St. Petersburg CPA for Business Sales, Valuations and Tax
Brown Business Advisors, P.A. is a CPA firm serving business owners in St. Petersburg and across Pinellas County. Founded in 1981 by Ronald A. Brown, the firm is led by his son Hunter Brown, CPA, who joined in 2011. We have two locations: Winter Haven and downtown St. Petersburg on Central Avenue.
We specialize in business tax and tax planning. That means savings this year, and for owners selling in three to five years, a plan to maximize the value of the business and build tax savings into the exit. When it is time to sell, we work alongside Murphy Business Sales to carry that plan through the sale.
We also handle tax returns, monthly accounting, payroll, Florida sales tax, CFO reporting, valuations, and IRS and Florida DOR letters.
Brown Business Advisors, P.A.
360 Central Avenue, Suite 800
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
| Monday to Friday | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Closed |
Valuation, the sale, and the tax on it, from one CPA firm.
If you are thinking about selling a business in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo or Tampa, the work that decides what you walk away with comes in three parts: what the business is worth, how the sale is run, and the tax on the sale. Our St. Petersburg office handles all three for owners across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties and throughout Florida. Hunter Brown, CPA, owns the firm and leads the advisory work.
What the business is worth
A defensible value range built from your actual financials: normalized add-backs, the income, market, and asset approaches, and comparable-transaction benchmarking, with every assumption documented in plain language.
Preparing and running the sale
Getting the books ready to hold up under a buyer's scrutiny, then advising through the sale itself: preparation of financials and deal materials, offer evaluation and negotiation support, and coordination with your attorney and lender through close.
The tax on the sale
Deal structuring focused on your after-tax proceeds. Tax and deal structure are why the same headline price can be worth materially different amounts to you, so the planning happens before the terms are set.
The firm is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Florida Institute of CPAs, the International Business Brokers Association, and M&A Source.
Do you help owners who are planning to sell the business?
Yes, and it is a significant part of the practice: valuing the business, preparing it so the numbers hold up under a buyer's scrutiny, exit planning, and advising through the sale itself. Most owners benefit from starting earlier than feels necessary, because the changes that raise a sale price take time to show up in the financial record.
Should I get a valuation before I plan to sell?
Yes, and ideally well before. A valuation tells you what the business is worth today and which drivers move that number, which is what gives you the time to actually improve it.
What is the difference between the sale price and what I actually keep?
Tax and deal structure, and often a very large difference. Structuring the transaction to protect your after-tax proceeds is a core part of a CPA-led sale, and it is why the same headline price can be worth materially different amounts to you.
How long does it take to sell a business?
It varies with the business, the buyer pool, and how prepared the financials are. Preparation is the stage owners most often underestimate, and it is the stage that most affects both the timeline and the final price.
Will my employees and customers find out I'm selling?
Not from us. Confidentiality is managed throughout: buyers are screened and bound before they see sensitive information, and the process is structured to protect the business while it is on the market.
Do I need to be in St. Petersburg to work with you?
No. We work with business owners across Tampa Bay and throughout Florida, and plenty of the work happens without anyone driving anywhere. The St. Petersburg office is where we meet when meeting in person is useful, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Where your business is based matters far less than whether the work is a fit.
Ready When You Are.
Tell us where your business is headed. Book a consultation and see what changes when the details are handled well.