What does IPA do?
Data-Driven Practice Management for CPA Firms
Dive deep into INSIDE Public Accounting’s unmatched expertise in surveys, benchmarking, and other practices management resources. IPA is the premiere leader for CPA firm management resources.
CPA firm leaders rely on accurate, actionable data to improve financial performance and operational efficiency. For more than three decades, INSIDE Public Accounting has provided comprehensive, reliable insights into the trends and key metrics that shape accounting firm practice management.
In a highly competitive profession, understanding how your firm compares to peers is critical to success. Using self-reported data from nearly 600 CPA firms collected through the annual IPA Practice Management Survey, IPA delivers benchmarking insights that help firm leaders evaluate operations, improve processes, adopt new approaches and technologies, increase profitability, and strengthen both client and staff retention.
Comprehensive Benchmarking Reports
What are IPA's Benchmarking Reports?
IPA’s Practice Management Reports provide a comprehensive analysis of financial and operational data from some of the largest CPA firms in the country. These reports include insights on partner and staff compensation, charge hour budgets and utilization, revenue by service line, firm profitability and growth trends IPA also offers focused reports on firm administration, human resources and information technology, allowing leaders to dive deeper into specific operational areas.
Insightful Firm Report Cards
What Is an IPA Firm Report Card?
IPA’s Financial & Operational Report Card gives CPA firms a clear, easy-to-read snapshot of their performance compared to peers and competitors. By isolating key metrics, the report card highlights areas where your firm is performing above benchmark, opportunities for operational improvement, and metrics that deserve immediate attention. This tool helps firm leaders quickly assess performance without sorting through large data sets.
Custom Reports
What Are IPA Custom Benchmarking Reports?
IPA offers custom benchmarking reports tailored to a firm’s specific characteristics, such as revenue size, staffing model, geographic region or service mix. These reports allow firms to answer targeted questions, including how firms with similar revenue bands are performing, how peer firms allocate resources, and where comparable firms are investing to grow. Custom reports remove guesswork and provide focused insights for strategic decision-making.
IPA Quarterly Insights
What Are the IPA Insights?
IPA Insights deliver timely analysis, best practices and expert perspectives from top-performing CPA firms, consultants and industry leaders. Each issue provides practical strategies for managing firms, staff and clients, expert commentary on emerging challenges and opportunities, and data-driven insights into trends shaping the profession. The publication helps firms maintain a competitive edge throughout the year.
FAQs
IPA provides practice management surveys, practice management reports, firm report cards, custom analysis and quarterly insights for CPA firms.
IPA helps firms compare their financial and operational metrics to peers, identify improvement opportunities and make informed strategic decisions.
IPA uses self-reported financial and operational data from over 600 CPA firms collected annually through structured surveys.
IPA resources are used by managing partners, firm owners, administrators, consultants and leadership teams at CPA firms.
IPA collects and publishes updated benchmarking data annually, with additional insights provided through quarterly publications.