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 24, 2026. Last updated Oct 24, 2026.
Most requested services
Most requested services
Category
Share
Tax prep & filing
19.6%
Tax strategy & planning
18.0%
Bookkeeping
8.1%
Financial planning
5.9%
Investment management
5.3%
Tax strategy
4.9%
Retirement planning
4.4%
Sales tax compliance
4.2%
401(k) & IRA management
4.2%
Payroll
3.4%
R&D tax credits
2.7%
International tax
2.6%
Estate planning
2.3%
IRS audit help
2.1%
I'm building out my finance team
1.8%
Wealth transfer & inheritance
1.7%
Equity compensation
1.6%
Exit planning
1.3%
Insurance & risk management
1.1%
I'm growing fast and need someone to run finance
1.1%
I'm raising money and need clean financials or a financial model
1.0%
I need help with an acquisition or merger
0.9%
I want better visibility into my numbers and KPIs
0.9%
My cash flow is unpredictable or I'm running out of runway
0.7%
Industries seeking accounting and CFO help
Industries seeking accounting and CFO help
Category
Share
Consulting
12.0%
Creator & media
11.4%
Construction & trades
10.8%
E-commerce
10.8%
SaaS / Software
9.6%
Professional services
9.2%
Finance & fintech
8.2%
Real estate
7.6%
Education
5.6%
Healthcare
5.2%
Technology
4.2%
Food & beverage
2.8%
Manufacturing
2.2%
Business financial-size bands
Business financial-size bands
Category
Share
$500K–$5M
59.3%
Under $500K
35.4%
Over $5M
5.3%
What $500K–$5M businesses request
What $500K–$5M businesses request
Category
Share
Tax prep & filing
26.2%
Tax strategy & planning
24.9%
Bookkeeping
11.3%
Sales tax compliance
7.0%
Payroll
6.4%
R&D tax credits
4.5%
I'm building out my finance team
3.9%
International tax
3.7%
IRS audit help
2.7%
I'm growing fast and need someone to run finance
2.5%
I need help with an acquisition or merger
2.5%
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
14.6%
High net worth ($1M+)
11.4%
Solopreneur / freelancer
11.2%
Startup equity or stock options
6.7%
Entrepreneur / founder
6.0%
Real estate investor
6.0%
Young professional
5.9%
High Net Worth Individual
4.9%
HENRY (High Earner, Not Rich Yet)
4.1%
Crypto investor
4.0%
Retirees
3.3%
QSBS holder
3.0%
Ultra high net worth ($10M+)
2.9%
Equity comp (RSUs, options)
2.9%
Bootstrapped profitable
2.9%
FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early)
2.7%
International / expat
2.4%
Pre-revenue startup
2.0%
Recent windfall or inheritance
1.7%
Seed / Series A
1.4%
Where demand is concentrated
Where demand is concentrated
Category
Share
California
20.3%
New York
12.6%
Alabama
10.3%
Texas
8.9%
Florida
7.7%
Arizona
4.4%
Pennsylvania
3.7%
Colorado
3.5%
New Jersey
3.5%
Washington
3.3%
North Carolina
2.9%
Massachusetts
2.9%
Georgia
2.7%
Alaska
2.5%
Illinois
2.5%
Minnesota
2.3%
Arkansas
2.1%
Tennessee
1.9%
Maryland
1.9%
Methodology
Based on aggregate Sam's List quiz data. Percentages reflect the data included in each analysis.