your company may need one if you are required to by a lender, regulator, or board — or if you are growing quickly enough that financial oversight has outpaced your internal resources. Many mid-sized companies use co-sourced internal audit arrangements, where an outside firm like Larson & Company supplements or leads the function without the cost of a full internal team.
WHAT IS A PROFORMA FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND WHEN DO I NEED ONE?
A ProForma financial statement is a forward-looking financial projection that models what your financials would look like under a specific set of assumptions — a new product launch, an acquisition, a new location, or a change in capital structure. You typically need one when seeking outside investment or financing, evaluating a major business decision, or planning for a transaction. Lenders and investors routinely require them before committing capital.
WHEN SHOULD I INVOLVE A CPA FIRM IN A MERGER OR ACQUISITION?
You should involve a CPA as early as possible in a merger or acquisition — ideally before a letter of intent is signed. Early involvement allows your advisor to identify tax implications of the deal structure, flag financial risks during due diligence, and ensure the transaction is structured in a way that minimizes your tax burden and protects your interests. Waiting until after a deal is structured often limits the options available to you.
WHAT IS THE TAX IMPACT OF BUSINESS ENTITY FORMATION CHOICES?
The entity type you choose — sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, S corporation, or C corporation — has significant implications for how your income is taxed, what deductions are available, how profits are distributed, and what your liability exposure looks like. The right choice depends on your business goals, ownership structure, expected profitability, and long-term plans. Because the tax consequences compound over time, getting entity formation right at the start — or restructuring thoughtfully when circumstances change — can result in substantial savings.
HOW DO I START TRUST AND ESTATE PLANNING AS A BUSINESS OWNER?
Estate and trust planning for a business owner begins with a review of your current ownership structure, the value of your business interests, and your goals for wealth transfer — whether to family members, co-owners, or charitable beneficiaries. From there, your advisor will evaluate tools such as trusts, buy-sell agreements, gifting strategies, and succession structures that align with both your personal wishes and your tax situation. Because business value and personal assets are often deeply intertwined for owners, this planning works best when your CPA and estate planning counsel are working from the same picture.
CAN MY CPA FIRM ALSO BE MY BUSINESS ADVISOR?
Yes — and the best CPA relationships function exactly that way. A firm that already understands your financials, tax position, and industry is uniquely positioned to advise on business decisions because they're not starting from scratch. At Larson & Company, our consulting services are a natural extension of our audit, tax, and accounting work — so the insight we develop through compliance engagements is put to work helping you plan, grow, and make confident decisions year-round.
CAN A CONSULTING TEAM PERFORM PERIODICAL REVIEWS OF FINANCIAL MODELS, REPORTING, OR MAJOR DECISIONS?
Many organizations engage advisors for independent review and perspective while retaining responsibility for execution. This can include reviewing financial models, reporting, or significant decisions on a periodic or as‑needed basis.
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