Most dental practice owners hire a CPA after one short call. That call is your best chance to find out whether the firm will just file your return or actually lower it, so it pays to walk in with the right questions.
Our Complete Guide to Choosing a Dental CPA covers what a dental CPA should know and what it should cost. This post is the practical follow-up: the exact questions to ask on a first call, what a good answer sounds like, the answers that should worry you, and how to check a firm before you sign.
The short answer: ask how many dental practices they work with, how they plan during the year, what they would do for you before December 31, how they charge, and what they saved a practice like yours last year. Then verify the license, the credentials and at least one dental client reference.
What to have ready before the first call
A good CPA will want to see real numbers, not just hear about them. Have these ready, and you’ll get specific answers instead of general ones:
- Your last two business and personal tax returns
- A current profit and loss statement for this year
- How your practice is set up: sole proprietor, PLLC, S-Corp or partnership, and how many owners
- What you pay yourself now, as salary and distributions
- Your plans for the next 12 months: equipment, hiring, a second location, buying your building, or a sale
If a firm doesn’t ask for any of this, that already tells you something.
12 questions to ask a CPA firm
Use these in order. The first three tell you whether they know dentistry, the next five whether they plan, and the last four whether working with them will be easy and worth it.
Do they know dental practices?
1. How many dental practices do you work with, and what size are they?
- Listen for: a real number and practices like yours, for example general practices collecting $1M to $5M.
- Red flag: “We work with all kinds of businesses.”
2. What do you see most dentists miss on their taxes?
- Listen for: specific answers, such as an S-Corp salary that hasn’t changed in years, equipment bought in the wrong year, or no retirement plan beyond a basic 401(k).
- Red flag: a long pause, or a general answer about keeping good records.
3. Have you helped clients buy, add a partner to, or sell a practice?
- Listen for: how they approached the deal structure and the tax side, not just the paperwork.
- Red flag: they’ve never been involved in a practice transition.
Will they plan, or only file?
4. What would you look at for my practice before December 31?
- Listen for: two or three concrete ideas based on your numbers: retirement contributions, equipment timing, owner pay, family payroll.
- Red flag: “We’ll see when we do your return.”
5. Will I get a tax projection before year-end?
- Listen for: yes, with a date. A projection shows what your bill will be while you can still change it.
- Red flag: you’ll only know your number in March or April.
6. How do you decide what I pay myself?
- Listen for: a clear method for a reasonable S-Corp salary based on your clinical and management work, reviewed every year.
- Red flag: “Keep it the same as last year.”
7. Which retirement plan would fit my practice, and why?
- Listen for: a comparison of options, such as a 401(k) with profit sharing or a cash balance plan, tied to your age and your staff.
- Red flag: one plan for everyone.
8. How many planning meetings do I get each year, and when?
- Listen for: at least one meeting during the year plus a check-in before December 31.
- Red flag: the only meeting is at tax time.
Is it easy and worth it?
9. Who will I actually work with, and how fast do you reply?
- Listen for: a named person and a response time, for example within one business day.
- Red flag: a general inbox and “as soon as we can.”
10. Is your fee flat, or will I be billed for calls and emails?
- Listen for: a flat monthly fee that includes questions during the year.
- Red flag: hourly billing for every conversation. You’ll stop asking, and that’s when money gets left on the table.
11. What did you save a practice like mine last year?
- Listen for: real dollar figures and how they got there.
- Red flag: promises that sound too good to be true, or no numbers at all.
12. What happens if you don’t find savings?
- Listen for: a clear answer, and ideally a guarantee in writing.
- Red flag: they avoid the question.
How to vet a CPA firm before you sign
Good answers on a call are a start. Before you sign, take 20 minutes to check that the firm is who it says it is.
- Check the CPA license. Look up the CPA on CPAverify.org, run by the national association of state boards, or on your state board of accountancy’s website. The license should be active, with no disciplinary actions.
- Check the IRS directory. The IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications lists CPAs, enrolled agents and attorneys who hold a current preparer tax ID.
- Ask about planning credentials. Designations like Certified Tax Coach or Certified Tax Planner show training focused on lowering taxes. Ask which organization issued it and look it up on that organization’s site.
- Talk to a dental client. Ask for one or two references from practices similar to yours, and ask them what the firm changed in their first year.
- Read reviews. Look at Google reviews, and read the comments, not just the stars: look for words like “proactive,” “responsive” and “saved.”
- Ask to see a sample. A planner should be able to show you an anonymized tax plan or year-end summary. If all they can show is a tax return, they’re a preparer.
- Read the engagement letter. It should list what’s included, how many planning meetings you get, how questions are handled, and the fee.
What a good CPA will ask you
The first call works both ways. A CPA who plans will spend part of it asking about you, because they can’t plan without it. Expect questions like:
- What are you planning to buy, hire or change in the next 12 months?
- How is the practice set up, and how do you pay yourself today?
- Are you thinking about retirement, a partner, a second location or a sale?
- Do you own your building, or plan to?
- What surprised you on last year’s return?
If the firm talks only about itself and never asks about your plans, it’s probably a preparer.
Compare firms side by side
Talking to two or three firms is normal. Score each answer from 1 (weak) to 3 (strong) right after the call, while it’s fresh:
| What you’re checking | Firm A | Firm B | Firm C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works with dental practices like mine (Q1–3) | |||
| Had specific ideas for me before Dec 31 (Q4) | |||
| Tax projection before year-end (Q5) | |||
| Clear approach to owner pay and retirement (Q6–7) | |||
| Planning meetings during the year (Q8) | |||
| A named contact and fast replies (Q9) | |||
| Flat, clear fee (Q10) | |||
| Proof in dollars and a clear answer on results (Q11–12) | |||
| License, references and reviews checked | |||
| Asked about my plans | |||
| Total (out of 30) |
Want to test us with these questions?
Book a free strategy session and ask us all 12. We’ll look at your last two returns and your current numbers, show you which moves your practice may be missing before December 31, and tell you honestly if your current setup is already sound.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPA firms should I talk to before choosing one?
Two or three is usually enough. Ask each the same questions and score them right after the call, so you compare answers, not impressions.
What should I bring to a first meeting with a CPA?
Your last two tax returns, a current profit and loss statement, how your practice is set up and how you pay yourself, and your plans for the next year.
How do I check if a CPA is licensed?
Search the CPA’s name on CPAverify.org or on your state board of accountancy’s website. The license should be active, with no disciplinary actions.
Should a first consultation with a CPA be free?
Many firms that focus on planning offer a free first conversation. Either way, you should leave it with at least one or two specific ideas for your practice.
What’s the difference between a CPA and an enrolled agent?
Both can prepare returns and represent you before the IRS. A CPA is licensed by a state board, while an enrolled agent is licensed by the IRS and focuses on taxes. For a dental practice, what matters most is whether they plan during the year and know dentistry.
About the author
Natalya Grigoriev, CPA is the President of Custom Accounting CPA, a Certified Tax Coach and Certified Tax Planner, and the author of two Amazon books on tax planning. Her team works with dental practice owners nationwide on proactive tax strategy, entity design, retirement plans and practice transitions. In 2025 alone, Custom Accounting CPA saved $2,019,302 in taxes for 53 clients.
General education, not tax advice.
