Q&A with Scott Clinton: The power of specialized accounting for professional services companies

Professional services companies are not your typical businesses. Instead of physical products, they sell intangible expertise, knowledge, and solutions. They aren’t dealing with inventory and equipment. Instead, these “people businesses” rely on their intellectual assets to build trust with clients. As a result, their accounting needs are often highly specialized.

 

Abdo Partner and Business Advisor Scott Clinton knows this well. He focuses his practice on the professional services segment, serving engineering, architecture, design, financial services, insurance, law, health care, software, and technology companies across the U.S.

 

We sat down with him to shed light on how he came to this niche, why he loves working with his clients, and what he’s looking out for in 2026.

 

Here is our conversation, edited for clarity.

 

Abdo: First things first, why did you pursue a career in public accounting?

 

Scott: Accounting has always been a way for me to combine several things I enjoy: math, problem solving, helping others, and building relationships. I especially like getting to know my clients and being someone they can rely on for technical expertise. I find it incredibly rewarding to translate a super-technical matter into something non-accountants can understand and then use this to improve my clients’ lives.

 

Abdo: How did you get into professional services accounting?

 

Scott: One of the benefits about starting your public accounting career at a mid-size firm is that you get a lot of exposure to different types of businesses; you’re not working with only one type of client.

 

Having joined a mid-size firm soon after I graduated, I had the opportunity to work with engineering, architecture, and law firms along with health care providers early in my career. I discovered I really liked working with S corporations and was intrigued with how this structure impacts individual taxes.

 

I find I can easily relate to my professional services clients too. At Abdo, we’re growing and building our practice the same way, focusing on relationships, long-term clients, and providing a great service experience. On a more personal level, several members of my family have built careers in different professional services industries, which likely strengthened my connection to these companies.

 

 

Abdo: What makes Abdo a good fit for professional services companies?

 

Scott: A lot of professional services companies are bringing unique expertise to the market. Our clients recognize that managing their accounting and tax needs is not a good use of their time. The less time they spend on the business’s financials, the more they can focus on making a difference for their clients or enjoying time with their families.

 

To make this happen, we’re able to take care of their tax and accounting needs in addition to a range of others. Our advisory practice, for instance, helps a lot of clients with outsourced controller and CFO analysis work. Our professional services clients can access several of the services they typically need under our singular roof: tax, accounting, financial statement review, R&D credit studies, payroll support, HR consulting, compensation analyses, and SALT studies, to name a few.

 

This can be especially beneficial for SaaS companies, as they have a diverse range of needs and compliance requirements due to having customers and employees located throughout the country. This keeps them from having to coordinate with multiple advisors to get what they need.

 

We’re very focused on our professional services clients’ experience—just like they’re focused on the experiences of their clients. We truly partner with them; it’s not about checking the box on projects or compliance work.

 

Abdo: What’s on your radar for professional services companies as you look into the next year?

 

Scott: One big thing on our minds right now is the Minnesota Pass-Through Entity (PTE) tax, which expired at the end of 2025 under the current law. We’re waiting to see if, come February, Minnesota passes legislation to extend the PTE tax, which allows pass-through businesses to pay tax on behalf of owners, allowing them to benefit from federal savings. Although the SALT itemized deduction cap was increased from $10,000 to $40,000 for individuals, the PTE tax provides a significant benefit.

 

If the PTE tax goes away, business owners may be able to take a deduction for their state income taxes on their individual tax returns. However, the increased $40,000 SALT deduction begins to phase out for individuals with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) over $500,000. So, this is something our clients will need to think about when planning for 2026 estimated taxes.

 

 

Abdo: You were named partner in January 2026. What excites you most about stepping into this role?

 

Scott: The opportunity to be more involved in the firm’s leadership and decisions about its future is really exciting for me. In this capacity, I’m focused on growing our professional services segment. As someone who enjoys meeting new people, I especially look forward to the relationship-building aspect of this work—both within and outside of our firm.

 

I’m also excited about the opportunity to lead by example in terms of advancing a public accounting career while maintaining work-life balance. I see the future of the CPA industry at risk due to a declining number of people entering the field. And for those who do, how can we get them to stay in the industry and sustainably grow their career?

 

My wife and I have a young family. It’s important to me to be there for special moments with my kids (editor’s note: Scott was heading to his kid’s school holiday concert following this interview!) and not push all the parenting responsibilities onto my wife. I also want to be able to stay active and healthy.

 

One of the things that was clear to me when I first came on board at Abdo was that the firm’s leaders value people’s lives outside the office. As a partner, I now have the chance to show younger staff what this looks like and live out this value as a leader within the firm.

 

For example, when we have people who are working more than expected or budgeted, this sparks a question versus praise: Is this what you want to be doing? If you’re sacrificing things that are important to you, then let’s find a better way. My goal as a mentor is to ask these questions and listen to our staff, so they can ultimately create a fulfilling public accounting career.

 

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To learn more about how Scott and Abdo can shine a light onto your company’s next steps, visit our Professional Services page.