Virtual CPA? Local CPA? Just a better CPA?

[Sarah Humbargar]

Does anyone have recommendations or has worked with a virtual CPA? How was the experience? I recently went out on my own and thought I had lined up a good local CPA to work with, he told me back in November he would take me on as a client and he seemed like a great fit, then when I reached out to him a few weeks ago with some tax questions, he told me he didn't have time to take me on as a client anymore.

I still have a lot of questions to ensure my short and long term strategies are in place as my company is just getting off the ground, and I haven't gotten the clarifications I wanted for filing my 2018 return regarding QBI for rentals, etc. I'd really like to work with someone that I can regularly ask questions of as they come up, rather than just dumping my books on them come tax season and finding out all too late that I wasn't reporting something properly. I just recently found that there are CPA's who work virtually, which may be a good fit for me since I live in a smaller town, although I could easily work with someone in Colorado Springs or Denver as well. 

What're everyone's experiences? How do you find the right CPA that will stick by you long into the future? Is virtual a good fit, or is it better to go with strong local knowledge? 

[Nick Giulioni]

I've used Brandon Hall remote CPAs and they are really solid.  It's expensive - but definitely worth it in my mind. Already saved me much more than I'm paying.