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by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
under pressure by an increasingly competitive and uncertain business environment, cpa firms are pressing the brakes on new price increases, according to new data obtained by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
after raising billing rates an average pace of 1.6 percent last year, up from 1.2 percent increases the year before, the latest indicators show an anemic six-tenths of one percent year-over-year increase for april, the latest month available. the month’s fractional increase represents stark slowdowns from march’s 1.5 percent increase, 1.6 percent in february, and 1.9 percent in january.
a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis shows:
- cpa firms facing headwinds in attempts to increase billing rates.
- a steep slow-down in audit fees.
- trouble in tax prep.
- bright signs in bookkeeping and secondary services.
- non-cpa firms pushing through robust price increases across all service lines.
in financial auditing, prices slowed to a nine-tenths of one percent rate, down from 1.8 percent in march, but up from the 2016 average of negative one-tenth of one percent. the surging rate increases through 2005, followed by intense volatility leading up to the global banking debacle, have now settled into a more regularized cycle of season patterns.
tax prep is showing signs of fee pressure, with cpa firms cutting rates in the latest survey. prices for tax preparation and planning services by cpas declined 1.8 percent in the latest month, after advancing one-tenth of one percent in march, 1.8 percent in february, and 2.8 percent in january. in 2016, tax prep prices increased only 1,6 percent, about half as fast as the year before.
bookkeeping and compilation prices are markedly stronger. cpa firms raised rates 2.3 percent in april, after a 2.7 percent hike in march, a 1.5 percent increase in february, and a five-tenths of one percent advance in january. rates rose an average of 2.9 percent in 2016, more than twice as fast as the year before.
aside from standard tax and accounting work, cpa firms are aggressively raising rates on other services, gaining 7.6 percent in april, after averaging 2.6 percent last year.
still, the primary services provided by cpa firms are facing headwinds, rising only seven-tenths of one percent in the latest month, half of last year’s rate, which was slower again than the year before.
non-cpa firms
among non-cpa tax and accounting firms, price increases are surging, up 6 percent in the latest month, a quantum leap from 2016’s seven-tenths of one percent rate. at the same time, non-cpa tax and accounting firms are raising rates for primary services, like tax prep and bookkeeping, up 6 percent in the latest month, ten times the rate averaged last year, and keeping pace with secondary services.
one response to “cpas put the brakes on price increases”
ais cpa
great analysis of billing trends. it’s very thorough. i find it rather alarming that non-cpa firms are gaining ground in pricing and billing services. is this an indication that businesses and individuals are valuing cpas less and thus are more willing to pay non-certified accountants to do work? i also find it interesting that other services aren’t feeling this pressure as much. interesting read. thanks!