This is a question we hear often, especially early in the year.

You have a financial advisor. You have an accountant or CPA. You have a question about taxes, investments, or a decision you’re trying to make. So, who is the question actually for?

The short answer is that some questions belong clearly to one professional, some belong to the other, and many of the most important ones belong to both. The key is understanding the difference and making sure your advisor and accountant are working together.

Here’s how we help clients think about it, plus lists of common questions for each profession.

Questions best suited for your accountant

Your accountant’s role is to focus on tax compliance and execution. They help ensure that income is reported correctly, taxes are paid appropriately, and filings are accurate and timely.

This is why, when you ask a CPA a question about how much to contribute to your 401k, they’ll focus on how much you can contribute in order to reduce your tax liability, as opposed to how much you’ll actually need to contribute to retire comfortably. Both important considerations, totally different perspectives.

Questions that typically belong with your accountant include:

• How much should I be withholding from my paycheck?
• Should I be making estimated tax payments?
• How much should those estimated payments be?
• How should this income or expense be reported on my return?
• Am I compliant with current tax rules?

These are important questions. They are about making sure things are done correctly and according to the rules.

Questions best suited for your financial advisor

Your financial advisor’s role is to focus on strategy, tradeoffs, and long-term outcomes. We’re also here to help you stick to a solid plan when the market starts to jump around or you go through a life change.

For example, when you ask a financial advisor whether you should do a Roth conversion, the discussion centers on your future tax brackets, retirement income needs, and long-term flexibility, not just whether the conversion increases taxes this year.

Questions that typically belong with your advisor include:

• Should I invest in this specific company or opportunity?
• How does this decision affect my long-term plan?
• How much risk am I taking on?
• How can I balance current lifestyle with future dreams and priorities?
• What’s the best way to save for my children’s or grandchildren’s education?
• How does this fit with my retirement timeline or cash flow needs?
• How can I make charitable giving a part of my plan?
• Should I follow the advice I found online?
• How should I react when the market gets volatile?

These questions are less about filing and more about direction, planning, and managing emotion. They look beyond this year’s return, and tax compliance in general, and into how decisions compound over time to help you reach your goals.

Questions for both

Many of the most meaningful financial decisions sit right at the intersection of tax strategy and long-term planning. These are the questions where coordination matters most.

Examples include:

• How much capital gain can I realize this year without creating an unnecessary tax burden?
• Should I realize losses on certain investments this year?
• Do I have room in my tax bracket for a Roth conversion?
• Can I make a Roth contribution based on my income?
• Should I use a 529 plan, and how does it affect my taxes?
• Should I sell an investment property this year or hold it longer?
• Should I pay off my mortgage, or does keeping it make sense given interest deductions and cash flow?

An accountant may answer these questions strictly from a tax perspective. A financial advisor should look at how the decision affects your broader plan. The best outcome usually comes when those perspectives are combined.

Your accountant and financial advisor should be collaborating

Coordination between financial advisers and accountants isn’t just a nice thought - it actually happens here at Granite already in some very practical ways.

For instance, one of the most important tools that connects your accountant and your financial advisor is your tax return. Your CPA prepares it to ensure accuracy and compliance. At Granite, we review it to understand how your financial decisions actually showed up on paper and to identify planning opportunities going forward.

We’re not redoing the accountant’s work or second-guessing their expertise. We’re looking for context and coordination.

We review returns using a detailed internal checklist to understand:

• Where income came from and how it was taxed
• How retirement distributions, Roth conversions, or charitable strategies were reported
• How capital gains, losses, and carryforwards were used
• Whether withholding and payments matched the client’s preferences
• What changed from the prior year, and whether those changes were intentional

Your tax return tells a story about what already happened. Our job is to read it carefully and use it to inform great decisions going forward.

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network does not provide legal or tax advice.

If you’re still not sure, we can help

If you ever find yourself thinking, “I’m not sure who this question is for,” feel free to go ahead and bring it to your advisor. We love when our clients bring us questions, no matter who ends up giving the final answer. We can help frame the question, involve your CPA when appropriate, and make sure the answer fits into your overall financial plan.