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In the United States, look for a CPA who also holds the AICPA’s Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) credential. The AICPA & CIMA credential directory lets you search PFS holders by location or name. Then verify the adviser’s active CPA license with the relevant state accountancy board and ask whether they personally provide the tax and financial-planning services you need. A tax-savvy adviser is not necessarily a CPA, and a CPA/PFS credential does not guarantee that one person will handle your tax returns and ongoing planning.
Start with CPA/PFS searches
The closest credential match is a CPA with the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation. AICPA & CIMA describes PFS as a credential granted exclusively to CPAs with tax expertise and comprehensive knowledge of financial planning. Search the AICPA & CIMA credential-holder directory by selecting PFS and entering a location or name. The directory is intended to help people validate a credential holder or find someone to provide services.
Use the NAPFA adviser directory as another way to identify candidates. Review profile details for CPA/PFS credentials and fee-only planning, but treat listings as leads rather than endorsements: NAPFA says inclusion does not guarantee results or satisfaction.
Verify the credentials separately
- Check the PFS: Confirm the person’s current status in the AICPA & CIMA directory.
- Check the CPA license: Look up the license with the state accountancy board for the jurisdiction where the adviser is licensed. Confirm it is current and unrevoked. The PFS credential’s eligibility requirements include a valid, unrevoked state-issued CPA permit, license, or certificate, but checking the state record is still prudent.
- Check the actual service arrangement: Credentials do not establish which services the adviser will include in your engagement.
Ask what “handling both” means
Before switching, ask candidates directly about their scope. In particular, find out whether they provide ongoing financial planning, investment management, tax planning, tax-return preparation, or only some of these. Tax planning and preparing a return are different services; having a CPA credential does not tell you which one the adviser offers, or whether it is included in the fee.
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- Will you personally prepare our tax returns, or advise on tax strategy only?
- Which tax issues do you handle, and which would still go to another CPA?
- How do you coordinate tax decisions with financial planning and investment recommendations?
- How are planning, investment-management, and tax services billed? Are any services separate?
- Do you or an affiliated firm receive investment, insurance, referral, or other compensation that could affect recommendations?
- Are you accepting clients with our needs, and are there location, asset, or engagement minimums?
If the candidate proposes keeping your current CPA involved, ask what information will be shared, who is responsible for each task, and how coordination is handled. A coordinated team may fit better than expecting one professional to do everything.
Compare the practical alternatives
| Option | What it may offer | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| CPA/PFS | A CPA credential plus a personal-financial-planning specialization. | Whether the adviser provides the specific planning, investment, and tax-return services you want. |
| CPA without PFS | A CPA who may also provide financial planning. | Planning experience, service scope, and whether their license is current. |
| CFP professional who is not a CPA | Broad financial-planning education that includes tax planning. | Do not assume CFP certification means the person is a CPA or prepares tax returns. |
| Adviser-and-CPA team | Separate professionals coordinating planning and tax work. | Who owns each task, how coordination works, and what each service costs. |
When a CFP search makes sense
If you cannot find a suitable CPA/PFS, or are open to working with a non-CPA, CFP Board’s Find a CFP Professional directory is another search route. CFP coursework covers areas including tax planning, investments, retirement, insurance, and estate planning. That training can be relevant to broad planning, but CFP certification is not proof of CPA status or tax-return preparation.
The directory is not a complete census: CFP Board says results depend on professionals opting into a profile, providing a search address, and indicating they accept new clients. Check the profile and ask candidates about availability and scope rather than assuming every CFP professional will appear.
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