Market Data - Accounting Firms

I've been asked what an average deal looks like when acquiring accounting firms. Here’s what I’m seeing in the market right now. Every week I’m in the middle of active deals, reviewing terms, negotiating with brokers and lenders, and watching which structures actually get approved. The patterns are consistent, and they give a clear picture of what’s getting done. The Average Deal Structure (there are always outliers) a. Seller Financing: 20–30% b. Down Payment: 5% (not 10%)* c. SBA Financing: covers the rest d. Seller Note: typically 5 years at ~5% interest * That 5% down works because SBA rules allow part of the seller note to count as equity if it’s on full standby, no payments for the life of the loan (usually 10 years). Non-Negotiable This is not a market average, this is something that I believe you must have in your deal. The seller should remain through at least one full tax season. Deals where sellers exit immediately almost always carry higher risk of client attrition. Outliers Do Exist I have a client who got a $1.25M firm acquired at 50% seller financing + 50% SBA. I've personally done 100% seller-financed transactions (something I call Pay-in-4). These happen, but they’re the exception. The majority of deals cluster around the averages above. Hope this helps.