Industries
Professional services
Accounting, tax, and advisory services for agencies, consultancies, and professional services firms.
Overview
Professional services firms sell time and expertise. Profitability depends on utilization, pricing, and collections, and the numbers that matter are often not visible in a standard P&L. Edler Zain works with agencies, consulting firms, engineering and architecture practices, and other service businesses to provide the reporting, tax planning, and financial leadership they need.
Common challenges
Project and client-level profitability
Revenue recognition for retainers, milestones, and time-based billing
Utilization and labor cost management
Collections and days sales outstanding
Owner compensation and entity structure
Partner buy-ins, buyouts, and firm sale
How we help
Our services for professional services firms include:
Who we serve
Marketing agencies, consulting firms, engineering and architecture practices, staffing companies, and other professional services firms with revenue between $1 million and $30 million.
Schedule a consultation
Speak with a member of our team about your business. We will review your current situation and outline how we can help.
Frequently asked questions
Can you report profitability by client or project?
Yes. We set up the chart of accounts and time tracking integration needed to report margin by client, project, and service line.
How do you handle revenue recognition for retainers and milestones?
We establish deferred revenue and work-in-progress accounts so revenue is recognized as services are delivered, not when invoices are sent.
Do you advise on entity structure and owner compensation?
Yes. Entity selection, reasonable compensation, and distribution planning are part of our tax planning engagement.
Can you help with a partner buyout or firm sale?
Yes. We provide valuation support, Quality of Earnings, and tax structuring for partner transitions and firm sales.