Sam's List research: what people ask financial professionals for
These pages summarize percentage-based trends from aggregate Sam's List matching-quiz data about people looking for an accountant, bookkeeper, financial advisor or fractional CFO.
Data period: Feb 23, 2024 to Oct 3, 2026. Last updated Oct 3, 2026.
Research sections
- Most requested services — Which accounting, tax, advisory and CFO services have the largest share in Sam's List quiz data. Leading category: Tax prep & filing.
- Industries seeking finance help — Industries respondents report when looking for an accountant, bookkeeper or fractional CFO. Leading category: Consulting.
- Business financial-size bands — How respondents' reported business financial size breaks down across three bands. Leading category: $500K–$5M.
- What $500K–$5M businesses request — Services selected by respondents reporting a business financial size between $500K and $5M. Leading category: Tax prep & filing.
- Demand by state — How demand is distributed across the U.S. states included in the analysis. Leading category: California.
- Situations and personas — Financial situations respondents select, such as solopreneur, equity compensation or retiree. Leading category: W2 income.
How Sam's List research works
Every figure is a percentage share calculated from aggregate quiz answers. Each section page lists its key findings, a share table, definitions, methodology and a suggested citation.
How to use this research
Each section turns aggregate Sam's List quiz data into shares, making the leading services, industries, business sizes, states and situations easier to compare.
Services and situations can include more than one selection, while industry, business size and state are single-choice analyses.
Where a matching directory page exists, the table links to professionals for that need.
Methodology
Based on aggregate Sam's List quiz data. Percentages reflect the data included in each analysis.
Small categories below the minimum cell size are left out entirely. The data describes people who used Sam's List, not all U.S. businesses or households. No names, contact details or free-text answers are used.