The most requested services on Sam's List are tax preparation and tax strategy, followed by bookkeeping and financial planning. Below are percentage-based trends from aggregate Sam's List matching-quiz data.
Data period: Feb 23, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. Last updated Oct 16, 2026.
Most requested services
Most requested services
Category
Share
Tax prep & filing
19.6%
Tax strategy & planning
18.0%
Bookkeeping
8.0%
Financial planning
6.0%
Investment management
5.5%
Tax strategy
4.9%
Retirement planning
4.4%
401(k) & IRA management
4.2%
Sales tax compliance
4.0%
Payroll
3.4%
R&D tax credits
2.7%
International tax
2.6%
Estate planning
2.3%
IRS audit help
2.2%
I'm building out my finance team
1.7%
Wealth transfer & inheritance
1.7%
Equity compensation
1.6%
Exit planning
1.3%
Insurance & risk management
1.1%
I'm raising money and need clean financials or a financial model
1.0%
I'm growing fast and need someone to run finance
1.0%
I need help with an acquisition or merger
1.0%
I want better visibility into my numbers and KPIs
0.9%
My cash flow is unpredictable or I'm running out of runway
0.8%
Industries seeking accounting and CFO help
Industries seeking accounting and CFO help
Category
Share
Consulting
12.2%
Creator & media
11.5%
E-commerce
10.9%
Construction & trades
10.1%
Professional services
9.5%
SaaS / Software
9.1%
Finance & fintech
8.5%
Real estate
7.8%
Education
5.6%
Healthcare
5.4%
Technology
4.3%
Food & beverage
2.9%
Manufacturing
2.3%
Business financial-size bands
Business financial-size bands
Category
Share
$500K–$5M
59.5%
Under $500K
35.4%
Over $5M
5.1%
What $500K–$5M businesses request
What $500K–$5M businesses request
Category
Share
Tax prep & filing
26.2%
Tax strategy & planning
25.3%
Bookkeeping
11.2%
Sales tax compliance
7.0%
Payroll
6.3%
R&D tax credits
4.6%
I'm building out my finance team
3.8%
International tax
3.6%
IRS audit help
2.7%
I need help with an acquisition or merger
2.5%
I'm growing fast and need someone to run finance
2.3%
I'm raising money and need clean financials or a financial model
2.3%
I want better visibility into my numbers and KPIs
2.1%
Frequently selected situations
Frequently selected situations
Category
Share
W2 income
14.7%
Solopreneur / freelancer
11.3%
High net worth ($1M+)
11.2%
Startup equity or stock options
6.7%
Entrepreneur / founder
6.1%
Real estate investor
6.0%
Young professional
5.8%
High Net Worth Individual
4.9%
HENRY (High Earner, Not Rich Yet)
4.2%
Crypto investor
4.1%
Retirees
3.3%
QSBS holder
3.0%
Ultra high net worth ($10M+)
2.9%
Equity comp (RSUs, options)
2.9%
FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early)
2.8%
Bootstrapped profitable
2.8%
International / expat
2.3%
Pre-revenue startup
2.0%
Recent windfall or inheritance
1.6%
Seed / Series A
1.5%
Where demand is concentrated
Where demand is concentrated
Category
Share
California
20.2%
New York
12.9%
Alabama
10.5%
Texas
9.1%
Florida
7.5%
Arizona
4.6%
Pennsylvania
3.8%
Colorado
3.2%
Washington
3.2%
North Carolina
3.0%
Massachusetts
3.0%
New Jersey
2.8%
Georgia
2.8%
Alaska
2.6%
Minnesota
2.4%
Illinois
2.4%
Arkansas
2.2%
Maryland
2.0%
Tennessee
2.0%
Methodology
Based on aggregate Sam's List quiz data. Percentages reflect the data included in each analysis.