Funded startup CPA
CPA for Funded Startups
Post-raise accounting, 409A coordination, board reporting, and fractional CFO support — what a venture-backed startup needs from seed through Series B.
What you get
Built for the post-raise reality
Audit-ready close
10-day monthly close with reconciled equity, revenue, and cash — built for first audit.
Board reporting
Monthly board pack: P&L, balance sheet, cash, KPIs, burn, runway, and narrative.
Forecast + scenarios
Driver-based forecast tied to bookings, hiring, and runway scenarios investors edit live.
Cap table & 409A
Carta reconciled to issued securities, 409A coordination, and equity-expense booking.
Scope
Funded-startup CPA topics
- Re-implementing books on full accrual GAAP after the raise
- Cap table reconciliation: Carta / Pulley vs. issued securities and stock ledger
- 409A valuation coordination and equity-comp expense (ASC 718)
- Federal Form 1120 + state income tax in every nexus state
- Delaware franchise tax (assumed-par method)
- R&D tax credit study, Form 6765, and Form 8974 payroll-tax offset
- Sales-tax registration plan and ongoing filings
- Monthly board pack and investor reporting
- Fractional CFO: forecast, hiring plan, pricing analysis, fundraising prep
- Audit prep for Series B (PCAOB or AICPA standards as required)
FAQ
Funded startup CPA questions
When does a funded startup need a different CPA than a pre-seed one?+
Once you close a priced round, you need audit-leaning books, full ASC 606 + ASC 718 compliance, cap-table reconciliation, and board reporting. Most pre-seed bookkeepers can't deliver that on a 10-day close.
Do funded startups need an audit?+
Most don't until Series B or until a lender or customer requires one. But seed and Series A books should be kept audit-ready so the first audit doesn't surface a year of restatements.
What is ASC 718 equity-comp expense?+
The GAAP standard for recording stock-based compensation — grants are fair-valued at grant date and expensed over the vesting period. A funded-startup CPA pulls grants from Carta and posts the expense monthly.
Do I need a fractional CFO if I have a CPA?+
A CPA handles compliance and close. A fractional CFO handles forecast, pricing, hiring plans, and the fundraising narrative. Many funded startups bundle both, especially in the 6 months before a Series A or B raise.
How fast should my monthly close be?+
Funded startups should close in 10 business days. Anything slower means the board pack is stale by the time it's reviewed and investors lose confidence in the numbers.
Can you coordinate with our lead investor's reporting requirements?+
Yes. Most leads expect monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash, KPI dashboard, runway, and a short narrative. We package the same data set leads expect across the major venture funds.
Vetting checklist
Questions to ask a startup CPA
- 1How many venture-backed or high-growth startups do you currently work with?
- 2Do you handle R&D credit, §174 capitalization, and Delaware franchise tax in-house?
- 3What's your monthly close timeline, and what does the deliverable pack include?
- 4Can you support a future audit, 409A valuation, and equity comp accounting?
- 5How is pricing structured as we grow from pre-seed to Series A?
Featured Professionals
Featured startup CPAs and firms
Verified professionals will appear here as profiles are claimed and reviewed.
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By city
Find this service by city
Houston, TX
Houston CPAs serve energy, healthcare, and the city's vast small-business community.
Dallas, TX
Dallas accounting firms anchor finance, real estate, and corporate headquarters across DFW.
Los Angeles, CA
LA's accountants specialize in entertainment, real estate, and creative-industry tax planning.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco CPAs serve startups, venture-backed companies, and complex equity-comp clients.
New York City, NY
NYC's accountants cover Wall Street, media, real estate, hospitality, and the small businesses of all five boroughs.
Miami, FL
Miami's CPAs specialize in international tax, real estate, hospitality, and Latin American business.
Chicago, IL
Chicago accountants serve professional services, manufacturing, logistics, and the Midwest's largest corporate base.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta's CPAs support film, fintech, logistics, and one of the country's most dynamic small-business scenes.
Boston, MA
Boston-area accountants serve life sciences, higher education, financial services, and innovation-economy startups.
Seattle, WA
Seattle CPAs serve tech, aerospace, and the Pacific Northwest's deep entrepreneurial bench.
Washington DC, DC
Washington DC accountants serve federal contractors, nonprofits, associations, and the law firms that anchor the capital's economy.
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore CPAs serve healthcare systems, port and logistics operators, biotech, and the city's deep nonprofit and higher-ed community.
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