How to sell my accounting firm to private equity?

Selling a CPA or accounting firm to private equity starts the same way as any sale: document your recurring fee base, separate one-time project work from sticky compliance and advisory revenue, confirm a clean EBITDA, and get a realistic valuation. Accounting firms typically trade at roughly 3.0x-6.0x EBITDA, or about 1.0x-2.0x SDE for smaller practices.

Private equity has moved aggressively into accounting because compliance work is recurring and clients rarely switch. Buyers build a platform firm and roll up smaller practices. The value levers that matter most are the share of recurring versus project revenue, client concentration, an advisory or niche specialization, staff depth, and how much the book depends on the selling partner personally.

Run a real process: prepare a confidential package, sign NDAs, collect indications of interest, negotiate an LOI on price and structure, then complete due diligence and close, typically about 4-6 months from LOI. Expect 60-80% cash at close with the balance as equity rollover and earnouts tied to client retention, and plan to stay through a transition; partners commonly roll equity and continue.

DealSeam is not a traditional business broker; we introduce firm owners to qualified PE and roll-up buyers where there is a fit, with the buyer paying our success fee so sellers pay nothing. We never guarantee a buyer or a specific price.