For accountants and CPAs
The buy-in that looks like debt but is actually an investment worth millions
The path from staff accountant to equity partner transforms your personal finances into business equity. A prenup can address how that transition, and the capital it requires, is treated within your marriage.
Flat fee of $5,000 per couple. No payment to get started.
The buy-in question
$50,000 to $200,000 in capital that is neither purely debt nor purely investment
Partner compensation models
Eat-What-You-Kill
Compensation tied directly to the revenue you originate. Your personal book of business determines your draw.
Lockstep
Compensation based on seniority and years as partner. Predictable growth, less tied to individual origination.
Hybrid (60/40 to 70/30)
A blend of firm-wide profitability and individual origination. The most common model at mid-size and large firms.
When you buy into a CPA firm, you take on what appears to be personal debt, often $50,000 to $200,000 or more, financed over years from future bonuses and distributions. But that debt is not a liability in the traditional sense. It acquires equity: an ownership stake in a business generating millions in annual revenue.
This dual nature creates the central prenup question for accountants. If you begin making buy-in payments before marriage using separate funds, those payments may be characterized differently from payments made with marital income during the marriage. The equity those payments create, and the distributions it generates, may also carry different characterizations depending on timing.
How your firm compensates partners matters too. Under an eat-what-you-kill model, your personal origination drives your income. Under lockstep, seniority determines your share. Hybrid models blend both. Each creates a different relationship between personal effort and firm-level returns, and each has implications for how partnership income is characterized in a prenup.
Your attorney can review how to structure the agreement so the buy-in, the equity it creates, and the income it generates are all clearly addressed.
The book of business
Client relationships become personal assets valued in the millions
In many CPA firms, the clients you originate and serve are tied to you personally. That book of business has real economic value, often measured as a multiple of annual origination revenue, and may also be considered marital property if built during the marriage.
$2.58M
Revenue per equity partner
Average in 2025, up 94% from 2008 across major accounting firms
$50K–$200K+
Partner buy-in range
Capital contribution required to acquire equity, often financed over 5 to 10 years
2–2.5x comp
Retirement/buyout multiple
Deferred compensation at exit, increasingly influenced by private equity valuations
Private equity entering the CPA industry is changing how firms are valued and how partners exit. Buyout multiples have increased from roughly 2x to 2.5x compensation in recent years, making retirement and departure plans more financially significant than ever. A prenup can address how these evolving valuations are treated within the marriage.
What a prenup can address
Six areas where CPA firm economics intersect with prenup planning
Partnership buy-in characterization
A buy-in may look like personal debt, but it acquires equity in the firm. Your attorney can review how this capital outlay is characterized, whether as a marital investment, separate property, or a combination depending on when payments are made.
Retirement and buyout plan treatment
CPA firm retirement plans often involve deferred compensation paid over years after departure. These obligations can be worth multiples of annual compensation. A prenup can address how benefits accrued before versus during the marriage are treated.
Client book of business valuation
Under eat-what-you-kill and hybrid models, your client relationships become a personal asset valued at origination revenue multiples. A prenup can describe how this goodwill is characterized if it was built partly during the marriage.
Busy season income fluctuation
January through April and extension deadlines create 60 to 80 hour weeks with concentrated bonus payouts. A prenup can establish how variable compensation tied to seasonal workload is treated for shared expenses and savings.
Professional license and credentials
Your CPA license, continuing education, and any additional credentials (CFA, CFP, JD) represent career capital that took years to build. A prenup can address how the earning capacity these credentials enable is considered.
Firm non-compete and non-solicitation
Many partnership agreements include restrictive covenants that limit where you can practice and which clients you can serve after departure. A prenup can acknowledge how these restrictions may affect future earning capacity.
How Neptune works
Three steps to a prenup that understands partnership economics
Guided intake for finance professionals
Neptune’s intake asks about your partnership status, buy-in obligations, compensation structure, and firm retirement plans in plain language. No legal jargon required.
Free attorney consultation
Each partner gets connected with a separate, licensed attorney who can review how partnership interests, deferred compensation, and business equity fit into the agreement.
Finalized agreement
Your attorney drafts an agreement that addresses the nuances of CPA firm compensation and equity. Turnaround is typically around 3 to 4 weeks.
Transparent pricing
One flat fee. Two independent attorneys.
Each partner gets their own licensed attorney. One attorney drafts the agreement; the other reviews it on behalf of the second partner.
$5,000
per couple, total
Rush pricing applies when the wedding is within 45 days. No payment required to get started.
Guides for you
Guides on assets, debt, and equity
Start with the guides other couples read before they begin, then take the next step when you are ready.
Common questions from accountants
How is a partnership buy-in treated in a prenup?
The buy-in presents a dual characterization question: it creates personal debt while simultaneously acquiring equity in the firm. If you begin buy-in payments before marriage, those payments may be treated differently from payments made with marital funds during the marriage. Your attorney can review how to structure the agreement so both the debt and the equity it creates are clearly addressed.
What about my book of business if I’m under an eat-what-you-kill model?
Client relationships you originate become a personal asset that may be valued at multiples of the revenue they generate. If you built part of that book before marriage and grew it during the marriage, the prenup can describe how each portion is characterized. Your attorney can review how origination credits, client transitions, and firm valuation methodologies apply to your situation.
How does the retirement or buyout plan factor in?
CPA firm retirement plans are typically deferred compensation arrangements, not traditional 401(k) or pension plans. They can be worth 2 to 2.5 times your annual compensation and are paid out over several years after departure. A prenup can address how benefits accrued before the marriage versus during it are allocated, and how the timing of departure affects the calculation.
I’m still a manager but expect to make partner soon. Should I wait?
The transition from manager to partner is precisely when a prenup becomes most valuable. Before making partner, your compensation is straightforward W-2 income. After, it becomes a mix of salary, distributions, equity appreciation, and deferred compensation. Addressing the buy-in characterization before it happens gives both partners clarity about how that investment will be treated.
What does it cost and how long does it take?
Neptune charges a flat fee of $5,000 per couple, which covers two independent attorneys (one for each partner). No payment is required to get started. Turnaround is typically around 3 to 4 weeks when both partners use Neptune attorneys. Rush pricing applies when the wedding is within 45 days.